Comings and Goings!

Vocation talks, exhibits, and book clubs, oh my! It has been an action-packed week here in the postulancy of the Daughters of St. Paul. Last Friday morning we gave a vocation talk to about 90 first- to fourth-grade girls at Queen of All Saints Parish. It was great – we taught them a song about following Jesus that they really liked, and they had a lot of good questions for us.
Then Friday afternoon we left for our book exhibit at the Marian Conference. It was a beautiful experience. I am always struck on exhibits by all the different kinds of people who stop by our table to look at our books or just to share their stories with us. This exhibit was no exception – a lot of people touched my heart and will remain in my prayers.
The first meeting of the Mother Thecla Book Club was Saturday afternoon. We had four girls come, and we had a wonderful discussion on what holiness means, and then we shared a time of Eucharistic Adoration.
To wrap up our "Mission Weekend," Sr. Carmen and Julia gave a vocation
talk to the 8th graders at St. Gerard Majella Parish on Monday evening. Together with a Sister of St. Joseph, one of their novices, and a diocesan priest, they formed part of a panel and gave their witness and answered questions for the teens. Thank you for your prayers for
all our apostolic and vocational activities – it is beautiful to see how God is working!
In the midst of all this, we continue with our prayer, formation, and studies. We are all thoroughly enjoying Sr. Rose's class on the Catholic Church and social communications. My favorite part of the class this week was reading and reflecting on John Paul II's message for World Communications Day in 1984 on the encounter between faith and culture.
I know this is a long post! But there's one more thing: we have a new addition to our community! Sr. Laura Rhoderica joined us on Thursday. Her last assignment in the States was in Philadelphia, but for the past six months she has been in Italy studying Italian in preparation for a course on the Pauline charism. We will try to post a picture of her soon!
God bless each of you in the next week!

Some quotes from the week...

Alina says: "Sr. Rose's class is awesome...Yay for Sr. Laura coming...The pope's new encyclical rocks!"

Julia says: "I went with Sr. Carmen on Monday to speak to a Confirmation group about vocations and participated with the Girl Scouts today…it was so nice to be among the youth of the Church again! Thank you, Jesus!"

Sr. Carmen Christi says: "La vita e bella......Our community is growing -- Praise the Lord!"

Emily says: "I am also thoroughly enjoying the new encyclical, Spe Salvi. We are saved in hope -- how beautiful!"