Mother soon to be sister

"About three years ago, I felt an emptiness inside that just wouldn't go away," Ms. Quinn told The Evangelist. "I decided to do something about it."

She contacted Deacon Joseph Markham at her parish. After they met several times, she realized that God was calling her to do something more with her life, something where she could find a deeper sense of fulfillment.

"I wasn't sure what it was; but with Deacon Markham's help, I finally realized that I might have a calling to the religious life," she noted.

Finding an order

"Sister Mary Ellen Owens became my mentor," said Ms. Quinn. "She is the principal of Holy Cross School in Albany. We began a dialogue about the Mercy community, their charism and the work that they do in their ministries."

Ms. Quinn soon realized that those ministries -- education, hospital work and hospitality -- were exactly what she was interested in.

"I was taught by the Sisters of Mercy all my life, at St. Teresa's grade school, Mercy High School and Maria College," she explained. "Once I began dialoguing with them about their order, I became very interested in what they have to offer."

Making a choice

She was asked to provide three letters of recommendation, write her autobiography, undergo a psychological examination and complete a physical exam. After those were finished, she was accepted for the second stage of development: candidacy.

According to Sister Margaret Straney, president of the order and head of the leadership team, "we are very positive about Barbara's commitment to our order. She is a person who is committed to giving her life to the work of the Church."

Stages

"During this time, I am getting to know the sisters -- and they are getting to know me," she said.

The next step will be the novitiate stage of development, which generally lasts for two years.

"I will be going to Laredo, Texas, to study theology and the ways of Mercy. I will be living and working with novices from throughout the U.S.," she noted. "During the second year, I will return to the Albany area and become involved in different ministries. That will be another year of studying, working and praying."

Final step

"Our program is more intensive than it used to be since we became a part of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas," she said. "We now have a consolidated incorporation program in place. As a result, we are getting more women with general life experiences and a more mature perspective. The period of first vows usually lasts about three years. Whether a person is accepted for final vows depends upon evaluations from both the community and the individual herself."

Once the evaluations are done, Ms. Quinn is anticipating that she will apply for her final vows and be accepted into the order.

Sons' reaction

"Chris has never seen me happier," Ms. Quinn said. "They both like to tell my story to their friends. No one has a mom who is also a religious sister."

At first, she was a bit afraid of making such a life-altering decision. But she knows now that this decision has left her with a great sense of fulfillment and peace.

Saying 'yes'

She said that she has never been happier than she is now because she finally said "yes" to God's call. She feels secure that her decision was the right one.

"I want women to know that this is an option for them, that they can serve God when He calls them, no matter how impossible that call may seem to be," she said. "I am so happy to have been called to do God's work. This is the happiest time of my life."

(01-11-01) [[In-content Ad]]