It is only God who can explain how and why I came to enter here. He
must have sent forth an invitation but I am unsure about the exact
moment because I can always remember having the inmost desire to be a
nun.
I can still picture in my mind the first nun I caught a glimpse of.
There she was standing at the front gate of some unknown grammar
school in San Francisco and I wanted to be just like her. From then on
there were always little moments to reinforce that hidden desire. In high
school I began working as a volunteer with the Daughters of Charity at O'Connor
Hospital, and with every opportunity I seriously began to pay attention
to that inner yearning that never ceased.
I was convinced that my call was to the missions. In fact, I actually visited the motherhouse of the Daughters of Charity in Paris. But as Vatican II had its impact on religious life and unpredictable changes were looming on the horizon, I stepped back to wait a while. During this time I met the Dominicans. became a member of the Dominican Laity, discovered Corpus Christi Monastery, and found myself drawn toward the contemplative life.
Then with the gentle encouragement and faithful companionship of friends who were also searching their vocation, I eventually abandoned a promising career in accounting and radically changed my future. I embraced a vocation both active and contemplative by professing my vows as an extern sister in a cloistered Dominican community.