Marie. Santa Barbara, CA.

This is: Marie

Current Location: St. Vincent’s in Santa Barbara, CA.

Hometown: Born in Vietnam but moved to Portland, OR at age 12

Marie is a postulate serving the low income community St. Vincent’s where she is living with the Sisters of Charity. However, she is soon leaving the Sisters, and her role as pool manager, to begin Seminary school in Indiana. After two years she will emerge a nun and return to serve with her fellow Sisters of Charity.

In addition to the qualities an aspiring nun would doubtless exhibit, Marie makes me smile for countless other reasons.  Marie, although slight in frame, is great in conviction.  She maintains that every interaction with another person is intentional; That crossing paths are not coincidental, but rather  determined and meaningful. And so she speaks with purpose, listens with compassion, teaches humbly and laughs joyfully.  She is paradoxically wise despite her refreshing innocence.

What I find most remarkable is that at 20-something Marie sounds not so different from any other young adult.  She went to school, graduated from an established university, fell in love, fell out of love…  The difference is she  “always just felt a call to a life of religion”.  And so she followed her heart and lives will be better for it.

Thanks for the smiles Marie.