It was at one of the Theology on Tap sessions where I first encountered the Sisters of St Joseph. I was chatting with Sister Rosemary Fry and I recall being fascinated by the Sisters because they were totally different from my preconceived notion of what a nun was. In the course of our conversation she asked me if I had thought about becoming a Sister. I burst out laughing and said "No, never. I’m not holy enough."

And it was true. It had never crossed my mind. Yes, I had priests and religious men and women in my family, but not once did I think about following in their footsteps. I considered myself to be a "Sunday Catholic" and not a prayerful pious person.

Sister Rosemary's question however gnawed at me and I couldn’t get it out of my mind. It would creep into my head at the most unexpected and often inconvenient times — on the subway, during a work meeting, or when I was out with my friends.

At church, I found myself getting emotional and moved to tears as I listened to some scripture reading, or certain parts of the Mass or even some hymn — things I’d heard all my life.

I always thought of myself as being level headed and in full control of my emotions, but now all of a sudden I was so emotional. I thought I had some deep psychological problem that was now surfacing.

I decided I needed professional help and started seeing a therapist.

I heard about a weekend retreat that the Sisters were offering and decided go. It was a way to re-connect with Sister Rosemary without being obvious. I later found out that she was the vocation director for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto.

After the retreat, I continued to meet with her every month or so. I wanted to find out more about religious life and prove to myself that it was totally ridiculous to even entertain the idea. I knew I was definitely not cut out for religious life. After all I had a good life and a great career, I earned a good salary and I travelled wherever and whenever I wanted to. I did not want to give all that up. I prayed about it and asked God to help me figure out a way where I could serve God but still keep my job and lifestyle.

I began seeing a spiritual director who helped me recognize how God was acting in my life. I started seeking out Sisters in other congregations. I found I still had an inexplicable curiosity about religious life. I would regularly listen to A Nun’s Life podcasts as well as look up vocation stories on YouTube.

I started volunteering at Mustard Seed and In Good Company, ministries which were started by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto.

Over the next few months, I continued to discern this attraction to religious life with my therapist and my spiritual director, as well as Sister Rosemary. I was able to talk through my doubts and fears. My family had sowed the seeds of my faith and they continued to encourage and support me while I was discerning.

After many more months, I told Sister Rosemary that I was ready to take another step. In November 2015, I was accepted as a candidate and moved into their formation house where I lived with five other Sisters. They welcomed me into their home and created a space for me in their lives.

I retained my day job and tried to find a balance between my work life, my social life and community life. On the weekends, I attended various events and community gatherings where I got to meet other Sisters.

The transition was surprisingly smooth and comfortable. I expected it to be bumpy because of differences in age, culture and lifestyle. Instead, I found the Sisters very progressive in their thinking and we shared the same core values, beliefs and opinions. Living with the Sisters gave me an opportunity to observe first-hand how each of them lived out the spirituality and charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph. 

Every Sister I met was so full of joy and I wanted to share in that love and joy.

I spent a year and a half as a candidate during which I was able to discern together with the Sisters my call to religious life. In April 2017, I joined them as a novice. I spent time learning about the history, mission, spirituality and charism of the Sisters. I also spent time on church history and teaching, scripture and religious vows. Central to this time was self-reflection and prayer both as a community and by myself.

After two years of novitiate on May 1, 2019, the Feast of St Joseph the Worker, I professed for the first time the vows of celibacy, poverty and obedience for three years. After three years, I will renew my vows. And at the end of the renewal period, I will profess my vows for the final time.