My Vocation Story

"God works in mysterious ways" is a quote that fits my life perfectly! How I ever ended up entering the Daughters of Charity and staying for 32 years is a mystery that no one can really explain.

You see, I was raised in a loving Christian, but non-Catholic family. Sure I had many Catholic friends and neighbors growing up, but I never even met a Sister until I was 15 years old and applying to enter an all girls’ Catholic high school! Why was I applying to a Catholic school after having attended public school since kindergarten? Simple: My best friend was going there and the nearby public school was over-crowded. My parents were a bit skeptical at first, but after meeting with Sr. Christine, the Principal, everything was set for me to begin as a sophomore at Seton High School that September. I remember that day as if it were yesterday. Everyone was very kind and welcoming, making sure I knew the location of my classes and how to get there. I loved everything about the school!

There was a great spirit that one could feel by just being in the building. It was in this sacred place that God showed me a new kind of joy by introducing me to the Daughters of Charity. The Daughters staffed the school in large numbers. I had the privilege of having many of them as my teachers. I found them kind, caring and interested in me as a student and as a person.

It wasn’t long before I found myself thinking about what it would be like to be one of them. I began spending more and more time at school helping in the classrooms, attending after school activities and participating in service projects that served persons who were poor. Watching the Sisters interact with those we visited was very inspiring and reinforced my desire to be one of them. I began to make this dream a reality by taking instructions in the Catholic faith. In June of my sophomore year I made my first Communion in our school chapel surrounded by staff and fellow students; it was a very special day for me.

I loved everything about my new Church and attended Mass and various liturgical celebrations with great fervor. The Sisters invited me to attend several retreats in order to help me in the discernment process. With each retreat, I became more sure that God was calling me to enter the Daughters of Charity.

After graduating from Seton High School I attended a year of college, but volunteered at Seton as often as my schedule would allow. I applied to the Daughters in the spring and on June 3rd, in the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, I received the news that I was accepted into the Community. I was so filled with joy that I could hardly contain myself!

It has been an exciting journey filled with many joys and a few sorrows, but God has been my constant companion and firm support through it all. I have learned so much from the Sisters with whom I have lived and worked. As a teacher, I have had the privilege of touching the lives of many young children and their parents, many of whom have stayed in contact over the years. What a blessing it has been to be able to serve God’s people, to be such a part of their lives in the good times and in the difficult times. I have truly been blessed and will be forever grateful to my gentle, loving God.