Friday, July 08, 2005

I have eleven brothers and sisters. We are now spread all over the United States. My youngest sister (Agnes Penny, author of "Your Labor of Love" - TAN books) edits and sends out a monthly newsletter to keep us informed of family goings on. We each send in articles, news, opinions, etc. I think everyone in the family looks foward to receiving this every month.

The April issue of the "Curleytown Report", (as it is called), contained the following letter to the family from my oldest daughter:

Dear Curleytown,


May our Lady's month bring you ever closer to the Immaculate heart! I hope that you are all in good health and wonderful spirits. Spring in the Shenandoah valley is blooming in full colors and I am drawing to the end of my school year.


This is my both my second and last year at Christendom College. I believe that God is calling me to enter into the religious life. When fall comes, I plan to leave for the convent of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate, located in Fairhaven, MA. This order is actually a missionary order, whose motherhouse is in Rome. God willing, I shall spend my postulency and novitiate in Rome, and then the Holy Spirit will ship me off to one of the many missionary houses. The Sisters have spread to Brazil, Australia, Africa, and many places in between. They have a website if you care to visit it: www.marymediatrix.com. The website will give you a more complete idea of their charism and spirituality.


Though I have been trying to shake the idea of becoming a nun since I was six, I finally decided to give God my full attention and be open to His will. One of the priests here told me that, "Whatever God plans for you will be infinitely better than anything you could finagle." With that encouragement, I began to increase my time in prayer, attend Adoration, look into various religious orders, and meet with the chaplain. As soon as my heart was open, God drenched me with grace and I wanted nothing else but Him. I realized what He has done and is doing for me and I yearned to give what I have back to Him.


Am I certain that God is calling me? I'm more certain than not- and if I am mistaken, and God wills me to serve in another way, I will redirect my path. God bless you all!

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Please pray for my daughter's continued discernment and vocation. (You may have noted that I added the Franciscans Sisters of the Immaculate to my links some months back - now you know why.)

From Bethany, the small holding in Bethune...

Oremus pro invicem!

2 comments:

N. Trandem said...

Eleven siblings, awesome! Labor of Love, awesome (really helped my wife)! Vocation, awesome! You are truly blessed to have such a family, Mr. Curley!

Jim Curley said...

Yes, I have been blessed. I will pass on your comment to my sister. Thanks.