Vocation Stories Of Nuns/sisters...

[i<3LSOP]

Hey Pham!


I didn't know if there was a thread like this, but I just wanted to post some vocation stories of nuns/sisters:


[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif][size=4][b] Sisters of Life:[/b][/size][/font]

[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif][size=4]When I was about eight years old I watched The Sound of Music four times in a row in one day. Though my family points out that Maria ends up being called to marriage, I was smitten. I would be a nun. Growing up in New Orleans, I didn’t really know any Sisters, but I decided I wanted to be one.[/size][/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif][size=4]I loved reading the lives of the saints, especially the early virgin martyrs, and I even sewed a habit for my Barbie dolls. While my friends’ dolls were getting married and attending fancy parties, my veiled Sr. Catherine Barbie was living in a convent and taking in the abandoned. It was amazing to see how my young Christian friends, who didn’t know what “Catholic” was, instinctively understood the spiritual maternity of my fictional character. Their more glamorous Barbies would come to the convent when they were in trouble.[/size][/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif][size=4]I had a desire to pray and to sacrifice at that young age, though I had little instruction. I grew up going to Mass on Sundays with my parents and brother, and we both attended CCD, but that was the extent of our religious involvement. As I grew older, I started to have other ideas about “what I would do when I grew up.” At about age 12, a doctor warned me that if I were a nun, it would be like being in the Army. “They’ll tell you where to go and what to do,” he cautioned. This prospect was not attractive to my pre-teen self so I dropped the idea. I loved foreign languages in high school, and I thought it would be exciting and noble to serve our country as a spy. I actually had a teacher who had previously done some spy work, so I felt encouraged to head in that direction.[/size][/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif][size=4]I went to Yale University where I planned to major in Russian and Eastern European studies. Curiously, though I was dating, the fascination with religious life remained somewhere in the back of my mind. That summer I had a flash of insight that the Lord might be calling me to be a Sister. Despite my anxiety, I managed to sign up to receive information from a staggering number of communities, but none attracted me. Once on campus, I pushed aside those thoughts and settled down to my studies. My freshman year marked the 30th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. There was not much of a pro-life response on campus, so some of the students from the Catholic Center and myself decided to form a pro-life group and started making plans for activities on campus.[/size][/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif][size=4]In January of 2004, when I was a sophomore, I met the Sisters of Life for the first time during the March for Life in Washington, DC. When I saw the Sisters, I was inexplicably drawn to speak with them. I was attracted to the joy in their faces. I now know that it was the Holy Spirit leading me, and somehow I signed up for a Come and See weekend for that spring.[/size][/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif][size=4]After that weekend, I did not know if I would be a Sister, but I did know that God loved and created me for a great purpose and that I owed it to Him and to myself to pray and ask the Lord what that plan was. During that retreat weekend, I had gone to my first good confession in a long time and was now ready to receive the graces that God had in store for me. Over the next two years I visited the Sisters as I continued my studies and began meeting with a Spiritual Director. I also started to grow more and more in the spiritual life – going to Mass almost every day, going to confession at least once a month, and making time for silent prayer and spiritual reading. Through these means, I tried to make room for the Lord to speak, or rather, to make silence, so I could hear Him. He is always speaking. He was gently calling even when I was 8 years old.[/size][/font]
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif][size=4]As my last semester came to an end, the Lord confirmed my call to the charism of life through a particularly bad ethics class I was taking. In the midst of the confused things I was being taught, I heard Jesus inviting me to offer my life to Him in love, to Him who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. This call brought me great joy and hope which have only grown as I follow Him.[/size][/font]

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[size=4][b]Little Sisters of the Poor: (Sr. Mary Grace is my favorite Sister) [/b][/size]
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Two new Little Sisters of the Poor who answered God’s call to serve the elderly poor have very different backgrounds but the same love for the international ministry founded by Blessed Jeanne Jugan in 1839 in France.
Sisters Mary Grace Bates of Indian­apolis and Martin Marie de Porres Tran, originally from South Vietnam, entered the order on Oct. 18, 2001, and professed their first vows on July 17, 2004, at the St. Ann Novitiate in Queens, N.Y.
The daughter of St. Luke parishioners Carl and Marjory Bates of Indianapolis, Sister Mary Grace attended St. Luke School and graduated from Bishop Chatard High School in 1996. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism at Indiana University in Bloomington and a master’s degree in library science at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis.
She met the Little Sisters of the Poor when Sister Lourdes Marie Miranda hired her to work in food service at the St. Augustine Home for the Aged in Indianapolis four years ago. And she met Sister Martin Marie during a vocations discernment retreat at the novitiate.
Sister Martin Marie now serves residents living in the intermediate care unit at the St. Augustine Home for the Aged. While a member of St. John the Evan­gelist Parish in Syracuse, N.Y., she felt called to join the Little Sisters after visiting their homes in Los Angeles and Scranton, Pa.
Both nuns say their love for God and the elderly poor transformed their lives.
“Ever since I was a young girl, I just had the sense that God was calling me to be a religious sister,” Sister Mary Grace explained in a telephone interview from the order’s Sacred Heart Home in Denver, also called the Mullen Home, where she began a new assignment in December.
“I could feel the Holy Spirit leading me [to religious life],” she said, “but it was not what I wanted for myself. I pictured my life doing other things … so I just tried to pretend that it wasn’t true and that was not what God was calling me to do. But when I was going to library school for a year, I started working at the St. Augustine Home and through meeting the Little Sisters I was able to see what religious life is really all about.”
Sister Mary Grace said she found “a real joy” in serving the elderly and sharing community life with the Little Sisters. She enjoys hearing the residents’ stories about life during World War II and the Depression, and feels privileged to experience the sisters’ joyful ministry.
“The residents have made all kinds of sacrifices in their lives,” Sister Mary Grace said. “I found it to be a real honor to be able to be with them.
“And I liked the joy and the humble spirit of the Little Sisters, how they ­quietly and simply were striving to serve God, how they live and work together for a common purpose, how their lives are centered around the presence of the Blessed Sacrament in the chapel at the home, and how they rely completely on Divine Providence,” she said. “It was like discovering the kingdom of God that I had experienced at home with my family. The sisters’ emphasis was on what God can do, on trusting God every day, and it was striking to me in this modern world.”
Before joining the Little Sisters, she said, “I was seeking meaning in my life. I was thinking that God has given me a life to live once, and I was desiring to live it according to his plan for me. I talked to my Dad about it, and he suggested that if I wanted to grow in faith to start going to daily Mass and to receive Communion as frequently as I could to strengthen me in the spiritual life. So I did, and that was about the time I met the Little Sisters. By receiving Jesus [in the Eucharist], my desire for God and my awareness of his love grew stronger and stronger.”
Sister Mary Grace’s first ministry assignment was at the St. Joseph Home for the Aged in Louisville, Ky. Last month, she received her new assignment in Denver.
“Just for myself and my own little vocation so far, I have discovered that a vocation to serve God in the religious life is really a precious gift whose value you can’t even put into words,” she said. “God does everything for us, and all the glory belongs to him. He gave me the grace [to answer his call], and I just feel a real peace about it.”
She encourages young people “to turn to God in prayer, to listen for his voice and to be open to his plan.”
Sister Martin Marie, whose family name is Binh Minh Tran, was raised Catholic in Saigon, South Vietnam, and loved attending Mass and receiving the Eucharist.
In 1975, the Vietnam War changed her life forever. Her father, Hung Tran, was “a major military officer” who helped the American efforts to overthrow the communist regime, but he was captured and imprisoned by the communists for 13 years.
When her father was taken to a communist prison, her family had to flee their home and lost all their belongings. Her mother, Kim Vu, took Binh Minh and her three younger brothers to live with their grandparents. While there, they were able to attend Mass at St. Martin de Porres Church in Saigon.
“My family was very poor,” she said. “Every day, my Mom tried to sell vegetables from our garden and repair clothes to get enough rice for us to eat. I went to St. Martin Church every day and prayed to him to help my Mom to get some food for us today.”
She chose St. Martin de Porres as her patron saint and later as her religious name because of his love for God and the poor.
“When I was a child,” she recalled, “I said to God, ‘I want to be like St. Martin to help the poor and the sick and to teach young people about God.’ I wanted to become bread for the poor and to care for them. That’s how my vocation started [at age 10]. But the communists made it hard for the young people [to learn about the Catholic faith].”
After her father’s release from prison in 1988, they were resettled in the United States in Syracuse, N.Y., in 1994 when she was a young adult.
After learning English, she attended college, served her parish as a Communion minister and catechist, and helped several priests serve Vietnamese people living in the area. Through parish involvement, she became more aware of God’s love and her desire to respond to his love.
“God protected us and let us come here,” she said. “With freedom of religion here, I wanted to become a sister. I was yearning to offer my life for God. I thought after I studied here I would go back to Vietnam to help my people. But now I recognize [that] wherever I go I can help the poor people. I love to serve the elderly people because I feel they need love and they are poor.”
She became an American citizen in 2000 then joined the Little Sisters in 2001. Last August, she was assigned to serve the elderly at the St. Augustine Home for the Aged.
“With the Little Sisters, I felt their hospitality,” she said. “I watched the way they joyfully serve the elderly … and they make the spirit of the home like family life. They respect the elderly. Our foundress, [Blessed] Jeanne Jugan—her spirit—is exactly like St. Martin, who took care of the poor and the sick people. What return could I make? Could I ever repay God for his love? [My prayer is] ‘Oh God, may I love as you have loved.’ I recognize God’s spirit in the elderly … and I feel this is God’s will for me. God helps me so much. He never fails to help me.”


[b]Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angels: [/b]

God’s ways are certainly mysterious. Never would I have imagined to be where I am today. All the years that I was growing up I had a definite plan for my life and religious life was not included. In my mind, I was going to be a wife and mother with many children, all of them home schooled. “God will surely send me a good catholic man to marry,” I thought; so I left it in His hands and bided my time. In the mean time, I attended religious talks with my mother. Never did I imagine how one would change my life.

It was just a normal talk on prayer. I am sure I heard similar words before, probably many times before. This time it was different. The words he spoke penetrated my heart. “Prayer is a conversation with God. That means two things: one, we need to talk to Him; secondly, and most importantly, we need to be QUIET and listen.” He said. God will speak to your heart if only you stop to listen. Going home, I felt quite uneasy, convicted. Most of my prayer was simply rattling off memorized formulas with names. I figured that pretty much covered everything I needed to do. As I lay down in bed that night, I did the riskiest thing in my life.

“So God, You speak. Okay. Well, now’s Your chance. I will be quiet and listen.” Not expecting much, I uneasily prayed these words then settled down to wait for whatever was going to happen. He did not lose one moment. Very quickly after I settled down to listen, these words formed in my mind: “You shall be My bride.” Deep down I knew Who spoke this because I had never thought anything like this before. Stunned and in disbelief, my only response was, “What?!?” Again, the same words came back to me. Even more uneasy, as this disrupted all my carefully laid out plans for my life, I tried to wiggle out of it. “Well, the Church is the Bride of Christ and as a married woman with a family, I would be part of the Church. Therefore, You must be calling me to be a bride in the sense that I am united to the Church.” Yet, this thought did not comfort me in the least. I knew He was calling for more.

Then the search began. St. Pio, speaking of Our Lord’s relationship with the soul has a saying that “all is a continual game on the part of your Lover.” And so the game began. Slowly, He wooed my heart and helped me to conform my desires to His. Soon, I found myself seeking out which Community He might want me to enter. With all the vast choices, I simply told Him, “This was Your idea, not mine. You better show me where to go because I have no clue where to start.” Within a few months, two separate people referred me to a Carmelite community in Alhambra California. At first, I dreaded the idea of returning to a crowed city. Nevertheless, I could not shake the feeling that it was no coincidence that two completely unrelated sources were pointing me here.

Taking a deep breath, I mustered up the courage to call Sister Marina and signed up for the Come and See retreat that summer. A little relieved, I thought to myself, “Well, I did my part. I will see what God will do.” He probably laughed when He heard my thoughts. No less than a month later, I was at a local Catholic Teen Day gathering. In the back, there were several vocation booths in the back. One caught my eye. There were a couple of sisters there in an ankle length brown habit. The habit looked like something I had seen before, like on one of the brochures for the Carmelites. Gathering up my courage (I did not have much to gather), I casually made my way to the back where the booths were. As I picked up a brochure to see if these sisters could really be the same ones I had called just a few weeks earlier, I looked up just in time to catch the eye of the sister standing there. Extending her hand, she said, “Hello, I am Sister Marina. Do you happen to know a young woman named Kim? She called me a few weeks ago to sign up for a retreat.” Stunned, I managed to tell her that the person she was looking for was me. I could hardly believe that the Vocation Directress was standing before me. I do not remember much else about that day, but I know I kept my eyes on EVERYTHING the sisters did.

That summer, I made my first trip to the retreat house. As I stepped out of the car, I knew that this was the place Our Lord was calling me. By the end of the retreat, I wanted to enter as soon as possible. Nevertheless, I was asked to stay at home for two more years. It was a difficult decision, but I remained at home for the two years and tried to grow closer to Christ throughout the time I had to wait. What a blessing it has been to have those two years of longing to enter! Much of the natural difficulties I have encountered within the Formation process have been lessened because I had to wait so long to even be here. Truly, God’s ways are mysterious and I praise Him for it.

Please post other vocation stories of Nuns/Sisters.

[FutureCarmeliteClaire]

[img]https://mail.google.com/mail/images/cleardot.gif[/img]
This is like one of my new favorite vocation videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dI6rFWmO3k&feature=youtube_gdata_player

And this is great too:
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zggvQfdleoI&feature=youtube_gdata_player"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zggvQfdleoI&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/url]

[i<3LSOP]

amesome Claire!

[marigold]

Hehehe, for some reason when I saw the title of this thread I thought of a nun in my community who told me she chain-smoked out of the window of the car on the way to the monastery



(Not really on topic sorry)

[FutureSister2009]

Love Vocation stories!

[mysisterisalittlesister]

thanks for making this thread, LSP (;

[das8949]

Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary

[b] Sr. M. Jennifer Carlson[/b]

[img]http://www.schsrsmary.org/images/sr-jennifer-carlson.jpg[/img]Originally from Isanti, MN, Sr. M. Jennifer began postulancy with our community in 2003. She shares the following about her ‘life out of love’:
...I had been exposed to only a few sisters in my early years, and although I liked them and enjoyed helping them, I never imagined becoming one myself. When I was about nine we were introduced to Schoenstatt, and the first sister I met was Sr. Marie. She invited my sister and I to come to camp in Sleepy Eye, MN, and soon I became a regular participant. I enjoyed being with the sisters, for they were always happy, and they knew how to make you feel at home. But still, my plan was to grow up, get married, and have lots of kids. I would never become a sister- or so I thought!
When I was fifteen, I was able to attend the Reception of five new sisters in Waukesha. I enjoyed it very much. Everything was so beautiful… and I believe at that occasion, the seed was planted - although I didn’t realize it yet.
The first time I actually gave it a thought was after my sixteenth birthday. On that occasion my parents gave me a chastity ring, which is a ring that symbolizes I will remain chaste until marriage – or forever! It was a very solemn moment as my father took the ring and placed it on my left hand. Needless to say, this made a deep impression on me, and I began to wonder ~ what if God is really calling me to be a sister? I had always prayed a simple vocation prayer everyday, asking for the grace to know what my vocation in life is, but it never occurred to me that maybe I was to be one of the few chosen for the consecrated life.
I had also always been encouraged to remain open, and even if there is the slightest inspiration in my heart to think of the consecrated life, I should not ignore it, but really pray about it and be open to God’s call. So I waited and prayed, keeping myself open to any sign from above. And this sign came during a vocation retreat I attended. It wasn’t anything extraordinary – just a song which I had heard for the first time called “The Summons.” While I listened to the words, it seemed as if Christ was speaking directly to me. “Will you come and follow me if I but call your name? Will you go where you don’t know and never be the same…?”
From the depths of my heart I knew I wanted to say ‘yes.’ And I cannot describe the great peace that filled my soul once I had said that very simple word. With that I knew I was called to be a Schoenstatt Sister of Mary. This decision was confirmed and strengthened a few weeks later as I participated in the girls’ youth pilgrimage to Schoenstatt and Rome. On August 10th I made my covenant of love in the Original Shrine, and I realized how much God had given me through Schoenstatt. It was his merciful love that had called me here, and I knew I could never repay him for everything he had given me. With this I decided to give my life for Schoenstatt. And of course, God is never outdone in generosity, for with every little gift we give him, he in turn lavishly bestows his abundant gifts and graces. To this I can testify!
Was it always easy? God needed to prove my love and faithfulness to him. Sometimes I would think – “Maybe this is all a dream… Marriage is also so beautiful… Wouldn’t it be fun to go to college…Can I really be a sister?” But in the end I am convinced that it was prayer that helped me through – my own prayers and those of others. And this thought always stuck with me: I heard my call in a moment of grace, so I can count on grace to help me remain faithful to it. And you can do the same! You can count on my prayers for you as you also discern your vocation... And please remember: the call one receives from God is the greatest treasure one can possess, and only that can make you truly happy!

[b] Sr. Iris Marie Barreto[/b]

[img]http://www.schsrsmary.org/images/sr-iris-barreto.jpg[/img]Born and raised in Chicago, Sr. Iris Marie entered our community in Spring of 2003. You may have encountered her on one of our vocational retreats!
In reflecting on her vocation and the ways God used to lead her to begin her new ‘life of love,’ she shares the following:
“I came to Schoenstatt at the age of 10 for the first time in a Mother –Daughter Retreat. My mother and I left feeling as though we had another home. I had to come back . . . The Mother Thrice Admirable of Schoenstatt had found a place in my life. Coming to Schoenstatt, I felt that I was able to unfold who I was and learn more about what God wants of me instead of what I want of me. I was able to take a break from the hustle and bustle of my surroundings and center on the question: “What does God want of me?” In high school I did not have as much time to come to my “home away from home” as I used to . . . It wasn’t until college that I really felt I was missing something. There was more to life than a job, school, and weekends. The only thing that I was secure in was that God was asking something daring of me.
In November of 2002, I was invited to come to the Schoenstatt Center in Waukesha. There I found two of my future course sisters who were already candidates. We knew each other from the WYD pilgrimage in 2000. In sharing memories with them, my ‘light bulb’ turned on. What were they doing here? After asking they told me they were entering the community of the Schoenstatt Sisters. I couldn’t help but be a little jealous. They knew already in high school that they wanted to give their yes to God and came as soon as possible.
During the Holy Mass that followed, I was able to ask myself the question again: “What do you want of me?” I was able to accompany Christ though his life in my life, and I found him everywhere. Jesus has always been with me, in me. So now, what did he want of me? Later in the day, during the Benediction, it seemed as if I was the only person there . . . If you never thought the Holy Spirit could talk, let me tell you - for me it came in writing! The title of the Benediction was, “Adsum, Be Not Afraid!” I was being challenged to cast my nets into the deep. God wanted everything. But God, what could you do with a city girl like me? I am so small, and I can’t change the world! Yet, he had given me the answer to my question: Be Not Afraid!
With that assurance, I realized God wanted my yes, and I gave it to him. It is the best decision I ever made!”

[b] Sr. M. Alice Kunz[/b]

[img]http://www.schsrsmary.org/images/sr-alice-kunz.jpg[/img]Sr. M. Alice has lived and worked for many years as an extern sister in New Ulm, Minnesota, which is close to our sisters’ house and retreat center in Sleepy Eye. She works as the librarian at the Catholic high school in New Ulm, and also contributes in many ways to the spiritual life of the school and parish.
As an extern sister, Sr. M. Alice lives alone, but is affiliated with our sisters in Sleepy Eye. She usually ‘comes home’ at least once or twice a week to be with the sisters, to visit the shrine, and gain new strength for her mission. She writes of her own vocation story:
“I always wanted to be of service...I graduated from high school in Fond du Lac and worked my way through college. By the time I was finished, I had earned a degree in English, with a minor in journalism, from Marian College of Fond du Lac in May 1966. I was 26 years old. That spring, a recruiter for the Peace Corps came to our campus and talked about serving in a new way...I immediately signed up was accepted, and sent to... Afghanistan. I wanted to serve any way that I could, so I accepted the invitation for education in Afghanistan and flew there in September of 1966. I was there until 1968.
Upon my return to USA, my desire to help prompted me to pursue my studies until May 1973, when I graduated from University of Wisconsin Milwaukee School of Library and Information Science with a Master's Degree in Library Science. That May, I checked the job opportunity boards at the university, and applied for 25 positions. More than half of these were answered with the following by-line: If only you had applied a day sooner, the job would have been yours. I sat down and asked myself: "Is this just a coincidence that I cannot find a job?" No, I decided that it was not...and that God was calling me to something else.
I began to go to daily Mass and decided to talk to Monsignor Beres, the rector of the Cathedral. When he came in, I told him that I was interested in joining a religious community...He asked me my last name. "Kunz," I replied. "Oh, that's a fine German name," he said. And then asked me if I had ever heard about Schoenstatt. I had not, so he gave me the name of one of the sisters and her phone number and told me that she would be able to help me. Even though I did, I did not foster the contact with much enthusiasm. But the Sister called me and invited me to visit her...and through my contact with her and several retreats of discernment, I made my decision to enter the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary on September 6, 1973.
Most people don't have as many adventures in their lives as I have had, and my mother once remarked that I had found my wonderland when she came for my reception in March 1974, and saw the beautiful land which is ours here in Waukesha. Wherever we are, we create a beautiful place, because that is what Schoenstatt means. Yes, I believe that I have found my wonderland, and am now following my heart, as God intended for me from all eternity.

[the171]

Difficulties and a Death in the Family
Do Not Deter Our Two New Novices

[b] "Daddy, go back"[/b]
[img]http://lafayettecarmelites.org/images/2-sisters-novitiate-2011-Oct.jpg[/img]
Brittlyn (Sr. Teresa), at left and Kalyn (Sr. Faustina) rejoicing in the gift of Our Lady's habit. Kalyn Meche met us when she was about ten years old. Her family was driving by the Monastery when she saw one of our extern Sisters in the yard. "Daddy, go back. I'd like to talk to that Sister!" From then on, there was a desire and love for Carmel that never left her. She kept in contact with us, made days of recollection at the Monastery, received encouragement and advice from her spiritual director, etc. After going through many trials and difficulties, Kalyn entered the Monastery on October 1, 2010 at the age of 18.
Her first months were not easy but she remained firm in her determination to be a Carmelite. On September 30, 2011 Kalyn received the Habit of Our Lady and became Sister Maria Faustina of Merciful Love. The date was significant for her in that it is the date of St. Therese's death and the birthday of Mother Theresa Margaret, our Foundress. Sister has always had a great devotion to St. Faustina and St. Therese. She loves their spirit of total abandonment and trust and endeavors to incorporate these childlike virtues in her own life. Her desire of many, many years has been fulfilled. "All I want now is to be a true Carmelite and a loving Bride of Jesus."
[b] Dying Mother's Blessing[/b]

Brittlyn Sonnier, likewise 18 when she entered, came to know of us through one of the weekend Veritas Retreats. She had struggled against a vocation for a few months, but after the retreat and coming to see us, she knew that Jesus was calling her to Carmel. When asked what she expected to find in Carmel, her reply was: "I really don't know. All I know is that Jesus wants me there." The date of her entrance was set for October 15, 2010.
Brittlyn's mother was dying of cancer and her concern was whether or not she should enter as planned or would it be better to stay and help her father care for the other four younger children. Being a family of deep faith, her father told her to go to Carmel if she felt God calling her. Her brothers and twin sisters also encouraged her. She then asked her Mother, whom she was caring for in the hospital. True to her conviction of Brittlyn's vocation, Monique gave her eldest daughter her blessing and encouraged her in her desire to give herself entirely to Our Lord.
This is indeed the niche God has chosen for her. She has imbibed the spirit of Our Holy Mother from the start and has her deep spirit of prayer and generosity. On October 15, 2011 Brittlyn received the Habit and became Sister Teresa of Jesus.

[the171]

Great Joy and Special Blessings Are Part of the Profession of Two Nuns Who Profess Solemn Vows
July 16th is always a day of joy and special blessings for the Carmelite Nuns whose Monastery is located at 1250 Carmel Drive, but this year it was a time of extraordinary jubilation! Sister Marie Camille of Jesus (Hoang Thi Thuong) and Sister Marie Joseph of the Eucharist (Pham Thi Lan) made their profession of Solemn Vows at a Mass celebrated by Bishop Michael Jarrell. Fifteen priests joined as concelebrants. Msgr. Keith DeRouen was Master of Ceremonies.
A highlight for the Sisters was the presence of their former prioress in Hue, Vietnam, Mother Marie Ange, who received the vows of Sister Joseph, while Mother Regina received the vows of Sister Camille. Also present were two Sisters from their Carmel in Vietnam who are now helping the Carmel in Salt Lake City.
The Homily was given by Father Marion Joseph Bui, a Discalced Carmelite Friar and a special “son” of the Monastery, who was instrumental in bringing the two Sisters to Lafayette. He came from Vietnam as one of the “boat People” in 1981 in order that he might become a priest. He was ordained by Bishop Xavier Labayan, OCD, in the Monastery Chapel in 1995. At the end of the celebration, Father, who celebrated his 25th anniversary of profession of vows on July 16th, was presented with a bouquet of roses by the two Sisters.
In his homily, Father Marion noted that the Sisters are here to pray for the needs of the people and of the Church. “Across the street from the Monastery is the cemetery; behind are people who are handicapped; to the right is the Diocesan Office and on the left are the working people. All need help and, like Elijah the prophet, the Sisters pray for everyone.” “Water is the source of life. Through their prayers, the Sisters obtain the waters of grace for all…. with Mary who stood beneath the Cross of her Son, the Carmelites stand ready to sacrifice all for the needs of Church and the world. They are ready to follow Mary’s command: ‘Do whatever he tells you.’”
This is the reason the Sisters left their homeland and families to come to Lafayette, Father Marion pointed out. In expressing gratitude for the prayers and support they have received, the Sisters thanked the members of their community in Vietnam for the training they received, and their families for supporting their decision to come to the United States. “It was truly a sacrifice made with much love and surrender to God,” they said.
“We also thank Mother Regina and all the Sisters here for receiving us so lovingly and for helping us as we endeavored to incorporate ourselves into a new Community and culture. We left behind a Community which we cherished, but we have found here in Lafayette, a Carmelite family which has become as dear to us as the Carmel in Hue.”
The two Nuns have interesting backgrounds. Sister Camille is the youngest of nine children. Two of her sisters are Religious; one belongs to a diocesan congregation of the Visitation while the other is a Sister of St. Paul de Chartres. The remainder of her siblings, three brothers and three sisters, are married. Sister’s father died when she was fourteen. It was a surprise to many when Sister entered the Carmel in Hue in 1998 since she was always the talkative and “naughty” one, ever ready to get into mischief!
Sister Joseph is likewise the youngest in the family. She has one brother and three sisters, all of whom are married. Sister was a quiet person and very close to Our Lord in the Eucharist from early childhood. Sister’s father died just a few months before she came to the United States, thus making her departure an even greater sacrifice.
They feel that they have a true Missionary vocation and have willingly chosen to come here. “For us, it is not a matter of being Vietnamese, Filipino or American. We are all Carmelites.”
And in Lafayette, we are happy to welcome them.

[the171]

[b] [img]http://lafayettecarmelites.org/images/sr_jacinta_2.0.jpg[/img][/b]

[b] Sister Jacinta Cormier, O.C.D.[/b]


[indent=1]My religious vocation began when, while awaiting my library card, I came across "The Secret of the Rosary" by St. Louis de Montfort on a bookrack. I read it and started to pray the Rosary. My life began to change. All my ambitions to join the military fell away as I spent more time in prayer and reflection, frequent confession, reception of the Eucharist, visits to the Blessed Sacrament and seeking advice from our parish priest. When he suggested religious life, I realized I had been thinking of this. [/indent]

[indent=1]The next step was what kind of religious and where. I wrote to different Orders. One of the communities that answered sent a vocation booklet. What struck me very deeply was a picture of the reception of the ring on the day of Profession, with the words "I espouse you to Jesus Christ, the Son of the Most High." For me that was it! To belong completely to God as His Spouse was what I was looking for. For this I was prepared to go to the other side of the world. [/indent]

[indent=1]But God did not ask this. He had his home for me very close to home. My director recommended the Carmelite Monastery of Mary, Mother of Grace. I visited and began to wait and hope until I finished high school. The Mother Superior kept in contact with me and I visited when I could. [/indent]

[indent=1]Then, a little more than a month before my entrance into Carmel, my younger brother died in an accident. Everyone thought I would want to delay my entrance, but my own good mother encouraged me and said my entrance should not be delayed. I trusted in the Lord and responded to his grace as best I could. He Himself removed all obstacles to my search for union with Him . . . which continues to this day. [/indent]

[the171]

[url="http://lafayettecarmelites.org/docs/CarmeliteSisterMarieTribute.pdf"]http://lafayettecarmelites.org/docs/CarmeliteSisterMarieTribute.pdf[/url]

Sr.Marie is an inspiration...

[url="http://lafayettecarmelites.org/docs/CarmeliteSisterMarieTribute.pdf"][img]http://lafayettecarmelites.org/images/srmincarnaton_small2.jpg[/img][/url]

[mysisterisalittlesister]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMzw_PEsmU4&feature=player_embedded

I...love...this!

i<3LSOP, doesn't Sr. Teresa Benedicta look just a little bit like i<3fran?