From code-breaking for the Royal Australian Navy to intelligence gathering for ASIO to teaching Japanese to becoming a Catholic, to becoming a Japanese nun, to working as palliative care chaplain – the late Anne-Marie Southam was a restless spirit who defied stereotyping.
This is the amazing story of her vocation, told here for the first time.
Anne-Marie Southam was born in Adelaide in 1951 into a family of four children. In high school she had a Japanese pen friend, which sparked her interest in Japanese culture.
After finishing high school, she worked briefly for IBM but soon joined the Navy. Her first major assignment was at Humpty Doo Transmitting Station, which supports the naval base in Darwin, HMAS Coonawarra. For about 20 years she worked in intelligence roles, culminating in a job with ASIO in Canberra. It was a stressful life.
Throughout her time in defence work, Southam kept studying Japanese. Eventually she earned a Master’s degree in Japanese language education at Tokyo Gakugei University. She became very familiar with classical Japanese literature – from the 7th century anthology, Manyōshū, to works from the Edo period (1603–1868).
Attendance at a church service on Sundays was obligatory in the RAN at that time. Although Southam’s background was Anglican, a friend invited her to attend a Catholic Mass and she went along. Something touched her.
Later on, when she was struggling to write a Master’s thesis in Japanese in Tokyo, she made a “deal” with God, Sr Kazuko Nishida, one of the nuns in her community, told The Catholic Weekly in an email interview. “If you help me finish my thesis, I promise I will dedicate the rest of my life to you,” she prayed.
She did finish the thesis; she did finish her degree; and around 1990 she became a Catholic.
“During the time she struggled with her thesis, she was often seen praying earnestly in the chapel of Koganei Catholic Church, which is located within our convent grounds,” Sr Nishida recalled.”
“One of our sisters noticed her devotion and eventually invited her to join us for breakfast. That was how we came to know her.”
The Koganei parish is linked to the Sakuramachi Hospital, a hospital run by the Missionary Sisters of St John the Evangelist. This is a religious order founded in Japan in 1944 to serve the sick.
“Once she learned about the many volunteer opportunities in our hospital and nursing home – both operated by the Society of St John the Evangelist – she immediately volunteered in the paediatric ward and in the care facility for the elderly,” said Sr Nishida. “Through this volunteer work, she felt a growing desire to become a nun.”
In 1992 she took the plunge. Anne-Marie Southam entered the congregation as Sr Sabina.
It wasn’t easy at first, recalled Sr Nishida. “The Society of St John the Evangelist was founded by Japanese women, and unlike many other congregations in Japan, ours had no international history or foreign sisters.
“Few of us spoke English, and differences in food, language, social customs, and daily habits were a concern. Would she be able to adapt to all these differences?”
The answer turned out to be Yes. “Over time, she gradually acclimated to our communal life and became a truly indispensable member of the community,” said Sr Nishida.
Back in Australia, those close to her had mixed feelings about her vocation. Her niece, Francine Youssef, describes her family as “a unique blend of agnostics, Muslims and Anglican.”
Sr Sabina’s three brothers supported her decision to become a nun. Her father did not and disinherited her.
Sr Sabina drew on her professional training to design a website for the sisters and maintained the IT systems at their convent. She was also an accomplished artist and painted amazingly detailed botanical studies. In 2008 she became a naturalised Japanese citizen.
But her focus was prayerful pastoral care. From 1999 until she died, the Aussie nun was a chaplain in the hospice wing of Sakuramachi Hospital.
She explained her role in 2002 in an interview in Catholic Life, a Japanese magazine. “As I encountered death more often, I began to feel a growing desire to be a bridge for those who were passing from this world to the next,” she said. “That led me to study pastoral care and spiritual care.”
She never lost her Australian ways. Her niece told The Catholic Weekly that she had “a wicked sense of humour.”
An Apple enthusiast, she “could sometimes be found gaming instead of praying…”
“Her way of interacting with patients was unique,” said Sr Nishida.
“She was honest and impartial with everyone. She even told one patient that she had quarrelled with me and was not feeling well – an example of her remarkable openness. Many patients loved her for her sincerity and lack of pretence. She was thoughtful, humble, and profoundly authentic.”
Sr Sabina managed to bridge the culture gap between Australia and Japan.
“When some patients or their families meet me for the first time – a nun wearing a habit – they sometimes feel a bit of resistance,” she said.
“On the other hand, there are also those who, precisely because I am a religious sister and a foreigner, open their hearts to me immediately and share things they would not talk about with other Japanese people.”
She had a deep understanding of the Christian meaning of suffering.
“What should we do for people who are bedridden and can no longer move their bodies?” she mused in the interview.
“One day, I was surprised looking at a painting that depicted Jesus in a terrible state on the cross with Mary at his feet. There was a distance between Jesus and Mary. It wasn’t a physical distance, but I felt the distance of the path of life.
“The painting seemed to represent the relationship between the patient, their family, and us.
“Jesus knew he was going to be crucified, but even so, when he reached that state, he might have felt lonely or wanted someone to hold his hand. Mary might also have wanted to hold Jesus’s hand. It is the same for the patient and their family … Just like the Virgin Mary, we can only be by their side.”
In 2019, Sr Sabina celebrated the 25th anniversary of her profession with her congregation. Her brother John and his wife Helen joined her for the joy-filled event.
Photos show her with a broad smile – and oxygen prongs. She was suffering from interstitial lung disease. In 2023, she passed away, suffering deeply, but deeply happy.
What made her aunt special, The Catholic Weekly asked Youssef.
“She was highly intelligent, exhibited an exceptional level of technical skill and ventured into working in areas that women of her time seldomly saw,” Youssef responded.
“She was multidimensional and inquisitive. I don’t know anyone in this world who went from defence intelligence into the order – it just sounds implausible.
“However, in this case it is true. That’s precisely what makes her unique. Started out in Naval intelligence, ended up a nun in Japan. True story!”