Good Samaritan Sister Meg Kahler was elected President of the Benedictine Union of East Asia and Oceania (BEAO) during its biennial gathering, which took place in Vietnam earlier this month.

Meg succeeds Brother Nicholas Koss OSB, Prior of Wimmer Priory in Taiwan, who has guided the BEAO since its beginnings 30 years ago.

Meg said the gathering was an opportunity to learn about what Benedictine life looks like in the region. “It is a mix of enclosed and missionary communities across very diverse cultural and language groups,” she said. “It can make it a challenge but also gives many unique expressions of Benedictine life.

“It helped to raise awareness of the many challenges that face communities – ageing, isolation, financial hardship, political complexities and much more.

“We were generously hosted at the Thinh Bien Monastery. There are about 60 monks living at the monastery who have a flower farm, a fish farm that enables the production of fish sauce, and a medical outreach service that uses natural medicines. They work closely with the local community on various projects.”

At the 27th Chapter of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan in 2023, Meg was elected a Member of Council for a six-year term. The Council is a four-member leadership team of Sisters who provide assistance and advice to Congregational Leader Sister Catherine McCahill SGS.

Meg serves as First Councillor and Delegate for Initial Formation. She has pastoral oversight for Good Samaritan Sisters in Victoria, South Australia and the Philippines, and is a member of the Congregation’s Finance Council.

Originally from Warwick in Queensland, Meg and her family lived in Bundaberg and Rockhampton before settling in Brisbane. After finishing school, Meg completed a Bachelor of Arts followed by a Diploma in Education.

It was during her first teaching position, a four-year stint at Ryan Catholic College in Townsville, that Meg first met and made strong connections with the Good Samaritan Sisters. After a year spent teaching at the Catholic school on Palm Island, Meg decided to see if religious life was for her.

Since joining the Congregation in 1996, Meg has had a rich variety of ministry placements, including five years teaching at Santa Maria College, Melbourne, two years as Director of the Kiribati Pastoral Institute, a year as Manager of the Good Samaritan Inn, Melbourne, and three months teaching English in Tanzania with a group of Benedictine Sisters.

Meg was also part of the Good Samaritan Education Mission Team, which provides formation opportunities for staff and students of Good Samaritan Education colleges in the history, values and spirituality of the Good Samaritan Benedictine tradition.

The Benedictine presence in Oceania began in 1835 when Bishop John Bede Polding OSB arrived in Sydney from England. With Mother Scholastica Gibbons RSC, he co-founded the Sisters of the Good Samaritan in 1857, establishing the first religious Congregation in Australia.

This article was published on the website of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan.