A journey of faith and commitment

By Fr. Frank Hegel, S.F.M.
September/October 2009

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On June 30, 2009, after 27 years of service to mission, Louise Malnachuk retired as a Scarboro lay missioner. We are grateful to Louise for her commitment to mission and to Scarboro Missions. Her missionary journey is a story of adventure, courage, stamina, faith, and commitment.

Louise Malnachuk

By profession Louise is a trained midwife and nurse. Before joining Scarboro she worked in Northern British Columbia and the high Arctic. On joining Scarboro she accepted an appointment to China where she spent 14 years serving as a teacher of English in various universities and is remembered as a competent educator.

The 14 years of administrative work Louise undertook at the Scarboro central house in Canada is equally valued. She was the first Scarboro lay missioner to be a part of the formation team, a task she assumed more than once. Her service on many joint committees and her participation in the Cabinet and at Society Chapters also come to mind. Above all, we recognize and are thankful for all the hard work, the hours of research, the endless meetings with canonical and civil experts, the drafts and revised drafts, and the energy spent on the committee charged with doing the groundwork for a possible new administrative structure for our mission society. We also acknowledge her work on the greening of Scarboro. Her efforts at making us more environmentally conscious has resulted in cost and energy savings for the Society and has benefited the planet as well. With her calm, quiet, unassuming way, she went about doing her work, keeping her head when at times those around her were losing theirs, as Kipling would say.

As the co-coordinator of the house committee at Scarboro’s central house, she welcomed visitors with hospitality. She made us all see the face of God in the face of the stranger. Her welcome radiated the joy and happiness she genuinely felt on meeting someone previously unknown.

Louise Malnachuk enjoying a meal at home with her students. China.

The phrase, “Ask and you shall receive” epitomizes Louise. She was a person you could run to when the world seemed cruel or dealt you a stunning blow. She would always listen to your story, attempting to understand and offer possible alternatives. Her gift of sensitivity was shared openly and generously with everyone. She never asked of anyone more than they could handle. Modeling this gift of sensitivity in a predominantly male institution was a challenge, but it yielded its reward as a tangle of thorn bushes was slowly and surely turned into a garden of roses.

Louise’s defining trait is that she is a woman of faith. Faith involves making choices and taking risks. Louise chose to believe in Scarboro and its values and vision. Her actions bear witness to the challenge of faith decisions in the face of changing circumstances.

It is difficult to capture the essence of a person in a few short words. But words are all we have to express the admiration, gratitude, and respect that the Scarboro Foreign Mission Society has for Louise and for her commitment to a lifetime to mission. We wish her every grace and blessing as she continues to journey in faith.

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