Diocese introduces Marian Project to raise awareness about religious life
By Renee Webb, Globe diocesan news editor
Posted January 10, 2002

Last year, the Diocese of Sioux City sponsored an innovative vocations awareness project for young women.

Intended for juniors in high school on up, the Marian Project consisted of meetings to inform young women about various aspects of religious life. Gatherings were held in Fort Dodge, Carroll and Sioux City.

"The Marian Project was inspired by our desire to do something for young women like we did with Operation Andrew for young men. Operation Andrew was very successful and continues to be a success," said Father Brian Hughes, vocations director of the diocese.

He stressed the fact that these are not hard-sell projects, but rather are opportunities to tell the story about priesthood and religious life.

Operation Andrew kicked off in the diocese about three years ago. Its success prompted the start up of the Marian Project, which drew about 100 young women to the three meetings. Pastors invited the young women to attend.

The gatherings started with evening prayer featuring a sermon by Bishop Daniel N. DiNardo. Following dinner, women religious spoke to the young women. One sister gave a talk about the nature of religious life and two other sisters presented their vocation stories. The cloistered Carmelite community was also represented via a short video presentation.

Vocation directors for two religious communities were among the speakers. Both sisters noted they had not heard of other dioceses offering such a program.

"I appreciated the invitation to come. I thought it was well worth it," said Sister Carmen Hernandez, vocation director of the Presentation Sisters, who told her story at two of the meetings. She said she would encourage other dioceses to offer such a program.

In telling her story, she presented symbols that important in her own discernment process - the Bible, music, a journal for personal reflection, a photos of her family and friends for support and tennis shoes to represent her walk or journey.

She found it to be a good opportunity for women to gather and learn more about religious life in a non-threatening way.

"I appreciated the fact that Bishop DiNardo and Father Hughes had the foresight to call the parish priests to be involved in supporting women in choosing religious life as well as inviting men to consider priesthood," said Sister Janet May, vocations director of the Sisters of Saint Francis of Dubuque, who spoke at two of the gatherings. "I am not aware of other dioceses doing this. That kind of support from the bishop is important. I think women need to know that the bishop calls women to look at religious life."

She noted that each of the speakers had about five to seven minutes to talk about their call - what prompted them to consider religious life, how did they experience it and what was the response of their family and friends.

"I think it is very important that we have an opportunity to gather with young women, especially because many of our schools no longer have women religious as teachers," said Sister Janet. "I don't think they see or have personal contact with a lot of sisters today."

After having the opportunity to hear the stories of women religious, she said the young women may consider the lifestyle as an option as well as marriage or single life. Whether or not the women opt for a religious vocation, Sister Janet said there was value in raising awareness about it.

Sister Joellen Price, a Presentation Sister who serves as a pastoral minister at Immaculate Conception Parish in Sioux City, offered the general talk about religious life at the Sioux City and Carroll sessions.

She divided her presentation into three main categories: community life where the sisters live, act and pray together; prayerful life centered on God and a prophetic stance (work for social justice).

Sister Joellen spoke to them about the three vows made by women religious and stressed the fact that in life they hold onto things with a light grasp.

She told the women that in keeping the vow of poverty, they don't become destitute but do hold onto possessions with a light grasp. They also live stewardship.

"With the vow of chastity, we only hold onto relationships with a light grasp," said Sister Joellen. "We say to the world that relationships are beautiful, but they are not an end in themselves."

Referring to the vow of obedience, she pointed out that they listen to God and one another in order to make decisions together. By living with vow, they hold onto their own will with a light grasp.

And while all women religious take these three vows, Sister Joellen told them that each community has its own focus and mission just as families do.

"Each woman who enters a religious community needs to find within her own heart the place she is at home," she said. When young women meet others who truly are at home in their community, it can create a spark of enthusiasm.

She found value in the fact that young women gathered together so they knew they were not only ones to consider religious life.

"We received a number of positive comments from the young women that attended," said Father Hughes. "It was a good opportunity to find a way to talk about God's call in our lives and how we find a way to respond to what it is that God is asking us to do."

Sister Janet said she believes seeds were planted. She is in touch with several women who attended the meetings.