ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Listening to God ’ s Voice Led to an Unexpected Path
Karla Dorweiler
Mary Murray , a 2015 graduate of Sacred Heart Major Seminary , describes her journey of faith as a “ pothole-filled road .” The road included two major detours : getting her master ’ s degree in theology and becoming a high school theology teacher .
In her twenties , Mary obtained a BA in political science from Oakland University and a master of public policy from the University of Maryland , Baltimore County . She married her husband , Tom , and worked in both nonprofit and government sectors .
After the birth of their first daughter , Mary and Tom decided she would leave the workforce to be home with their daughter . Over the next ten years , they had three more daughters .
“ We both always wanted children and I was grateful to have the option to stay home ,” said Mary . “ My husband should be commended for surviving through the phases of Polly Pockets , princess movies , and now , the teenage years with our four beautiful girls .”
Though Mary was grateful to be at home with her children , she struggled with her vocation . She missed being with colleagues in the professional world , and she craved intellectual stimulation beyond her daughters ’ Veggie Tales . Mary began to feel guilty for wanting more when she knew in her heart this was God ’ s will for her at this stage in life .
“ I thought , ‘ What ’ s wrong with me ?
I should be content and grateful for the gift of motherhood and with these beautiful children and relish every minute with them .’” Mary said . “ In this struggle , I began to turn to God and ask for his guidance and help . I began to ask , ‘ What else , God ?’”
As Mary continued praying and listening for God ’ s answer , Mary and Tom became more convicted in their Catholic faith . They moved to Troy and became friends with their new pastor , Father John Riccardo .
“ Father John challenged us , both intellectually and spiritually , to live out our call to be disciples of Christ . He also showed us love and acceptance and patience in this season of growth and introduced us to other families who were seriously pursuing their faith ,” said Mary .
As Mary shared her recent struggles with her new friends , one of them asked her if she had ever thought about taking a class at Sacred Heart and teaching catechism . Mary had never considered returning to school , but the more she did , the more she realized this was an answer to her prayer .
She enrolled in one class at a time , which allowed her to be with her daughters during the day and attend class at night . Mary recalls meeting her husband on the front porch some evenings to hand off the baby in order to be on time for class .
“ I couldn ’ t wait for class each week ,” said Mary . “ Pursuing this degree was certainly more of a sacrifice for Tom than for me — I loved almost every second . But thankfully , he supported me in this endeavor and as the girls got older , they too helped out on those seminary evenings .”
As Mary attended class , read the course materials , and completed her homework , she knew she was following God ’ s plan for her . He had opened her mind but also her heart by drawing her closer to him . She prayed with Scripture regularly and read voraciously about the lives of the saints .
While Mary was a student at Sacred Heart , a familiar face enrolled as well — her brother , now Father Steve Pullis , began and completed his priestly studies while she pursued her degree .
“ It was a true joy to meet up with him for dinner occasionally , to see him in the halls , and to share some of our experiences of studying theology ,” Mary said .
Mary taught catechism during this time and enjoyed sharing her enthusiasm for the faith with her students . God also nudged Tom and her to become more involved at their parish , Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak . They helped to begin Teams of Our Lady at the parish , an international lay movement designed to enrich marriage spiritually through increasing and improving a couple ’ s prayer life beside other couples .
After taking one class per semester at Sacred Heart for eight years , Mary
28 Sacred Heart Major Seminary | Mosaic | Spring / Summer 2022