Being just 25 years old, I was born well after the Councils of Vatican II. It wasn't until college when I started studying theology and discerning did Vatican II really come into my life.

Internally, without thinking, every time I met a religious community, I evaluated in my head their faithfulness to the spirit of Vatican II – on both sides of the spectrum, too much change or too little. Outside of my own thoughts, the actual topic wasn't brought up again until I was handed a book on Mother Suzanne Guillemin, Superioress General of the Daughters of Charity during Vatican II. She was not only that but, after the second session of the Council, she was one of only eight religious women invited by the Pope as auditors to the Council. She was integrated fully in the Third and Fourth session, sharing her opinion.

Mother Guillemin did a lot for the Community and I want to say she “revolutionized” religious life in the community but I feel as if she wouldn't like that phrase....so I will say instead that she helped guide the Daughters of Charity into an evolution to fit today's world, to be daughters of Saint Vincent in a world that is utterly changed from when he was alive. She changed the governance of the Daughters, modified the habit, encouraged cooperation with the laity, and pushed Sisters to be professionally trained in their ministry. As I read her reflections, I can imagine the strength it must have taken to write this and perhaps the fear she must have had to take away something that had existed from the very beginning, the cornette:

“Tomorrow, everyone should be able to recognize without the help of the cornette, the Daughter of Charity, humble without affectation, attentive to everyone, disengaged from herself, truly available, an outcome of the love of God in order to give this love to all. We should be obsessed by this true charity and examine and revise our interior and exterior attitude continually to readjust it to charity. Wherever we are, we ourselves should be the expression of charity.”

On a less serious note, the cornette
inspired a certain 1960s TV show...

Why take away something like the cornette, the basic symbol of the Daughters of Charity? Mother Guillemin and the rest of the Daughters didn't implement this change for the sake of change itself, but rather to evolve the life of a Sister in today's world. St. Vincent and St. Louise founded the Daughters of Charity essentially with no specific habit. They all wore the cornette so as to blend in with the French peasants, the poor they were serving. Over the years, French fashion among the poor changed but the Daughters never did.

Before anyone thinks Mother Guillemin changed too many things or was too radical, let it be known that she, in my opinion, embodies that perfect “in between” of Vatican II that I was searching for. She did not change so much that her community left the ideals of the Catholic Church or their Founders behind, but rather she clung more tightly unto the two. She remained always faithful to the Roman Catholic Church and her fidelity to the Pope was impeccable, obedient (and pushing all the Sisters to do the same) to all the decrees of the Holy Father. Of all the changes happening during Vatican II, she wrote: “let us acknowledge clearly that evolution is not revolution, renovation is not innovation. It is not a question of making a clean sweep of the past, of rebuilding everything into something new.”

The Daughters of Charity today live on Mother Guillemin's legacy. They no longer wear the cornette, yet they continue on a “uniformity” as Mother Guillemin wanted for the community. The Sisters wear their “uniform” of blue with pride. Though the clothes themselves may be different, the blue color and the skirt/blouse combination unites them all. As an alternative to the scratchy starchy cornette, Sisters may also choose to wear a dark blue coiffe, a short veil. The governance Mother Guillemin set in place continues today, allowing for a wider and greater communication between the Motherhouse in France and countries all around the world. Her push for Sisters to complete professional training in their field evolved into what it is today, an encouragement to pursue higher education for the sake of better serving the poor.

The Sisters also follow her example of charity, which she had followed from St. Vincent and St. Louise and Sisters before her. Mother Guillemin did everything from work in an orphanage, heal and comfort the wounded of World War II as air raids played out all around her, and serve her fellow Sisters as a Sister Servant (superior of a house), Visitatrix (superior of a province), and Superioress General.

Mother Guillemin died unexpectedly in March 1968, shortly after being nominated by the Pope as a consultor of the Congregation of Religious and before the end of her term as Superioress General. Yet, I believe what St. Vincent said to the Sisters about St. Louise's death can ring true for Mother Guillemin as well: “Mademoiselle Le Gras is praying for you in Heaven, and she will not be less useful to you now than she was before, nay, more so, provided you are faithful to God”

Vincentian Quote of the Week: St Elizabeth Ann Seton & Prayer

"We must pray without ceasing, in every occurrence and employment of our lives - that prayer which is rather a habit of lifting up the heart to God as in a constant communication with Him." (St. Elizabeth Ann Seton)

Probably one of the most famous quotes of the first American-born saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton. Elizabeth Ann holds a special place in my heart since I'm a Marylander, where she moved after being ridiculed for being Catholic, where she founded the Sisters of Charity, where she died. She founded the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph using the rule of St. Vincent de Paul. (Shortly after her death, the Sisters united with the Daughters of Charity.)

Elizabeth Ann Seton's legacy went beyond her own Sisters and stretched into 13 different congregations, making her the founder of the American Vincentian tradition - the Daughters of Charity, Sisters of Charity of New York, Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, Sisters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul, Sisters of Charity of St Elizabeth, Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Sisters of Charity of the Immaculate Conception, the Religious of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Mercy, Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, and the Sisters of Saint Martha. You can read about their histories and connections to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton here.

An International Rosary

A few nights ago, our local young adult group hung out with the Little Sisters of the Poor in their home in Baltimore. It was overall a great visit and one thing that really struck me was the Rosary we prayed in their chapel with their Sisters and the elderly.

In the spirit of World Youth Day, Sister had us do the mysteries in different languages. The person leading the mystery would say it in a foreign language, the rest would respond in either English or the same foreign language (if they knew it). I led the first in Spanish, a Sister led the second in Polish, another the third in Italian, another the fourth in Korean, and the fifth in French.

After I got over the butterflies of speaking Spanish into a loud microphone for the first time in years, I really saw how neat praying the Rosary like this really was. I suddenly felt connected with the world, knowing that even though I don't know Polish, Italian, Korean or French, I could still respond in English because, while the words themselves are different, the meaning is all the same. Just think - right now, somewhere around the world, someone else is praying the Rosary...just like you!

Here is a great video about youth and the Rosary:

What about you? Do you pray the Rosary? Have you ever had moments in which you felt the worldwide connection of being Catholic/Christian?

Are There Any Young Sisters Out There?

When I tell someone that I am becoming a prepostulant, sometimes I get the reaction "do the Daughters of Charity get any vocations? Are there any in the novitiate?" (because it is, stereotypically, those active religious communities that aren't getting the young vocations) or even "why don't you join that active/contemplative community that has all of those young Sisters?"

I explain that are different charisms in the Church and it's the Vincentian charism, the charism of the Daughters of Charity, that appeals to me and attracts me the most. And that community they mention has a different charism. Don't get me wrong - I know the Sisters in that community and I love them. The Sisters I've met from there have all been amazing and wonderful, but they're not for me. I explain that yes, there are women in the novitiate (or Seminary, as the Daughters of Charity call it) - it's not just an empty building mourning its vacancy. And that while the average age of an American Daughter of Charity is rather "up there", that shouldn't deter anyone from joining and that, in actuality, internationally the Daughters of Charity are one of the youngest religious communities out there. And of course, I say all of this much more gently (not bitterly) as I am right now.

On that note, recently, I found an email from November 2005. (No, I don't delete emails. Ever, apparently, mostly thanks to Gmail's large capacity. ) I initially went looking because I was curious which Sisters I had gone on that retreat with. I opened the email list that was sent to us six years ago. Among the discerners, I realized that 3 out of 12 of the discerners, all my age or slightly older, joined the Company shortly thereafter, and that 1 is joining now (that would be me) That means, if you do the math, a third of those discerners on that retreat are now a part of the Company (although one left shortly after formation).
I think that says a lot about the Daughters of Charity and who they are.

If you are discerning, whether with the Daughters of Charity or not, don't get discouraged. There ARE other young women who are having the same thoughts of being a Sister as you are. Not only that but that ARE other young women, maybe even your same age, who have already taken the leap and joined a religious community. There is a "vocations crisis" out there - that is a fact - but don't let that deter you. It may be scary but maybe it's up to you to break the status quo and follow the call. You are not alone!

Sr Denise: Vocations Director and True Daughter of Charity

I actually took this picture! It was at
my behavioral assessment needed for
the prepostulancy application!

I believe highly in thanking someone when they've done something incredible for me. And next Sunday, I'll be able to thank personally a Sister that has helped me, guided me, and served me so amazingly on this road to pre-postulancy (she's at the beach vacationing it up right now). It may not seem like a big deal to start pre-postulancy, but it is for me, it's a VERY big deal...because it's the beginning of the road to my true vocation, what I've been searching for for years.

Usually, when I write about specific Sisters, the impact they've had on my life and their dedication to the charism of the Daughters of Charity, it's on Sister Denise's blog. Today is different...because today, I want to talk about the author of that blog - Sister Denise LaRock.

I first met Sister Denise in 2004, on my first discernment retreat. She was not then vocations director yet, just a Sister that accompanied us on the retreat. It was there, with her help, that I was shown the humanity of Sisters. And the hilarity of Sisters. Namely her, who has a dry sarcastic sense of humor that always makes me crack up.

We wouldn't meet again for another six years, when I decided to contact the Daughters of Charity again after living in Bolivia, and it would actually take a few months before we realized that we had met before! When I emailed her about my renewed interest, Sister Denise invited me to her house for prayers and dinner. I, although sort of admittedly scared, agreed. After that night, while the prayer life, down-to-earth-ness, and mission of the Daughters attracted me, what really struck me was something Sr. Denise did. Soon after I accepted the invitation to come over for prayers/dinner, she asked "I usually serve at a soup kitchen Thursday nights before dinner. Want to come?" So, I accepted that invitation too. In the basement of that church, we served the Baltimore homeless dinner and I watched as she did more than serve - she sat and talked with the homeless, asked them how their day was going, how the kids were doing in school, etc.

On the car ride back, she told me that that particular soup kitchen wasn't run by the Daughters and she added "I love being vocations director and it's an important job but, at the same time, it doesn't allow me a lot of service with the poor. So I go there when I can" That night began a great attraction to the Daughters for me and it was that simple comment and act that meant more than anything. I saw that Sister Denise didn't serve the poor out of pure obligation to the mission of her religious community but rather it was something she wanted to do. By her example, I saw how devoted the Daughters of Charity were to the poor. I had seen it before in Sr Mary Elko in Bolivia but it was Sister Denise who showed me that the Daughters of Charity was not an institution, but rather a group of individuals completely on fire with love for the poor.

I obviously continued in my interest in the Daughters of Charity. And Sister Denise was one of the best vocations director a person could ask for. She was so completely down-to-earth; I felt like I could ask her anything (and I mean anything) and she would give me a clear-cut answer. She would take time out of her schedule to set up visits or meet at McDonald's or Double T to talk or choose books for me to read. To my shock, she was completely okay with me emailing her a gazillion times in the day with questions or reflections or anything really that popped in my head. And I never felt pressured into anything, I never felt like I was being "recruited". When the time would come, Sr Denise would just say "Well, here's what we could do next. What do you think?"

It was true that I was scared to contact Sister Denise at first. Partially because I had been in another community before and I didn't know what the Daughters would think of that, partially because I was afraid to contact a vocations director (it's usually scary to share these private thoughts with someone you don't know!) I know this fear is an issue with most discerners - at least it was for me. I wrote this post to thank Sister Denise and show the world her awesomeness but also a message - if you're discerning, don't be afraid to contact the vocations director of whatever community you might be interested in. Even if you later find out it's not for you, you won't regret contacting them. Believe me.

And if you're thinking about the Daughters of Charity, don't be afraid to contact Sr Denise because...well, she's awesome.

Vincentian Quote of the Week: Rosalie Rendu & Giving

She [Rosalie Rendu] also used to say "Fear nothing, Sisters, you will never be without assistance as long as your two hands are like this." She would then stretch out one hand in the gesture of giving and extend the other to receive. She then added, "If one hand closes, it will be useless for the other to reach out."

This is testimony from a Father Desmet, testifying to the Vatican of Rosalie Rendu's holiness. Sister Rosalie knew how to give and she knew how to receive. On a more superficial level, she knew how to treat the two - those giving and those receiving - equally. She was such a friend of the rich and the poor that not only were the streets of Paris filled for her funeral, but the cross on top of her tomb reads "To Sister Rosalie, from her grateful friends, the rich and the poor"

This saying of Rosalie reminds me of Appalachia Service Project, a Christian workcamp I attended in high school. We always held hands during prayers and once someone told me - "on your right, put your hand on top so that you're holding their hand up; on your left, put your hand on the bottom so that they're holding you up. this is what your life should be like - holding others up and letting yourself be held"

Prepostulancy: The Verdict is In!

After waiting (im?)patiently by the phone yesterday, having lunch with Sr. Liz and hanging out with Sr. Denise to distract me from going crazy with nerves, I finally received the phone call from the Visitatrix (that is, the provincial superior) - I'm in!

I was accepted for pre-postulancy to be served in the Daughters' community in Macon, Georgia. I'm super excited not only because I've heard amazing things about the house there, but also because it means I'll be speaking real Spanish again (none of this "only speaking slowly and only in the present tense" stuff!) because of their Hispanic community down there! And I'm super excited....because duh, it's prepostulancy - the first step in becoming a Daughter of Charity!

I don't have any words to express the joy and excitement I feel right now! I barely got any sleep because I was so full of joy! What a wonderful God we have!