In this interview, we hear about the vocation discernment journey and life as an MSBT Candidate from Christine Rome. Christine entered Candidacy with the MSBT Sisters on Pentecost Sunday 2024.

Question: What is a day in the life like in Candidacy?

Christine describes Candidacy as a “guided tour.” Sisters are helping you along the way, answering questions and guiding you through challenges.

Christine thinks it is very helpful living in community during the discernment process. She lives amongst Sisters and other religious, and still interacts with lay people and lay staff. Living this way can help you consider your strengths and weaknesses, navigate tricky relationships, and determine where you might need to grow spiritually.

During this phase of her journey, Christine takes InSearch classes alongside other men and women also discerning their vocation. The classes help you to learn more about religious life more broadly, the charism or way of life of different communities, and the challenges and blessings of living in community. You learn a lot about the spiritual aspect and human aspect of daily life as a religious.

Christine also spends time to visiting other Cenacles to serve on “mini-missions.” Seeing the work other Sisters are doing gives you an idea of the possible ministries in which you may serve. Christine had some background in these types of missions through previous volunteer work. “It helps to be familiar, but it’s not necessary,” she says. “The Candidacy period is a learning process!”

Question: What has helped you discern your vocation?

Discernment can be a long process, but it will not take forever. How it started for Christine was a feeling that, “there is something missing.” Even while you are working and going about your daily life, and enjoying your days, Christine says, “Pay attention to that feeling.” You might start noticing some subtle changes in your life: spending more time with your church community, getting to know your fellow parishioners, participating in parish events, and getting involved with volunteer opportunities. Christine started to notice, every time she had time off from work or had free time, she was spending more and more time volunteering with religious communities in the area. While it can sometimes be tedious or hard work, it always felt fulfilling and enjoyable to her. She remembers thinking, “I do not know why I am enjoying this, but I’m staying!”

You do not need to pick one community to get to know. Christine volunteered with Little Sisters of the Poor, the Missionaries of Charity, and the Sisters of Mercy. She entered other lay apostolates and eventually the Missionary Cenacle Apostolate (the lay branch associated with the MSBT Sisters). She continued volunteering with the MSBT Sisters and attending discernment events with our Vocations Team. Eventually she began the phase of Vocation Placement, living with the Sisters while still working in her daily life. This helped immensely with the discernment process.

Christine recommends thinking about your interests, or toward what you are drawn. Christine felt an attraction to specifically helping the poor and homeless, and she pursued that by getting involved with religious communities and organizations that served in this way.

Question: What advice would you give to someone who might be unsure of or overwhelmed by the discernment process?

Christine shared that it helps to understand that God is always there, amongst the challenges and difficulties. Regardless of what you may have endured, or your weaknesses, there is always Hope in God. Always turn to prayer to help. “Don’t give up, press on,” she advises, “You don’t know what will happen unless you move forward.”

For Christine, everything was in God’s timing. She remembers the challenges leading up to her time entering into Candidacy. Reflecting back, she can see that everything fell into place at just the right time, all of her obstacles were resolved, through God’s hand. “When things go smoothly, that’s your sign that God is guiding you.”