Becoming a Sister
Profiles in Ministry: Sister Kathleen McDonnell, SND
I became interested in adult literacy as a ministry when I looked for an alternative to high school teaching. At Al-Anon Family Group meetings, a program where friends and family members share their experiences and learn how to apply the principles of the Al‑Anon program to their individual situations, many women said since joining the…
Read MoreProfiles in Ministry: Sister Joyanne Sullivan, SND
I have been teaching myself how to paint for the last 15 years. I began when I was invited, by someone I met when I led a senior ministry program at Sacred Heart Church, to join a class at a Ventura area Senior Center art class. She asked me to join her and the class…
Read MoreProfiles in Ministry: Sister Dean Pfahler, SND
Ever since I got my first pair of glasses at age 12, I knew I had been missing way too much. Distinguishing one leaf from another on trees was just the first eye-opener. From then on, life became one revelation after another. I didn’t want anything to elude me: not the intricacies of the natural…
Read MoreProfile in Ministry: Sister Michelle Blevins, Novice, SND
When someone is transitioning into religious life, what does ministry look like? Sister Michelle Blevins, SND is one such example of someone in that transition. She was welcomed as a postulant by the Sisters of Notre Dame in December 2017. She continued in formation for the national novitiate in Covington, KY. She was accepted as…
Read MoreSisters are Like Onions
by Sr. Nicole Marie Varnerin, originally written for The Messenger Growing up, one of my favorite movies was “Shrek.” I loved Donkey’s character and his banter with Shrek. Beyond the silliness, which made it a very relatable movie, there were good images and lessons. One of my favorite scenes is when Shrek is trying to…
Read MoreA Beautiful Vocation
by Michelle Blevins, Sisters of Notre Dame Postulant Despite being drawn to, and thus formed in, various congregations and charisms, there is something about being a young sister in the United States at this time in history which makes differences between us seem very immaterial. We all love our God and our Catholic faith. We…
Read MoreFrom the sorority to the convent: Nicole’s search for sisterhood
This post is from Sister Story. To see the original article click here. By Christina Capecchi Published Sep 1, 2015 Nicole Varnerin’s search for sisterhood carried her from a sorority to a convent in less than two years. It was all part of a profound spiritual quest, seeking out the community that felt like her…
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