Vocation prayer : Loving God, the birth of your Son brings the light of your presence to a waiting world. Help us bring that same light and hope to all who long to see your face. Enlighten young people to accept the call and challenge to share your presence with others as priests, sisters, deacons, priests and lay ministers, so your light will continue to shine for all to see. We make this prayer through Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, Amen.

• Have you ever felt a nudge or had that sense deep within that you want to be of more service to other people in the name of Jesus?
  
• Have you had this feeling yet you don't want to do it alone?
  
• Have you had a desire to form a deeper relationship with God?
  
• Are you willing to share your gifts, talents and who you are with others in a community of people committed to a "life of prayer and community and participation in the teaching mission of the Church?"

If you have thought these or similar questions, we invite you to consider a life as an Ursuline Sister of Louisville, Kentucky.

If you're curious about religious life, we would love to hear from you. To explore the possibility of becoming an Ursuline Sister of Louisville, please contact:

Sister Rita Dressman
Phone: (502) 896-3948
e-mail: rdressman@ursulineslou.org

If not you, who?
If not now, when?
If not for God, why?

"The world needs you because it needs Christ and you belong to Christ."
- Pope John Paul II

"God sends the spirit to call each one of us to a fuller life in Christ. A woman who responds to the Spirit's call by entering this religious congregation takes on the lifelong task of nurturing Christ's life in herself and others. Within the Ursuline congregation each sister endeavors to follow Christ according to the charism of (Saint) Angela (Merici). As each sister shares her life and spirit with new members, she calls them to a fuller life in Christ."
- Ursuline Constitutions, Norm 55

Vocation Venue
In addition to the vows of consecrated celibacy, poverty and obedience, Ursuline Sisters of Louisville vow to teach Christian living. The wording of the vow has changed over the years but not the substance. It dates from the 17th century Ursulines of Paris who sought to preserve their ministry to serve the needs of others in a time when religious congregations were required to conform to a cloistered, monastic life form. Rooted in the Gospel and faithful to the spirit of St. Angela Merici, this vow has developed through the years to meet the needs of the day. Here are some ways that Ursuline Sisters express what the vow means:

"By being a woman of prayer centered in God, I strive to teach Christian living by what I say and do. In my ministry at St. Frances of Rome this means bringing the compassion and the love of Christ to others, especially families with young children through teaching and guiding them in the ways of faith and being a witness to Gospel values." Sister Mary Jo Gramig

"To teach Christian Living has been the real life Angeline focus for my 40 years of vowed life in Ursuline ministry as a teacher, administrator, pastoral minister and now as a chaplain in pastoral care." Sister Rita Joseph Jarrell

"When I was in the active ministry, I ministered to young boys and girls as well as their teachers by guiding them in their reading and research and alerting them to materials that would help them address the culture of today. The vow can be lived out in many ways. Now I make this vow part my prayer." Sister Consuelo Price

"For me the vow means to do what needs to be done in the spirit and joy of Jesus Christ. To look at all ministry through the lens of Jesus’ life. To be a contemplative in the doing and being of life." Sister Ruth Ann Haunz

"I try to live the Gospel. Working for justice is a constitutive dimension of the gospel, as our bishops have stated. This is part of what that vow means to me .Depending on where we are in our life’s journey, the vow takes different forms. The Gospel tells us how to live. Our Constitutions, where our vows are articulated, reminds us of that. The greatest form of teaching is how we live. We can always teach by how we live." Sister Adelaide Fackler

"This is giving me the chance to use the gifts God has given me of teaching children about God and working with parents and families. I help the children and parents to experience a loving and forgiving God. This is one way I am living out my Baptismal Call." Sister Loretta Krajewski