Why did you decide to become a nun?
“The first time I thought about it I was about 14 or 15. One day I was at a youth group adoration and I was praying, and the thought came to me during prayer. Not words necessarily, but I understood “I made you to be mine” as if Jesus was saying it to me. I didn’t know it would point me to religious life when I was 14, but in college I was really trying to think about what I was going to do with my life. I met several different sisters at a conference, and in meeting them and talking to them that memory came back to me from what I felt in prayer. I eventually visited the Salesian sisters and a couple different types of sisters, and when visiting the Salesian sisters something just fit so well and I desired my whole life to be for Jesus. I felt that he was calling me to spend my life for young people.”
How long have you been a nun, and what was the process to become a nun like?
“For one year and about two months. I have lived with the sisters since August of 2019, so 5 years. We spend two years living with the sisters. We wear a uniform that’s kind of like a Habit but not really. We start to slowly detach from our old ways of doing things like we sell our car and don’t live on our own, and the next two years of preparation is you don’t have a bank account anymore and you live with the nuns and you start being called sister. I haD much more deliberate times of prayer. Specifically, one of those years you stay the entire year at the convent, it’s called the canonical year. It’s kind of like if you were stuck here forever and never left would you be happy so it’s kind of like a trial year. After that you can go on visits with your family.”
Do you get assigned to different schools?
We do our assignments typically for a year at a time unless you are someone like Sister Pat, who is a principal, then it’s usually three years at a time.
How do they assign you to a different school?
I think a lot if it has to do with the needs at that school. So for instance, right now I teach theology but I could teach science because it’s my background, whereas Sister Katlin teaches theology but she could teach English because that’s her major. So if there was a need at another school for a science teacher they might move me there rather than moving Sister Katlin, because that’s not her background. Usually, it has to do with what’s the reality at that school and what’s the need at that school.
What’s your role on campus?
I’m a theology teacher for the juniors and I’m also the campus minister so I help coordinate all the retreats we do, and bible studies. The Honors Prayer Ministry class I teach that leads prayer over the intercom and different things like that.
What do you do for fun in the convent?
Here in Naples we love to play with our dog, Finny. It’s kind of unique that we have a dog. We also sometimes go out to the beach, especially early in the morning when there are not a lot of people there. Other fun things we do are play games and watch movies and just spend time with each other. We like it do Wordle and Connections together and see how fast we can do them.
Do the nuns have a specific role around the convent?
In a way yes and no. Sister Pat is the superior of the community, we call her the animator. She is like the mom role. One of her main jobs is to care for all of us, make sure we are provided for, make sure we are doing well with our jobs. Sister Susan is the economizer. We don’t have our own money in our own bank accounts, we have a community account, so the stipend we receive for teaching goes to the community and pays for the community groceries, or if I have any medical needs, or if I need shampoo she goes and buys that. That’s kind of her role, if you will. She does that service for us, and then aside from that the day-to-day things, we take turns cooking and divide up who cleans this side of the convent. I take Finny for a walk in the morning and Sister Susan takes him in the afternoon, you know, we kind of split things.
Sister Juliana adds so much to the SJN family and we are so happy to have her at our school.
