By Sr. Serena Deters, M.S.,
Marian Sisters vocation director
After 10 years of vocation work, I think I have heard every question that could possibly be asked of a religious sister: How short is your hair? Do you always have to wear that? What type of food do you eat? Can you see your family? Do you ever leave the convent? Do you have any pets? The list goes on and on.
The question that will always make people stop and listen is, “How did you know God was calling you?” We never get tired of that question, because the answer is the telling of our love story. Yes, there are common threads, but the Lord is also personal and unique in how He calls each of His brides.
I would like to share with you how our two postulants, Kristie and Taylor, knew God was calling them to leave all behind and follow Him. These are two love stories that are just beginning and will unfold over the next seven years of religious formation:
Kristie
I was born and raised in Lincoln, but only because my parents escaped Vietnam. It’s crazy to think how the Lord was already preparing for me to enter the Marian Sisters because had my parents not escaped, met each other in Lincoln and got married, I wouldn’t be here.
But, because I am here, I had the opportunity to grow up with the Marian Sisters being a part of my life: as my principal in grade school, my librarian in middle school, and as a teacher in high school. And if spending five days a week with them wasn’t enough, I also chose to help with their summer camps.
The sisters quickly became my friends, but the thought of joining them was the last thing on my mind. They knew me too well and lived too close to where I grew up. I wanted to spread my wings and fly far away to a community out of state.
After going on many retreats, visiting other communities, and none ever feeling “right,” I heard in my heart the Lord ask, “Why do you want to leave the place that has raised you so well? Don’t you want to make an impact here, like those who made an impact on you?”
I felt at home with the Marian Sisters. Every time I visited it was like going to a family reunion because I knew the sisters and they knew me.
They would joke with me and ask deeper questions that stirred my mind and heart. I knew I could be myself.
So, after finishing my freshman year at Benedictine College I gave up the thought of entering an order out of state and entered the Marian Sisters September 1, 2019.
I walked through the doors of Marycrest Motherhouse, leaving behind my family and friends, my phone, my car, and everything I thought I knew and loved to embark on this new journey with the Lord. I went from having one brother to gaining 41 sisters, and I love it. The sisters’ joy always caught my eye, and now I am grateful to be able to be part of the family and to share in the stories.
Taylor
I grew up in Runnells, Iowa, a small town southeast of Des Moines. I entered the Marian Sisters Jan. 4, but my relationship with the Marian Sisters began way before that.
During my junior year of high school (2013) I met Marian Sisters at a Youth 2000 retreat and have been getting to know them slowly over the past seven years. The Lord knew I needed time to grow in my love and knowledge of Him and my knowledge of religious life.
Before the Youth 2000 retreat, my only knowledge of religious life was from the movies “The Sound of Music” and “The Bells of Saint Mary’s.” I was kind of captivated by meeting real sisters! They were so joyful, played basketball, and were funny. They also were willing to say yes to Christ no matter what He asked. I was intrigued.
As I went off to Benedictine College I kept in contact with the sisters, but I already had my own plans: I would study theology and then be a director of religious education at a parish in Iowa, the state I never wanted to think about leaving! All was going well until I couldn’t shake the feeling that God had a different plan in mind for me. I had begun praying regularly, attending daily Mass, and looked forward to seeing the Marian Sisters around campus.
One day as I was helping with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, the Lord spoke straight to my heart. I was reading the parable of the Lost Sheep to a child and I asked him, “How did the Good Shepherd feel when He found the lost sheep?” The child replied, “He was so happy and says, ‘Do you want to come with me?’”
I was speechless. If Christ is the Good Shepherd and we are the sheep, then Christ is inviting me to say yes. How could I not say yes? I was so caught up in my own plans and dreams that I hadn’t stopped to ask Christ where He was inviting me to say yes. In a split second, I realized if He was inviting me to give Him everything, He would fulfill my heart.
However, I was hesitant to tell people about this newfound revelation simply because I had to admit that my plans had changed. I went on a FIAT discernment retreat with one prayer on my heart: “God, please let me be able to tell a real person I think I have a religious vocation by the end of this,” and He didn’t disappoint. By the end I told an entire cabin of women I thought God was calling me to religious life. There was an immense freedom in telling others about God’s invitation!
I visited the Marian Sisters soon after the retreat. I instantly felt at home and at peace. When I left I knew the Good Shepherd was inviting me to say yes to Him in Waverly, Nebraska.
After graduating from Benedictine I worked a year as a coordinator of faith formation in Ames, Iowa while fundraising with the Laboure Society to pay off my student debt. The past four months have been a very grace-filled time and I can’t wait to see how the Lord continues to call me deeper.
+
As postulants, Kristie and Taylor are introduced to what religious life is while taking a variety of classes on things such as prayer, religious life, Scripture, and Church history. They teach CCD and travel to a couple of smaller towns to teach religion. Please keep them in your prayers as they continue to discern God’s will. Stay tuned to hear from one of our novices who went from a woman of no faith, to joining the Catholic Church, to becoming a Marian Sister!
