New Religious Order Comes to Boston

Iraqi Sister Olga Yaqob is beginning a women’s religious order in the Boston Archdiocese this year to carry out the Church’s mission to evangelize.
“Our main spirituality will focus on Jesus, and then carry his presence out into the world,” Sister Olga told CNA on June 21.

“I have seen a lot of spiritual poverty in our country: people who are spiritually hungry,” she said. “They don’t know what kind of loving Father we have, what kind of beautiful faith our Catholic Church has.”

The 44 year-old sister — known for her tireless energy and beloved by her students — responded to an invitation from Cardinal Sean O’Malley to start the new order and is leaving her current post as chaplain at Boston University.

Sister Olga explained in a June 21 interview that the process of founding the Daughters of Mary, Our Lady of Nazareth has been three years in the making.

She said that Cardinal O’Malley was familiar with her personal story, including her conversion to the Roman Catholic Church six years ago after being a member of the Assyrian Church in Iraq and starting a women’s order there in 1995.

“He knew a lot about the history of my vocation and ministry in Iraq and also here in the United States before he received me into his diocese,” she said.

After observing her work with young people at Boston University, as well as her service to parishes throughout the archdiocese, the cardinal asked Sister Olga in 2008 if she would consider founding a new women’s religious community.

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