DETOUR! FROM MEDICINE TO BRIDE OF CHRIST

I was in my freshman year of college at the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada when my life took a complete turn. I was working on a Bachelor in Biological Sciences with the hopes of entering the medical field. In particular, it was my dream to become an ER surgeon. I loved being in the hospital and anything to do with the health field piqued my interests.

However, my life took a curveball when I was invited to join my parish’s youth group trip to the 49^th International Eucharistic Congress hosted in Quebec, Canada that year. Why did I go? Simply, to have fun with my friends. Thus begins my vocation story; and as I like to say it, “It started out as a joke.”

A couple of days into the conference, a Dominican priest and two friars jokingly commented, “Look at her – she looks like she can be a nun.” I laughed with the group and simply shrugged off the thought. A nun? Yeah, right! I didn’t even know what a nun is. Such a thought never crossed my mind. But it was not until after a few repetitions of the same “joke” that I started to really think about it. Out of nowhere the thought struck my heart and the idea was inerasable. I started to give it some serious thought. And I started to ask the priest and friars about religious life. This led to some heavy lifting mental exercise; I began to pray about it. For the first time in my life, I actually prayed before Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament. I kneeled and prayed about this thought every time we had Eucharistic Adoration (I even kneeled three hours straight one time!).

I had no idea what kind of response I was expecting … but I was expecting something. I prayed, and prayed, and prayed. I wanted a divine confirmation, a theophany of some sort.  To hear some kind of voice. To see some kind of light or halo appear. To have some kind of apparition. But nothing happened.

So I returned from the week-long conference and I was not the same. (Interestingly enough, my dad had told me several times after-the-fact that he noticed something was different about me when I returned from the IEC. He sensed something was awry but just couldn’t put his finger on it). For some reason, I was very anxious. After another day of experiencing great restlessness, I finally gathered up enough courage to contact the Dominican Sisters in Houston to begin my discernment process. As the story goes…the rest is history, for a new life has begun for me.

It has been thirteen years since I entered the convent and five years since I made my Final Vows. I feel like I have gone a long way and have grown immeasurably. Throughout my journey in the consecrated life, I have seen how God has allowed me to grow and blossom into a person beyond my past desires and expectations. Formed in the Dominican charism, my ambition has changed completely. I now desire to share my Catholic faith and to ignite love for Christ in others through preaching. Upon reception of a Bachelor in Theology and Philosophy from the University of St. Thomas, I have served in various preaching ministries (Religion teacher for 3rd to 8th grades, Confirmation catechist, retreat director, and speaker at youth/young adult events). May God continue to allow me to glorify Him in simply being His humble instrument.