Sharon writes: If a sister wants to keep in her current professional position and also become a sister, is that possible?

Sr. Ellen responds: We have sisters working in a wide variety of professional positions. I was an attorney before I entered in 1996. A sister who entered in 1995 is a social worker. Others in the US are teachers, nurses, MBAs, in parish work, and many others. Each sister brings her unique gifts and talents to the community.

During the first couple of stages of formation (affiliate and candidate) a woman keeps a job and her financial independence. When she becomes a novice, she does not have a paid job for that time of study, prayer, and getting to know the community in depth. After she makes vows, she again is usually working using her gifts, education, and experience.

Sharon writes:   I mean, if I want to keep on being in my regular job because I like it and it is very much something to do with human rights, do I have to give it up to become a nun?

Sr. Patrice responds:  What I have noticed, is that as we continue to grow and mature, we tend to discover that God's calling us to move in new directions. For example, when I entered, I was a special education teacher, and very confident that that's where God called me. As I continued to mature, reflect, pray, and grow spiritually and emotionally into adulthood, I discovered that God also calls me to other types of very significant ministries... including some various types of educational leadership, some various types of community leadership positions, and nonprofit leadership.

Quite recently, I even went back to school for a second masters degree- this one in business management and nonprofit leadership- and am now using those skills! I can't, actually, think of a single sister who has never moved through career or ministry transitions. We all do. The gift, for me, has been that doing it in the context of a community of committed women makes that transition so much more meaningful.

Sharon writes: How does that work?

Sr. Jean writes: We in the SDS community see so many things that need to be done for people, so many challenging ways to make this a better world.   BUT....we are few relative to those needs! Jesus felt it too...the harvest is ripe, but the laborers few!
We want to extend that invitation to women - to take the risk and get involved in living with other women who care, who are talented, who are willing to sacrifice a personal family for the bigger family.

We will all be enriched by every woman who shares her talents and dreams together / for others!