I shared my dream of becoming a nun with my mom, and she advised me to finish my studies first since I was still too young to enter the convent. Her words of encouragement gave me the conviction to pursue my goal, and I was convinced that I’d find my true calling once I’d completed my education. I studied at Bicol College of Arts and Trade, earning a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology.
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During my college years, my dream of being a nun seemed to slip away. I was committed to fulfilling my responsibilities in school, which involved a daily routine of studying, rising early, and attending classes. I had a supportive group of friends who regularly attended the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena on Wednesdays. Although I did not join them, I felt that God had instilled a sense of direction in my life.

My six-month practicum for my degree was completed in Manila, where I gained valuable experience and skills. Back in my hometown of Naga, I established my own small business through God’s blessing and my family's unwavering support. As my small business generated income, I found myself drifting away from my aspiration to become a nun, and it rarely crossed my mind anymore.

A friend, however, invited me to attend a “Search-In” event hosted by the Daughters of Mary, Mother of the Church Institute. This was a turning point for me, as it reignited my dreams and encouraged me to reflect more deeply on my vocation.

After attending the event, I took the time to share my feelings with my mom, and although she didn’t say much, the time we spent together was truly special and comforting. Months passed, and I went to see Fr. Mario Villaraza, SDB, our parish priest, because I needed him to write a recommendation for me to enter the convent. He refused to give me the recommendation. He told me I was only visible at Sunday masses, not at any other church activities. So, I joined the afternoon choir, as my main goal was to obtain a recommendation from him. After expressing interest in joining the choir, I received the required letter from him. I sang in the choir until I joined the community of Sisters.

When I was scheduled to enter the convent, I suffered a severe headache that lasted two weeks and forced me to postpone my plans. This unexpected setback turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as it gave me more time to reflect on my vocation and prepare myself spiritually for this big step.

I believe that when God extends a calling, His grace follows it. For me, that calling was to a life of religious devotion, where I’ve discovered the peace and love I was searching for in Jesus.

Twenty-seven years have passed since I entered the convent, and what a blessing it’s been. I recently celebrated my 25th anniversary of vows as a Daughter of Mary, and I’m filled with gratitude for this remarkable journey and my vocation. It has been a blessing for me to be here in Canada serving with my Sisters in the Diocese of Calgary.

My advice to young women searching for their vocation is to pray a lot and reflect about it. They should ask for guidance from a Vocation Director or a faith-filled friend. It really helped me to visit the community of Sisters that I joined. God bless you.

Written by Sr. Gloria Orcena Sarol for Faithfully.

On Friday, November 21, at St. Mary’s Cathedral, the Diocese of Calgary celebrated a beautiful and historic liturgy: the consecration of Lauretta Dearing to the Order of Consecrated Virgins Living in the World (Ordo Virginum). Lauretta is the first woman in our diocese to be received into this ancient vocation, which dates back to the early Church and is lived today in the world through prayer, service, and a deep spousal commitment to Christ.
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Bishop William T. McGrattan presided at the Mass and preached on the meaning of this vocation for Lauretta and for the whole Church. He reminded the faithful: “God has called her to be more closely united to himself and to be dedicated to the service of the Church and of mankind.” He invited the congregation to consider the spiritual fruit of this consecration, saying: “Think of the good she will accomplish by her prayers and good works, and the abundant blessings she will obtain from God for holy Church, for the human society, and for your families.”

Photography by Bandi Szakony, for the Diocese of Calgary. 

Does God hear the whisper of a mother praying quietly over her sleeping child? Yes, He does. Does God hear her cries and fervent prayers as she watches over a sick or dying child? Yes, He does, and He quietly whispers to her heart, "Entrust your child to me for I have the best plan for him."
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My name is Sr. Zacharia Hryc, O.P., and I am a Dominican Sister of the Immaculate Conception Province. The story of my vocation highlights a significant aspect of parents dedicating their children to God's care and His plan. The truth that the family is, or at least should be, the first school of values, rooted in faith, is often overlooked today. It is the responsibility of the Church to form families into communities of love and growth, as God intended.

My parents married young. My mother had me at 19; my father was 24. They were inexperienced, anxious, and uncertain. My mother felt she couldn’t raise me without God's guidance. She often told me that each time she learned she was pregnant, she prayed earnestly for God's help and entrusted every part of her family life to God's care and Our Lady’s protection. This trust gave her peace of mind and the confidence that she wasn't alone in raising her children. However, she never expected that God and Mary would literally respond to the promise made in a moment of fear and dread for her child's life.

That moment came when I was 3 months old. My mother, while changing my clothes, turned around and immediately saw me fall from the changing table, about 70 cm to the floor. The fall caused me to cry so loudly that I lost my breath. My mother quickly picked me up from the floor and held me tightly, saying a prayer that expressed her fear for my fragile life: "Mary, please don't take her now, and I will give her to you in the future." God heard my mother's cry; Our Lady listened and accepted her offering.

The fall turned out not to be life-threatening; it left only a purple bump on my head. It was not mentioned for the next 18 years, until I stood before my mom to tell her that God was calling me to religious life and to a congregation where Mary is especially venerated. My mother cried profusely. It was a time to say “yes” to God again; to offer her child more intentionally and fully. The act of consecrating my siblings and me to God and the Mother Mary was an expression of deep faith and humility, recognizing that every life is a gift from God and that God has His own plan for each child.
In the Letter of Saint John Paul II to Families, Gratissimam Sane, we read: “And so, both in the conception and in the birth of a new child, parents find themselves face to face with a "great mystery" (cf. Eph 5:32). Like his parents, the new human being is also called to live as a person; he is called to a life "in truth and love". This call is not only open to what exists in time, but in God; it is also open to eternity.”

My mother entrusted my siblings and me to God's care so that God's Will and plan could be fulfilled in our lives, because she understood that "spouses, as parents, are collaborators with God the Creator in the conception and birth of a new human being…." (John Paul II to Families, Gratissimam Sane,1994), not their owners. Parents accompany their child on the path to discovering God through shared prayer, the Eucharist, and the expression of mutual love in service and forgiveness. Parents should help them find out their vocation and the plan God has prepared for their child.  By offering their children to God and to Mary, parents help their children discover the mystery of their vocation and the plan God has prepared for them.

“Nonetheless, in conjugal love and in paternal and maternal love we should find inscribed the same truth about man which the Council expressed clearly and concisely in its statement that God "willed man for his own sake". It is thus necessary that the will of the parents should be in harmony with the will of God. They must want the new human creature in the same way as the Creator wants him: "for himself".

I invite you to watch the episode of “Vocare” by Shalom World, featuring my vocation story and our religious community. I urge you to pray sincerely and offer your families to God. Remember that He is the true source of all blessings, happiness and satisfaction; all that you truly want for your loved ones. And if your child is called to serve God in a more direct way in the priesthood or religious life, I ask you to pray for them and support them. This is a challenging, but also deeply fulfilling way of life: it will be the source of many blessings for your family now and in eternity. 

Written by Sr. Zacharia Hryc, OP

​I continued to grow in faith through the Mass and spiritual direction from my parish priests. I joined the CWL, which had Bible study and women who lived the faith through the feasts and devotion to the Saints. We met weekly and talked about the Mass, the Liturgical year, the Saints, the Bible; basically, it was an experience of being catechized as an adult. The Mystical Rose Charismatic Prayer Group in Kelowna, where I lived, had Life in the Spirit seminars. I was prayed over and received a deeper inflow of the Holy Spirit. After that, we had weekly charismatic prayer groups where I experienced healing and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This is the foundation of my seeking to follow Christ.

When the time came that my friends were dating, I started to think about marriage, but I had given myself to Jesus when I was 14. I spoke to my parish priest who was my spiritual director at the time, asking for his advice. He said that I had been very young when I had made that gift of myself, not knowing the full implications, and he advised me to date. I tried dating young men, but none of these men were who God wanted me to be with. 

My spiritual director at the time advised me that I might have a vocation to be a Religious Sister. Since I was a teacher, I had school breaks that allowed me to visit various orders of Sisters. I stayed for short times with both apostolic and cloistered Sisters of many communities, but did not feel at home with any of them. My spiritual director advised me to speak to the Bishop of our Diocese, and the Bishop told me to write down a detailed description of what God was asking me to live. Then I made private promises to God to live my Christian life in a dedicated manner.

After my grandmother died, I no longer had any commitments that would keep me in Kelowna. My friend Jean was also searching for where God wanted us to be. She wanted to check out Madonna House in Combermere, Ontario. I did not know anything about that apostolate, though I had met them in Regina, Saskatchewan, many years before. We went to Madonna House, and I never left. The moment I got off the bus, I knew that I was home. My journey of faith led me to become a Staff Member of Madonna House, and I stayed for over a decade. My friend Jean left after a week and became a Sister of Charity.  

Catherine Doherty, the foundress of Madonna House Apostolate, was a great influence in my spiritual life. She had good insight into the souls of the members and guided them well in following the Lord. I am so thankful for the gifts that God gave me there. I learned how to pray the Liturgy of the Hours in the community, to integrate spiritual reading into my life, and to pray for the needs of others. Fr. Francis Martin gave us Scripture classes. Fr. Wild, who was my spiritual director, led me deeper into contemplation and meditation. Jean Fox, the women’s director, taught me about living in community in a spiritual way, how to deal with anger, frustration, and other interpersonal issues. I learned how to repair books, bake bread, make yogurt and cheese, type on a typewriter, spin wool into yarn, and basic drawing techniques. Because of the various departments in the community, I learned different skills that were of great benefit in my future life.

It was time for final promises, and Catherine Doherty and my spiritual director discerned that I was not called to live permanently in the Madonna House community. Catherine sent me out from Madonna House to live in the world as both a contemplative and active person. The only resource I had was a stack of resumes that I could use to find a job. She also advised me to look into consecrated life as a virgin living in the world. So, I came to Calgary, where my father lived in a seniors’ home. I could not find any work or a place to live. In my desperation, I went to the cathedral and prayed to the Lord, asking Him to take care of me. Then, by His providence, God pointed me towards a businessman who had a job for me, and this man also helped me find a place to live. I ended up working for him for about seven years.

During this time, I heard about a group of consecrated virgins living in the United States, and I visited them. I was not prepared, however, to move to another country and give up my Canadian citizenship, which would have been required for me to join them. I continued to live my promises to the Lord that I had made at Madonna House: Poverty, Chastity and Obedience in my state of life. Because of my love for St Francis’ teachings, I became a Secular Franciscan. Each step has brought me into a deeper understanding of who God has called me to be. Nothing is hidden from Him. Now I hear His Voice within me. He is calling me to be a Consecrated Virgin living in the world for the Diocese of Calgary. 

This is what I have learned: when you are trying to discover where God wants you to be, you need to determine what is most important. It is prayer, which includes a time of listening to Him, reading the Scriptures, which is a time of Him speaking to you, and spiritual direction for wise guidance. In all these ways, God will answer your question about who He wants you to be.