Local Salesian Sister to Profess First Vows this Summer

Situated about 20-miles Southeast of the Delaware Water Gap, the popular American national recreation area on the Delaware River near the border of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, a Catholic summer camp called Camp Auxilium welcomes children as they arrive for a day of fun and adventure. The camp’s motto is “a place where every young person feels loved” – and if that is how campers feel, it is because it is true: these kids are loved. 

The New Jersey-based day camp, conducted by the Salesian Sisters, offers a variety of land and water activities. Everyone is welcome regardless of race, religion, national origin or creed and the camp advertises that children who attend camp with discover new things, act their age, build social skills and laugh until it hurts.

One of the facilitators working at camp this summer is from the Archdiocese of Toronto and while she is keeping children active by day, she has her mind and her heart on preparing herself for her upcoming profession of vows to officially join the Salesian Sisters of Saint John Bosco. 

Sr. Natalie Doummar grew up in the east-end of Archdiocese of Toronto, a member of St. Marguerite d’Youville parish in Brampton to be exact, and she recalls the strong faith of her grandparents as laying the groundwork of her faith journey to this point. 

“I was inspired a lot by my dad's parents - my grandparents - who became highly involved in their parish around the time I was born and so that certainly rubbed off on me, that's for sure,” said Sr. Natalie. “Especially their strong love for Jesus, Mary and St. Joseph.” 

As a teenager in the G.T.A., Doummar was very active in all aspects of student life as she took the foundation she was given and started to build out from there. The teen became involved in parish life by teaching children’s liturgy along with assisting with Confirmation preparation classes. 

She would go on to become a lector, reading at Sunday Mass at the parish too. She began leading the daily reflections as part of the morning announcements at school and became involved in many of the faith-based activities and groups offered. She joined the pro-life group, the spirit council, the environmental team, the social justice club and the “Link Crew” a group of students dedicated to helping integrate new students into school life. 

She sought out leadership opportunities whenever she could and would always be on the lookout for chances to assist teachers in reaching out and ministering, on a peer level, to students at the periphery. 

After graduating from high school, Doummar remained in the archdiocese and studied at the University of Toronto for seven years, earning degrees in Christianity and Culture and in Education. In her final years at University, she obtained a Master’s degree in Theology (MTS).  

Obviously very successful in her academics, it was her time at the Newman Centre at the University of Toronto that left a real impression on her – one that changed the trajectory of her life. 

While preparing to attend University as a freshman, Doummar recalls an encounter that she had with her pastor at the time, “I was told by Msgr. Pat O’Dea that when I get to campus I should check out the Newman Centre. So, during Frosh week, our week of orientation on campus, some of us who had just met each other decided to attend Mass at Newman. We were introduced to other people, and became familiar with some of the programs there.” 

“The Newman Centre really became a second home for me,” said Doummar, “I’m so very grateful for my time there.” 

Doummar once again became very involved in student life, joining almost every possible group and club she could. Being an avid lover of music, she joined the choir that sang at the 11 a.m. Mass each Sunday and she also participated in the Centre’s Our Lady of Guadalupe play that was started by a PhD student from Mexico. 

In her later years at Newman, Doummar began to increase her participation in hospitality ministries including helping to introduce a “front desk ministry” – welcoming and assisting visitors and students as they would come to discover the centre for the first time. It was this work of helping people feel comfortable and welcome that really appealed to her. Reflecting on her time at the Newman Centre, Doummar says that the Director of Campus Ministry at the time, Erin Kinsella, was a massive inspiration to her. 

“One thing I thought was so cool at the time was when Erin started providing snacks to students as they were preparing for exams. We would put out different snacks every day and signs outside welcoming all students, Catholic or otherwise, on campus during this stressful time of the year. All were welcome to come and study in quiet and comfort and with a small snack.” 

During one summer when school was out, Doummar spent time serving as a Totus Tuus Missionary for the Office of Catholic Youth, facilitating summer day camps for parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Toronto with other young adults. She went on to participate in two mission trips with the Newman Centre. Working as a local camp missionary as well as serving the poor abroad during her Newman mission trips were experiences that would turn out be very beneficial as God’s plan continued to unfold for her. Kinsella at the Newman Centre also helped in fostering Doummar’s heart into one of a true missionary. 

“To be Salesian is to be missionary. We are all missionaries. I would honestly say that I learned a lot about having the heart of a missionary at Newman and through the witness of Erin as she constantly made herself available for people to talk to, she would always be the best listener. In our service projects, mission work, prayer events, or in retreats and things like that, Erin would always have a way of making people excited to be part of the Catholic community.” 

There was one program that helped propel Doummar’s discernment into a new gear. It involved finding a three-month placement to do volunteer work at. This is when Doummar was introduced to VIDES Canada, a volunteer missionary organization founded by the Salesian Sisters, dedicated to education and development for children, youth and women in situations of poverty, marginalization, or difficulty, both in Canada and worldwide.  

“I was able to volunteer with the sisters for three months in Bahia Blanca, Argentina and that was so impactful for me, my faith life and for my vocational journey. God was kind of "sneaky" - he allowed me to experience the life of the Sisters without any pressure.” 

Having the opportunity to be emmersed in life with the Salesians, to serve with the Sisters and to pray with them at this point in her life when she wasn’t yet all too concerned about discernment, "It made me realize I wanted to be part of the Salesian Family, but it was a few of years later that I felt God calling me to be a Salesian Sister.” 

“I caught the Spirit of St John Bosco by seeing the way that the sisters were with the young people. It was very special: constantly loving, never giving up on them, ongoing forgiveness and always seeing the young people with great hope.” 

Doummar joined as an aspirant with the Salesian Sisters in 2020 and has never looked back. 

It is with a missionary heart and a vast amount of experience in working with youth and young adults that Sr. Natalie now finds herself completely physically exhausted at the end of each day making sure that every young person at Camp Auxilium leaves knowing that she along with her fellow sisters love them just as God loves all his children. She is excited, and a little nervous, when she talks about her first profession of vows in North Haledon, New Jersey.  The profession will be livestreamed at https://www.facebook.com/Salesian.Sister/ at 9 a.m. on August 5, 2024. 

After professing her vows in New Jersey she will return home to the Archdiocese of Toronto for a Mass of Thanksgiving planned at St. Benedict’s parish in Etobicoke in late-August. The homecoming will be short however, as Doummar will begin her new apostolate in Vancouver, British Columbia shortly thereafter taking on the role of Director of Religious Education at a local Catholic church. 

Please join us in praying for Sr. Natalie, that the Lord may continue to work through her to reach the lives of many young people and their families.