Religious Life

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A winding life of curiosity led Dominican Sister Pat Farrell to religious life, a vegan diet and powerlifting. The Californian won her weight class for bench pressing 77 pounds and deadlifting more than her body weight.

"As archivist, I can offer something practical and personal to my community.," writes Sr. Grace Marie Del Priore. "Preserving our legacy is my way of expressing love; having that offering valued is affirming."

At this year's LCWR annual assembly in Atlanta, U.S. sisters focused on hope, surrender and transformation.

A blessed upheaval happens in the missionary's heart if we allow ourselves to be touched by our new reality: the feeling of being upside down, of having to start over, while a deep sense of home grows in the heart.

"God is just as present in the silence as in the joy," writes one sister. "He is patient with me, gentle in my struggle and faithful even when I falter."

Sr. Kelly Williams reflects on how scenes and cycles in nature reflect current events and her own experience in religious life.

Transition from one ministry, community or country can be joyful, frustrating, filled with apprehension, or a mix of emotions. One has to discern what God wants and ask for the grace to embrace the changes that come with it.