Sr. Erica
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
25 years old
It was on my Confirmation day that I first knew I had a vocation to religious life. I was just like any other 14 year old girl, yet when I was sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit, I knew that I had been branded and claimed for God alone. I was on fire with love for God. In the months after that moment of being claimed, I knew I was meant to belong only to God. There was only one problem with that: I was absolutely not interested in religious life! I was 14, just entering high school, I had all kinds of plans, and none of them included religious life. Throughout my high school and university years, I held more and more tightly to my dreams of a great marriage, many children, and a promising career in academics. I still wanted God to be a part of my life at every moment, but I was the one making all the rules, and as a result I was miserable, interiorly lonely, and dying spiritually. I was starting to realize that I could not eradicate something so integral to who I was.
At that point, God decided to give me a much-needed kick in the pants. He introduced me to a seminarian, Jeffery Oehring, who has since been ordained to the diaconate. Jeff was the first young person I had ever seen willing to give his life over to God and it made a huge impression on me. Having made sure I would participate in World Youth Day, God called me again in Australia and, after ten years of running, denying, hiding, and being exhausted from the struggle, I said yes. I was still terrified, but I said yes. After that, things moved quickly for me. I told Jeff first. He believed in my vocation, and encouraged me to tell my parents. I have been incredibly blessed in my parents who have supported me at every moment because they can see how alive I have become after so many years of being listless and unhappy. I have also been blessed in my spiritual director, Fr Gary Schlack, who has gently kept me on the straight and narrow path.
I found the Dominican Sisters of Mary as a result of Jeff’s research and decided to make the November 2008 retreat. As soon as I walked in the door of the motherhouse I knew I was home. It was so humbling to see that despite all my obstinate behavior toward God over the last ten years He had nevertheless prepared such a wonderful home for me. Since being accepted at Christmas 2008, I have hit the ground running, not away from God this time, but running as fast as I can toward Him and the transforming power of His love.
At that point, God decided to give me a much-needed kick in the pants. He introduced me to a seminarian, Jeffery Oehring, who has since been ordained to the diaconate. Jeff was the first young person I had ever seen willing to give his life over to God and it made a huge impression on me. Having made sure I would participate in World Youth Day, God called me again in Australia and, after ten years of running, denying, hiding, and being exhausted from the struggle, I said yes. I was still terrified, but I said yes. After that, things moved quickly for me. I told Jeff first. He believed in my vocation, and encouraged me to tell my parents. I have been incredibly blessed in my parents who have supported me at every moment because they can see how alive I have become after so many years of being listless and unhappy. I have also been blessed in my spiritual director, Fr Gary Schlack, who has gently kept me on the straight and narrow path.
I found the Dominican Sisters of Mary as a result of Jeff’s research and decided to make the November 2008 retreat. As soon as I walked in the door of the motherhouse I knew I was home. It was so humbling to see that despite all my obstinate behavior toward God over the last ten years He had nevertheless prepared such a wonderful home for me. Since being accepted at Christmas 2008, I have hit the ground running, not away from God this time, but running as fast as I can toward Him and the transforming power of His love.