MERRILLVILLE – Approximately 15 women religious from the Diocese of Gary arrived at the Pastoral Center on Oct. 8 by invitation from Bishop Robert J. McClory. The Holy Mass and luncheon that followed were an opportunity to thank the sisters for all they do for the people of Northwest Indiana.
“Today is a day of celebration as we thank God for your vocations, especially the jubilarians gathered here,” said the bishop. “The Lord has done so much through you, and most especially because you said, ‘Lord, I'm all yours. I love you and your people.’”
Bishop McClory shared that, when thinking about vocations, he has always been drawn to reflect on what St. John Paul II called “the law of the gift”. He explained that the pope used that phrase to illustrate that people’s lives are to be lived as a gift to God and to others.
The bishop commented that people receive much from God and because they have received, they are called to respond by giving those blessings to others. For those called to consecrated life and the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, he said, that gift takes on a beautiful expression.
Bishop McClory noted that people in the world often look at the act of giving in a certain way. They believe that if they have something and give it to someone, then they are losing it. It is no longer theirs. This can lead to the idea that life is about accumulating as much as possible, and those who give things away have less. But, the bishop explained, “the law of the gift says, ‘No.’ The more you give, the more you truly receive.”
“Suddenly, as we pour ourselves out, we can receive untold blessings; that had we just held on to everything, we never would have experienced,” Bishop McClory said. “I know that the lives gathered here, your life of self-gift to the Lord, has been a tremendous present.”
The bishop referenced the day’s first reading from Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians, where St. Paul addresses the practicalities of what it means to be in the unmarried state: “that you're not distracted by lots of other things that you might be because one is married and instead you are anxious and consumed with things of the Lord.” However, that is just one aspect of being called by God.
Bishop McClory stated that it's not just about giving and not receiving first from the Lord, but the fact that their lives make sense because they're a gift back to “the one who gave us.” He added that a vocation is more than just being freer to do important things for Him, but understanding that He wants our hearts.
“He wants all of us,” Bishop McClory said. “And of course, married couples express that in one way, but those who were called to the consecrated life say, ‘Lord, I'm just giving it all back. Take me, use me and fill me with the Holy Spirit.’”
The bishop assured the women religious gathered that “the Lord still continues to call. He still continues to give you gifts that you need; the gifts that we need.”
As an example of how the Lord is moving someone's heart, Bishop McClory mentioned that a young woman, after several years of preparation, will soon give her life as a consecrated virgin, about five years after she initially expressed her intentions. After much discernment, Caitlyn Pszonka will make her profession on Nov. 24 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Valparaiso.
“So, we praise the Lord that he keeps calling,” he said. “It's about saying, ‘Lord, I want to live my life as a gift back to you. And I want to give myself to others,” he said. “Thank you for doing that, sisters. We could give countless examples of how the Lord has used you. Please know of the Lord's love for you, know that the gift that you are to Him, the gift of your life to Him and others, is very wonderful and beautiful.”
Bishop McClory then invited the sisters to stand and recite a Renewal of Vows. Together they prayed, “Today I renew my vows to live in poverty, chastity and obedience according to the constitutions of my community. I pray that by this consecration, I may continue to be your disciple and sign of Christ present in our world.”
Among the jubilarian sisters in attendance was Mary Joseph Watkins, who celebrates her 25th anniversary this year. The member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration shared that she first felt called to religious life when she saw members of Mother Angelica's religious community in Irondale, Ala., make their final vows.
“It was just so beautiful to see them give their total life to God,” she said. “I said, ‘I can do that. I want to do that,’ so that's what sparked the interest in religious life – that and the perpetual adoration that my parish had.”
Sister Mary Joseph enjoys being a sister because she gets to meet lots of different people and dedicates time to praying for them.
“To me, a religious vocation is to pray for others, so I'm very happy to do that,” she said.
During her ministry, Sister Mary Joseph has worked in the Diocese of Gary and then served in Indianapolis and Fort Wayne before returning to Northwest Indiana. She currently works with teenagers through a residential program, Franciscan Health St. Francis Center.
“It’s for kids who are learning to rebuild their lives,” she explained. “They go to school Monday through Friday, and I’m one of the educators there.”
Sister Gloria Jean Kozlowski, of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis, is marking 63 years of religious life. She first became interested in serving as a woman religious after watching the sisters who taught her in school and relatives who were part of a religious order.
What Sister Gloria Jean enjoys most about being a religious sister is “the surprise of every day unfolding because we never know what’s going to happen.”
“It’s the wonder and surprise of every day,” she added. “It's led me to the people I've met, the things I’ve been able to do and the talents I’ve discovered that I didn't know I had.”
Sister Gloria Jean has served in a variety of roles and locations in the diocese over the years, teaching and training catechists. She spent the majority of her ministry at St. Stanislaus in East Chicago as the parish’s director of religious education.
