b'where God calls us to go. God doesnt call us to dosomething we dont want to do. Sr. Emily graduated from Ball State University inMuncie, Indiana, with a bachelors degree in visualcommunications and a minor in Spanish. GOD GAVE MEAs a Marianist Sister, she earned her masters degreein pastoral ministry at University of Dayton and hadTHE IDEA I COULDa graduate assistantship in campus ministry.She currently serves as a communications coordi-BE A SISTER OR Anator for five parishes in Dayton. NUN. I TOLD GOD, A leap of faith Sr. Rose, 28, grew up in Wheaton, Illinois, attend-LETS TALK ABOUTing Catholic grade school and public high school. I wanted to return to Catholic education for college.THIS LATER.That was part of my decision to attend University of Sister Emily Sandoval, FMI Dayton, a Marianist college, she said. After earning her bachelors degree in English witha Spanish minor, Sr. Rose spent a year of service inChicago, living in community with other volunteers.In July 2020, she returned to Dayton and entered theMarianist Sisters as a pre-novice. She professed firstIn college, Sr. Emily explored her faith.vows in August 2023. My faith had always been determined by my So, what led to that step, to enter the pre-novitiate? parents, she said. In college, I could set my own rules.I met the Marianist Sisters at a discernment retreatI could look at what I believe in and explore my faith the second year of college, she said. I thought it wasand my place in society. Much in my spiritual back- cool that I was at a school connected to a religiouspack was Catholicism. I wanted to find out what it order. I wanted to meet them. But I wasnt open tomeant to be Catholic as an adult. To choose this.the Spirit. I wasnt thinking about a vocation. She wanted to deepen her prayer life. She looked Sr. Rose revisited discernment that summer andat her own spiritual life with God first.during the rest of college. She attended more discern-I wanted to build that up before I delved into ment retreats and decided to participate in the yearjoining a religious congregation, she said. This call of volunteer service. to be a sister came back again. I thought maybe I should I gave myself a self-love talk, she said.take this seriously.She wondered whether she should move back inSr. Emily wanted to start discerning. with her parents, go back to school, or opt for a religiousI didnt know where to start, she said, so I went vocation. Was she still serious about that? on the internet and Googled, How to be a sister.It was a leap of faith. But also, after living in anShe also took a matching quiz on the website for intentional community during my service year, I foundVision Vocations Network, a resource that matches that situation was healthy, the right structure for me,communities with active, qualified vocation discerners.Sr. Rose said, adding, There are really no words toI received 200 results back, she said.describe it. You just feel this call.Sr. Emily began attending discernment events,Now in her second year ministering as a bilingualincluding the Religious Education Congress inkindergarten aide and religion teacher at a CatholicAnaheim, California, where she met Marianist Sister grade school in Dayton, Sr. Rose has simple questionsGretchen Trautman, currently the provincial, at an that someone considering a religious vocation shouldexhibitors booth. It was her introduction to theask of themselves: What is your gut telling you? Its notMarianist Sisters.just your gut.What is the Holy Spirit telling you?\x01She added, Its good to see where God is workingin our lives and to pray about it. Ultimately, we go Linda Behrens is a writer from St. Louis. marianist.com/donate 15'