Not growing up Catholic didn't prevent God from calling me to a religious vocation! I became Catholic when I was 17. Through involvement in parish ministries, I began to seriously think about a vocation to religious life. The thought of belonging to something bigger than myself was appealing. I knew that I wanted to dedicate my life to God through service to God’s people.
A few years after becoming Catholic I’d entered a religious community, but didn’t stay long. It just wasn’t a good fit. I was disappointed, yet relieved. I thought “That’s over with! No more thinking about being a Sister!” However, after my mom died a few years later, I began to again think deeply about how I was meant to live my life. I knew that God was calling me to a life of service, but how? There were so many options, I just wasn’t sure.
I decided to meet with someone from the vocations office of the Chicago Archdiocese. Not long after that meeting, I began a period of contact with the community that I eventually joined, the School Sisters of St. Francis. I soon realized that I belonged with them. Despite what my head was saying ("There's no way that God wants me to be a Sister!") my heart was telling me that giving my life completely to God by sharing in the mission of the School Sisters of St. Francis was right. I felt that I was at peace and that I had found my home.
I am a licensed attorney in Illinois and currently minister as a Conflicts Analyst at a law firm in Chicago. I also work in vocation ministry for my community. After 13 years as a School Sister of St. Francis, I’m still “at home”!
Kathy Chuston, SSSF
School Sisters of St. Francis
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