簡單的開始 A Simple Beginning

我叫廖秋香，今年八十六歲，快要八十七歲。
我出生於1939年9月9日，在台南縣，從小在斗六長大。
我們家有九個兄弟姊妹，我排行第四，全家都是天主教徒。
我的聖召，其實來得很簡單。
十六歲那一年，我看到從大陸來的修女們，她們準備在斗六蓋修院。
我看著她們，心裡就想：「如果我去當修女，好像也不錯。」就這麼簡單。

My name is Chiu-Hsiang Liao. I am now eighty-six years old, almost eighty-seven.
I was born on September 20, 1939, in Tainan County and grew up in Douliu.
I come from a Catholic family with nine children, and I am the fourth.
My vocation began very simply.
When I was sixteen, I saw some Religious Sisters who had come from mainland China
and were preparing to build a convent in Douliu.
As I looked at them, a thought arose in my heart:
“If I become a sister, that would be good.”
It was that simple.

勇敢的決定 A Courageous Decision

有一天，我跟爸爸說：「我要去當修女。」
爸爸笑著問我：「妳真的要嗎？」我說：「真的。」
很多人不相信，還說：「她三天就會回來！」因為我從小沒有離開過家，跟媽媽感情很好。
但我心裡已經決定了。

One day, I told my father, “I want to become a sister.”
He smiled and asked, “Are you serious?”
I said, “Yes.”
Many people did not believe me. They said, “She will come back in three days!”
Because I had never left home and was very close to my mother.
But in my heart, I had already decided.

離開與掙扎 Leaving Home and Struggle

1955年3月21日，我進入修院。那時我只有十六歲。
在那個年代，交通不方便，要坐很久的火車到高雄。
我常常想回家，就跟爸爸說：「我要回去。」
爸爸會慢慢跟我說話、鼓勵我。最後我總是說：「好啦，我不回去了。」
就是這樣，一次一次留下來。

On March 21, 1955, I entered the convent at the age of sixteen.
In those days, travel was difficult. It took a long train journey to reach Kaohsiung.
Many times, I wanted to go home. I would tell my father, “I want to leave.”
He would patiently talk to me and encourage me. In the end, I would say, “Alright, I will stay.”
That is how I remained—again and again.

思念的聲音 The Voice of Longing

晚上睡覺的時候，我常常覺得，好像聽到媽媽在叫我的名字，就在耳邊一樣。
那是一種很深的思念。

At night, I often felt as if I could hear my mother calling my name, as though she were right beside me.
It was a deep longing.

一條棉被的愛 A Blanket and a Father’s Love

我從小睡覺會踢棉被，爸爸每天晚上都會來幫我蓋好。
進修院後，我才發現：「沒有人幫我蓋棉被了。」
於是我把棉被綁在身上，不讓它掉下來。
這是一件小事，卻讓我明白：
以前是爸爸照顧我，現在我要學會自己照顧自己，也把這份愛交給天主。

As a child, I always kicked off my blanket while sleeping. Every night, my father would come and cover me again.
After entering the convent, I realized: “No one will cover me anymore.”
So I tied the blanket to myself to keep it from falling off.
It was a small thing, but it taught me something important:
Before, my father cared for me. Now, I must learn to care for myself and offer that love to God.

修道生活 Religious Life

1957年2月27日，我領受會衣；
1959年2月28日，我初次發願；
1966年8月8日，我永發聖願。
在修院中，我學習了許多技能，包括烹飪、會計與行政工作。
出乎我意料的是，後來我被託付擔任地方院長、議員，甚至省會長等職務。
在台南，我也曾在幼稚園服務，照顧孩子，同時協助醫院藥房的工作。
我能學會這些事情，並不是因為受過正式的專業訓練，而是透過觀察並向其他修女的榜樣學習而來。

On February 27, 1957, I received the Holy Habit.
On February 28, 1959, I made my first profession.
On August 8, 1966, I made my perpetual profession.
In the convent, I learned many skills, including cooking, accounting, and administration.
Beyond anything I had imagined, I was later entrusted with responsibilities
as Local Prioress, councilor, and even Provincial Prioress.
In Tainan, I also served in a kindergarten, caring for children,
while at the same time assisting in the pharmacy of the hospital.
I learned to do all these things not through formal study,
​but by carefully observing and learning from the example of other Sisters.

六十年的回應 Sixty Years of Fidelity

到現在，我已經當修女六十多年。
如果再有一次生命，我還是會選擇當修女。
因為我愛天主，也愛聖母。

I have now been a religious sister for more than sixty years.
If I had another life, I would still choose this path.
Because I love God, and I love the Blessed Virgin Mary.

給年輕人的話 A Word to the Young

慢慢來，聽從內心的聲音。
聖召不是沒有掙扎，而是在掙扎中，仍然願意留下來。

Go slowly, and listen to your heart.
A vocation is not about never struggling,
but about choosing to stay, even in the struggle.

聖名與榜樣 Name and Inspiration

我的聖名是依默達（Imelda Lambertini），她是一位熱愛聖體的少女。
她提醒我：聖德不是做大事，而是用單純的心愛天主。

My religious name is taken from Blessed Imelda Lambertini,
a young girl known for her deep love of the Eucharist.
She reminds me that holiness is not about doing great things,
but about loving God with a simple heart.

結語 Final Reflection

我的人生很平凡，但充滿恩典。
從一個簡單的念頭開始，走到今天，是一條愛的道路。

My life is simple, but full of grace.
What began as a small thought
became a lifelong journey of love.