“We live in Simplicity... And in a silence full of God.”

	Sister Mary Ruth, O.Carm. Carmel of Mary Wahpeton, North Dakota

God spared no grace in drawing me to Carmel. He gave me the best of parents. Dad is a Knight of Columbus. He and Mom have always been strong promoters of the faith. Their fidelity and love for their family have been a great inspiration to me.

As a teenager, I became involved in a summer catechetical program. In teaching others, I found I was teaching myself. I learned the power of prayer and gained a deep love for Christ in the Blessed Sacrament and for Mary and her humble “fiat.”

In college, God gave me good friends, some being Knights of Columbus, who loved the faith and provided moral support to me. But it was in meeting St. Therese in her autobiography, The Story of a Soul, that I found my vocation. She took me by the hand to Carmel.

Here in the cloister, we live in simplicity, in joyful fraternity and in a silence full of God. With Jesus and Mary, we offer our lives as a prayer of love on behalf of the needs of the Church.

To be all His, to live in His presence: This is my great joy!

DEDICATING OURSELVES TO GOD AND HIS PEOPLE

Whatever our calling, there is so much we can do to promote priestly and religious vocations. It begins simply, by living out our faith, loving our family, and supporting those around us. It grows naturally, by praying, teaching, and actively encouraging others to consider God’s plan for their lives. His goodness and His will can only become more apparent when we fully dedicate ourselves to God and His people.

“I WANTED TO EMBRACE THEIR WAY OF LIFE.”

	Sister Marie Richard Carmel, O.Carm. Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm Saint Teresa’s Motherhouse Germantown, New York

I am from a working-class neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York—a place where my parents kept a strong, abiding faith. Their commitment often meant sacrifice, like scraping together enough money for my sister and I to attend Catholic schools.

When my mom and dad were married, they had their reception in the local Knights of Columbus Hall. Years later, this building became a nursing home, Madonna Residence, served by the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm. As fate would have it, when I was fifteen, I became a volunteer there.

I had always been attracted by the dedication and joy I saw in the Sisters who taught me in school, and at times considered a religious calling. So, when I got to know the Carmelite Sisters, I knew that I wanted to embrace their way of life. It became clear that living in imitation of Jesus Christ was the shortest path to holiness.

Although I was only eighteen, my parents supported my decision to become a Sister. They considered it an honor that God would call one of their children. Professing the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience; embracing a life of prayer; living in the community; and serving the elderly—my life choice is a radical way of witnessing God’s unconditional love. I could not but say yes to the Lord.

Carmelites were featured in recent vocation articles in “Columbia,” the newsletter of the Knights of Columbus, in their December and January issues.