The unconventional nun

MaryAnne Francalanza knew she would not fit in at a closed convent, and yet she wanted to live the Ignatian spirituality “full-time”. So she logged on one of the first search engines at the University of Malta and looked up “Ignatian women”, where she discovered the FCJ Sisters (Faithful Companions of Jesus). That was 14 years ago, when she was doing a Masters in Mathematics, and since then Sr Francalanza has been working with young people to “discover themselves in ordinary things, not just in prayer”. “That’s what I do: I find God in the public sphere, not just in prayer or in churches,” the young woman says, basking in the sun just outside the university chapel. Sr Francalanza misses the sun where she is based in Liverpool, but in Malta there is no FCJ Sisters community. The 36-year-old is not your usual nun. She does not wear a religious habit, and spends most of her time out with people. She explains that the FCJ Sisters are like the female counterparts of the Jesuits, following the same spirituality, with the three religious vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Their mission is to offer companionship where needed through every day events. Sr Francalanza had always been...