Written by: Sr. Mary Andrew Budinski, CSSF
While every vocation is extraordinary, the circumstances surrounding it may not be. I did not leave anyone standing at the altar or experience a dramatic conversion from a wayward life to a holy one. This is simply my story — one that now includes the joy of celebrating 65 years of religious life as a Felician Sister.
From as early as I can remember, I wanted to be a sister. As a child, I would run around the house with a pillowcase on my head, “playing nun.” I believe this desire blossomed because I grew up in a faith-filled family. Two of my great-aunts were Felician Sisters, and I was taught for eight years by the Adrian Dominicans at St. Augustine School in Detroit, MI.
Another strong influence was our neighborhood culture — entirely ethnic, entirely Catholic and overflowing with support for religious vocations.
I left home at age 13 with my parents’ blessing to attend Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Academy of the Felician Sisters in Coraopolis, PA. The academy, then an all- girls high school, welcomed day students, boarders, and aspirants – young girls considering religious life.
After graduation and a two-week vacation with my family, I returned to Coraopolis to enter the convent on August 16, 1960 along with 14 other girls. From then on, learning the life of the Felician was like learning a trade. The rules, rituals and customs of religious life were at times, overwhelming. Yet, with the grace of God working in my heart, my initial attraction to being a sister slowly transformed into a deepened relationship with Jesus. Religious life became the path on which the relationship deepened. The “yes” moved from attraction to acquaintance, then to friendship and finally to intimacy — a journey that continues with each day of my life.
Mother Angela’s words perfectly describe this inner transformation of one who responds to God’s call to religious life: “To love is to give,” she says. Thus, we are called to religious life to enter into an intimate relationship with Jesus, from which flows any and all service to God’s people.
Because I entered at such an impressionable age, the community guided my growth to adulthood. They built upon my upbringing at home and fostered my gifts and talents through education and opportunities throughout my religious life. The example of the prayerful and self-giving lives of the sisters was the greatest gift that helped me realize that “my Beloved is mine, and I am His.”
To anyone who might feel attracted, interested or just plain curious about religious life, I strongly encourage you to inquire about it. Do not miss the opportunity to speak with someone who may help you on your journey to discover what God has in mind for you. In Scripture, the Lord has the prophet Jeremiah (29:11): “I know the plans I have for you, plans for a future full of hope.” Take courage and do your part to realize those plans that God already has in mind for you.
