News

Martina tells Songs of Praise about life-changing decision

A FORMER BBC journalist is to appear on

Songs of Praise

tomorrow describing her decision to enter religious life. Martina Purdy tells the programme about joining the Adoration Sisters and turning her back on a high-profile career in journalism where she clocked up more than 20 years.

The former political correspondent was educated at a convent school and raised as a Catholic but has previously said she had no "calling" when she was younger.

She joined the convent in west Belfast last October but described how her decision left many people surprised.

"I suppose people were shocked when I announced what I was going to do but I had lived with it for a while," she told the programme.

"I have always been a Catholic but I think when I look back, I was really asleep in my faith compared to how it is now."

She said it was during a holiday to Peru eight years ago, witnessing extreme poverty, that she began to think about more about her faith and considered becoming an aid worker.

Afterwards she went on a retreat with the nuns' order which confirmed her decision to enter religious life.

Since joining the Adoration Sisters, she said she has already began to see the difference that she can make.

"People come to us for prayers and it is really a beautiful experience when someone comes to you," she said.

"Sometimes they are coming in tears, because they are having a crisis in their life and just knowing that someone is praying for them, they leave with a smile, it is very uplifting and that's really a beautiful thing to do with your life."

The programme also speaks to Elaine Kelly, who gave up life as a high-profile barrister to also join the Adoration Sisters.

Ms Kelly, who spoke exclusively last year to The Irish News about her decision to become a nun, also tells Songs of Praise about her decision.

"I am no longer at the bar, I don't have the pressure of that, but for me I could see for a long time I was going deeper into prayer and becoming more contemplative," she said.

"Now I can fulfil that and that's something I can live out every day."

? Songs of Praise is on BBC One tomorrow at 4pm.