REGINA: And your family?
SR. CHIARA MARIE: For the first few months when I called home to speak to my parents it was difficult. But when I was voted on to receive the habit things changed and they came over to visit. My Mum said, after she met the other sisters she could understand why I was so happy.
SR. MARY ANA OF THE DIVINE MERCY, 2ND YEAR NOVICE : My dad told me, “I knew it was for real when you left your cell phone on the table to go into the cloister.” My best friend told me via letters how much our friendship meant to her, and my sisters sent me funny birthday cards because they knew my humor wouldn’t change that much!
SR. MARIA JOHANNA OF OUR LADY OF GRACE, 2ND YEAR NOVICE: I entered the monastery less than half a year after graduating from Thomas Aquinas College, so I did most of my discernment while I was there, and my closest friends were fellow students.
At TAC vocations are encouraged, but they’re also normal enough that a person discerning a vocation isn’t made to feel awkwardly special. In my case this was even more so, since it happened that about half of my close friends also felt called to religious life or to the priesthood. It was a very supportive environment.
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