Sister Catherine

My name is Sister Catherine and I have been a member of an enclosed order or Religious Sisters for over a decade.

I was brought up in a Catholic family and I was greatly influenced by the very strong faith my parents had.

I didn't consider that I might have a vocation to religious life until I was at university. I spent the first year of my degree making the most of the busy social life you find at university and I also fell in love and entered into my first relationship. However after a short time I realised that we were not right for one another. At this time I realised that perhaps being just for one person.That was the beginning of my journey of discernment - discovering who I was and God's plan for me.

While I was at university I was involved in the Catholic Chaplaincy and it was during my second year there that I began to think about religious life. With the support and help of friends I decided to seek some help to discern if I had a vocation and the chaplains at the university were a great help and support. I did consider using my degree to work for a development organisation like CAFOD but after a period of reflection I realised that God wanted me for who I was and not for what I could do. I visited a few different contemplative houses and when I visited the order I now belong to, I felt that I was truly at home'.

Our way of life is expressed and lived out by the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience promising to live enclosed, which means living in one place. I find great fulfilment and joy in living sisterhood and spending the better part of my day singing the praises of God through praying the divine office. We all have different jobs within the community but our primary call is to be an expression of God's love to each other in community and to those who we meet and to be a praying presence bringing peace and healing throughout the world.

I wouldn't want to live my life in any other way!

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