Ask a Sister: Spiritual help 5 cents

The first week of January 2023 found me in St. Louis at the SEEK23 Conference. I traveled with our Sisters of Providence Vocation Director Sister Joni Luna, SP; Sister Theresa (Terri) Boland, SP, and Sarah Knoblock, the Sisters of Providence volunteer coordinator. While I had represented the Sisters of Providence in 2018 and 2019 at the annual Washington D. C. archdiocesan eighth grade vocations day, held at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, I had never attended a national gathering of Catholic college students of this size and duration.

The sister is in

Along with displays and handouts we brought a new element for our Sisters of Providence booth. We had a cardboard replica of Lucy’s “Psychiatric Help 5 cents – The Doctor is IN” booth from the Peanuts cartoon. But our booth said “Spiritual Help 5 cents – The Sister is IN.” I volunteered to be “Sister Lucy.” Going in I had expected that people would come to the display to take a picture with me — “My mom/grandmother will love this!” But in fact so many stopped by and actually wanted to talk to me. Some even lined up to do so! I was amazed. Soon the participants had gone off to the various presentations. I sent a text of me in my “office” to the sisters living in my house asking them to “please pray to the Holy Spirit and Saint Mother Theodore!” 

Basically, when persons came to my booth, we introduced ourselves. I asked what inspired them to come to the conference and whether they felt God was calling them to a religious or priestly vocation. If they were not sure or hadn’t thought about it, I gave them a prayer of discernment written by Sister Tracy Horan, SP. I also gave information about Saint Mary-of-the-Woods and Saint Mother Theodore, encouraging them to pray to her for guidance. For the young women, I also included an invitation to this year’s Come and See weekend. If becoming a vowed religious did not interested them, I instead shared with them about our White Violet Center for Eco-Justice volunteer program. I gave them printed materials and pointed them to Sarah for more information. For most, this was the extent of our “visit” and they left for the next exhibit or presentation.

Seeking spiritual advice

But many others had questions. They asked about how they would know if God was calling them? Or what it was that God really wanted them to do with their lives? There were a few who asked what to do to strengthen their faith. Others asked for prayers for someone who had lost their faith in God, or was ill, or was in trouble. One young person had dabbled in the occult before becoming a Catholic. Now she was feeling the pull of evil; what should she? Another was worried because his younger sister was joining her friends who used a Ouija board for fun. How could he convince her that this can be dangerous for her soul? During these and similar encounters, I really felt the presence of the Holy Spirit and Saint Mother Theodore guiding my thoughts and words!

It was a real joy being able to participate in this conference. My conversations with each of the participants left me energized. I was awed by the depth of faith and the spiritual experiences those who shared with me had gained from being involved in various church groups and/or parish programs. This experience was something I never expected but will treasure it and “ponder it in my heart.”

What does Mother Theodore say?

At the booth, we also had the small cards with quotes from Saint Mother Theodore on them. Before those who stopped by left our table, we asked them to select one to see what Mother Theodore might be saying to them. To those who had talked to me, I told them that these were excerpts from letters that Saint Mother Theodore had written to the sisters and benefactors, her personal expressions of friendship, appreciation, gratitude, spiritual and practical advice, and, sometimes, admonitions. Many were surprised that the quote they selected related to something they had been praying and thinking about. “Well,” I said to them, “she is a Saint!”

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