by Sr. Dolores Marie | Jul 31, 2023 | Newsletter
What is discernment? What is a call to Religious Life? How can I discern whether God is calling me to religious life?
Discernment isn’t just choosing what I think would be best. It’s not about what I want, what would make me most fulfilled in life, etc., but what would please God best. What does God hope for, for me and from me? How can I love Him and best help others to love Him, with my unique self?
Discerning this can be difficult at times. By a call we don’t mean an actual voice, like Jesus calling the Apostles, or the angel coming to Mary, or a voice like that heard by St. Paul. Don’t expect a special revelation, or something dramatic to happen, to let you know what you should do. Of course, it would be a lot easier that way! Then we’d know for sure, right away, what to do, and we would just have to be concerned about responding! However, it doesn’t usually happen that way.
Rather, a call is a growing awareness, a realization, a conviction within you, that this is what God wants you to do with your life. This sometimes grows in you for years, and sometimes it comes more quickly, but it is God’s grace within you helping you realize what He wants of you.
Struggle and tears and fear are normal—fear of the unknown, or what it will be like, or “whether I’ll be able to do it,” the temptation to put it off for a vague “sometime in the future,” or resisting God’s call and wishing He would call someone else instead!
Sometimes even family problems or other problems appear and make things difficult. God frequently allows these struggles and difficulties, perhaps to strengthen our vocation: Are we a “fair weather friend” with Jesus, or are we willing to follow Him even when the going is rough?
“But maybe I’m too unworthy for religious life?” You are unworthy. NO ONE is worthy of the gift of a vocation to religious life. If God chose only those who were perfect and saintly, He would have very few to choose from! But, He chooses ordinary people, ordinary people who love Him and want to serve Him and His people.
Some find it helpful, in trying to discern whether God wants them to enter religious life, to use some of these ideas from St. Ignatius:
List the pros and cons; and think and pray about them.
Imagine yourself on your deathbed and ask what you would then wish you had chosen.
Imagine some other person coming to you to ask your advice on the very same dilemma you have. What would you suggest?
Imagine yourself ten years from now, both in religious life and not in religious life. Which seems to fit you better?
But, the most important thing to do, the absolutely essential thing, is to pray, and pray much! Listen in silence to how God may be guiding you. Daily Mass, if at all possible, as well as reflective reading of Scripture, confession regularly, and frequent prayer to Mary should be part of your prayer. Pray for God’s guidance and for His courage to respond generously to whatever He wants of you.
THINK OF all the people there are, all over the world, who do not know Jesus, or who know about Him but don’t care. Is Jesus asking you to spread His word to them? Is God asking you to love Him so much that you will dedicate your whole life to Him as His spouse? Whatever God has in mind for you, remember: You will be happiest and most at peace if you respond “yes” to whatever God wants. He made each of us and knows us thoroughly. His call is in harmony with our deepest selves. The way of life that God wants for us is the best one for us. He knows how you can best serve Him and His people with YOUR uniqueness. You will be happiest in life, and most fulfilled, in the place where God wants you!
“How sure of my call, and of a particular community, must I be before actually applying and then entering?” While 100% certainty at this point need not be present, one should have at least a reasonable certainty that this is where God wants you. This can exist with “cold feet” and feeling a bit nervous and scared, but if there are serious doubts as to whether you should do this, it would be better to wait a while, pray even more, and, if possible, discuss it with some competent spiritual person.
One can compare entering religious life with getting engaged. An engagement is not something to be entered into lightly. The same with religious life. When a young woman gets engaged, she really feels that this is the man she loves and wants to marry and with whom she wishes to spend the rest of her life. However, everyone knows that an engagement is not a final commitment and can be broken if either party sees that it’s not the best thing. But, the hopes are, upon engagement, that the relationship will lead to marriage for life, just as a woman entering religious life as a postulant is hoping that this will lead to vows for life.
Once you realize that God is calling you to religious life, do not delay any longer than necessary. Courage is necessary, and only God can give that! Ask God’s help and keep trusting in Him, and He will answer! He will also give you all the strength and graces you need, now and for the future!
Recent happenings in the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate
We participated in the Eucharistic revival called for by our bishops. In June we had a Corpus Christi procession at Marycrest and a week specially dedicated to the Eucharist, with films of Eucharistic miracles as well as the display put together by Blessed Carlo Acutis. The week included the renewal of our community consecration to the Sacred Heart and the litany of the Sacred Heart.
Three of our Sisters are on a temporary mission in Ireland. They are involved in family visitation, youth events, and much more! Here’s a photo of a youth retreat in Ireland.
In June we had our annual eight-day retreat, which is a privilege and is always a time of many blessings and graces.
In early July Sr. Carmen celebrated her 60th anniversary since entering religious life and Sr. Eileen Marie her 75th anniversary. Imagine the crowns that will be waiting for them in heaven someday!
Our prayers are with you as you continue your own discernment. May God guide, strengthen, and bless you as you seek to know His will!
In Jesus,
the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate
by Sr. Dolores Marie | May 16, 2023 | Newsletter
“Not only is the Holy Eucharist our personal comfort, strength and victory, but it is also the greatest gift we have to offer others for their salvation and sanctification.” (Mother Mary Teresa Tallon, our Foundress)
What is more heartrending than a child who is really hungry?? I remember one time when I brought an emergency bag of groceries to a very needy family. Little Mike’s eyes, seeing it, lit up, as he exclaimed, “Food!”
To feed the hungry—how important that is, and how appealing to our nature. Giving not only food, but giving our love with the food. Yet, how many children lack the food their souls desperately need. They don’t even know that their souls are famished, and often their parents don’t seem to realize it, either.
We find these children and adults everywhere, in every town or city in which we work We want to lead them all to Jesus through instruction in the faith! “Feed with instruction those you meet,” as our Foundress said.
She also said, “Food for their souls is what we want to give them, and indeed, what they need most of all.” Food that will give the spiritual nourishment to sustain them through life and to take them to eternity! Their hungry souls can only be satisfied by coming to God–coming to know Him, or coming back to Him if they have strayed away.
There’s something deep inside everyone that craves for more, for the eternal. However, many people don’t even know why their souls are so restless, don’t know how to go about reaching toward God. Jesus is willing, more than willing, to feed their souls and satisfy their thirst with Himself.
As we are reminded In this time of Eucharistic revival, it’s so important to lead persons to Jesus in the Eucharist! This is true “soul food.”
Persons who have strayed away can be found! They can be helped to return to the Good Shepherd! They can be led to the spiritual food their souls need!
When Parish Visitors approach people, face to face and heart to heart, the people know that the Church is interested in them, that God is interested in them. This personal approach, gentle and non-threatening, can touch hearts quickly. In this age of technology, our person-to-person approach is more and more effective in helping today’s straying sheep.
We’ve been doing all this since our community began, finding these starving souls, who may not even know how starved they are, and leading them to Jesus! Our contemplative prayer life is what empowers this apostolate.
All our convents have a chapel with the Blessed Sacrament always present, and all the Sisters have a Holy Hour of Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament daily. What a privilege this is!
New vocations: We have been blessed with new vocations in the US, in the Philippines and in Nigeria, young women who feel in their heart the call to follow the Good Shepherd in this contemplative-missionary vocation.
Our newest novice, Sr. Marie Michelle, talking with our oldest Sister
Some upcoming events: Again we’ll have a temporary mission in Ireland, during the months of June and July. Sr. Margery Therese, Sr. Theresa Marie and Sr. Alina Marie will be serving there. They, and Sr. Carole Marie, were in Ireland last summer, and they’re excited to be going again to serve the Lord’s people there!
On August 5 we’ll be hosting World Youth Day Not A World Away, for high school teens, at Marycrest, our motherhouse, at the time of the World Youth Day in Portugal. Details are on our website. Please keep this in your prayer. Past World Youth Day events at Marycrest have been spiritually helpful to so many!
If you’d like to get to know us better, just email me at pvmi@frontiernet.net and we can plan a time for a phone chat.
Keep praying for God’s guidance for your life! We’re praying for you, too!
God bless you and your loved ones!
Sr. Dolores Marie and all the Parish Visitor Sisters
by Sr. Mary Emmadona Lee | Dec 16, 2022 | Newsletter
Jesus is the Light of the World! He has come to dispel the darkness of sin, and the darkness of not knowing Him.
We know how much the world needs the Savior. He came into our world! He came to save us!
Let’s let the people know that God so loved the world, that He sent His only Son, who came to save us!
Let’s spread the Good News, to His people everywhere, to young and old.
Let’s be His instruments in helping to turn darkness into light
Hustle and bustle and anxiety into peace,
Sin into grace,
Bickering, arguing and hate into love,
Fear into courage,
Sorrow into joy.
We ourselves need Him, too. Let us love Him deeply and show Him our gratitude for His coming. And may any uncertainty you have about your vocation be turned into certainty, in His own good time.
The wise still follow Him!
May you have peace, joy, and many graces from our newborn Savior!
God bless you and your loved ones at this holy season and throughout the new year.
The Parish Visitor Sisters
by Sr. Dolores Marie | Oct 24, 2022 | Newsletter
Jack, about 14, walked into Sister’s religion class one afternoon: “I’ve never been inside a church before,” he told Sister. “But, I’ve been thinking. There has to be something bigger than us. Everybody is into technology, but there has to be more to life than that, and I want to find out what it is!”
God’s grace was working in him, and we didn’t have to look for this teen hungering for God—he looked for Sister!
So many people, of all ages, are hungering for God, and they might not even know it. We find so many, and it’s a privilege to help them to know and love the Lord.
Teens, adults, children—they all need to be helped to know and love Jesus. We want to show them that the truth is lovable. They need to be taught how to pray and how to keep growing in their faith all their lives!
“Our Blessed Lord looks to us for the hearts of His little ones. “God grant that we may make the way straight for many of them, that Jesus may come and go among them freely and that their way to Him may be sure and simple.”
Mother Mary Teresa Tallon, Foundress
Our community has been blessed with five new postulants who want to love and serve God as Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate. There are two postulants here in the US, two in the Philippines, and one in Nigeria. Please pray that many more will come!
This month we are opening a new mission convent in Warren, Ohio, where several Sisters served for a few months last year. Also, in October the four Sisters who were on a three-month temporary mission to Ireland returned to the U.S., after a fruitful apostolate there. There is so much need in so many places!
May God bless you and guide you in your discernment of His will for your life.
The Parish Visitor Sisters, who are praying for you!
by Sr. Mary Emmadona Lee | Jul 27, 2022 | Newsletter
God’s peace be with you! We hope your summer thus far has been pleasant, and a time of growing closer to the Lord as well.
Much has happened here this summer. Our General Chapter (held every five years) took place during the last two weeks of June, and included elections of the General Superior and General Councilors.
Our local bishop, Bishop Gerardo Colacicco, presided over the election of the General Superior. Mother Maria Catherine was re-elected as our General Superior. Here she is pictured with the Bishop after the election.
Our annual eight-day retreat followed soon after. Retreat time is always a very graced time of prayer, reflection, and spiritual preparation for the year ahead. Most of the Sisters were on this retreat, other than a few Sisters who had special duties and will have their retreat later on.Our apostolate continues, with vacation Bible schools, visitation of families, and much more. Here is a girl who was instructed by a Parish Visitor and is now enjoying being a baptized Catholic!
Our apostolate also took us to Ireland this summer! Four Sisters are there on a three-month temporary mission, and Mother Maria Catherine joined them for the first two weeks. We hear that all is going very well there, and right from the beginning the Sisters reached out to the people. They’ll be helping with a summer church camp, visiting families to strengthen their faith, and much more. Here are four of them before leaving Marycrest for the airport.
We’ve had time for some summer relaxation as well.
It’s a great joy to be a Parish Visitor, loving and serving God and His people throughout our lives.
Wouldn’t you like to join the circle?
May God bless you always, and may He guide you to know His will and to have the courage to do it!
In Jesus,
All your Parish Visitor Sisters
by Sr. Dolores Marie | May 31, 2022 | Newsletter
On May 6, the birthday of our foundress, we had the joy of witnessing the First Profession of Sister Debra Marie, originally from upstate New York. Here are some of the highlights of the beautiful Mass and ceremony. The photo below shows her with Mother Maria Catherine, in the entrance procession.
Sister publicly asks to profess her vows, and then the priest celebrant asks several questions of Sister. This is the first question: “…You are already consecrated to God by water and the Holy Spirit. Are you now resolved to be more closely united to God by the new bond of religious profession?”
Sister responds: “I am so resolved.”
After the questions, Sister kneels in front of the altar and pronounces her vows.
“Called by the Holy Spirit to a greater perfection of love, in union with Jesus, I desire to give myself totally to God in this Congregation.
For the honor of Almighty God, and under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and our holy patron St. Joseph,
I, Sister Debra Marie Comins, before you Mother Maria Catherine Iannotti, our General Superior, vow until May 31, 2024, to live the Gospel counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience, according to the Constitutions of the Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate, and I promise, with God’s grace, to observe them faithfully.
After our General Superior accepts her vows, the priest blesses the black veil and our medallion of the Immaculate Conception and gives them to Sister.
“Receive this veil, now blessed by God, and wear it as a sign of your undivided love for the Lord.”
“Receive this emblem of the Immaculate Conception as the pledge of your consecration to that glorious patroness of your Congregation, and merit her protection by imitating her virtues.”
As the Liturgy of the Eucharist continues, Sister Debra Marie, now in her black veil, along with her Novice Director Sr. Mary Beata, brings the gifts to the altar.
Here’s Sister Debra Marie, now a Junior Professed Sister, with the rest of the USA Juniorate and our General Superior.
Left to right: Sr. Mylene Rosemarie, the Juniorate Director, Sr. Marie Meaghan, Sr. Debra Marie, Sr. Alina Marie, Sr. Rebecca Miriam, and Mother Maria Catherine, our General Superior.
The day was one of much joy, and her family members were there to rejoice with her. Here she is with her mom.
May God grant Sr. Debra Marie many happy, holy years as a Parish Visitor of Mary Immaculate.
And, may God bless and guide you, so that you may have the grace to know His will for your life, and that you will follow it!
In Jesus,
Sister Dolores Marie
