Article about Katie from the 4/11/09 edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. (Scroll down past header picture.)
Article about Katie in the 3/19/09 edition of the Georgia Bulletin.
More about Katie:
My $17,000 of educational debt is the sole remaining hindrance to my entry into the convent. My future religious community, the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, have asked me to be debt free by the time I begin formation in August 2009. Absorbing the debt of incoming members is simply impractical for the sisters as they continue to found new missions, educate young sisters, and care for their own elderly. I am presently working three part-time jobs to eliminate this debt, but I need the help of friends, family, and strangers to help meet this challenge. As of June 2009, I have paid my loans in full.
A native of Dunwoody, GA, I was raised in a Catholic family. I was active in my hometown parish (St. Jude the Apostle, and later All Saints) as an altar server and member of the youth group. After graduating from St. Pius X Catholic High School, I moved to Notre Dame, IN to attend Saint Mary’s College. I graduated in 2005 with a degree in Religious Studies. My desire to pursue a Masters brought me to Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, MO where I completed my Master of Divinity in December 2008. While in St. Louis, I began to seriously discern a call to religious life. My decision to join the Apostles was affirmed by the deep sense of joy I felt when I was around the sisters, by the passion and love they have for their ministries, and by their witness to life in community.
More about the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus:
The Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus were founded in Italy in 1894 by Clelia Merloni. In 1902, six Italian sisters arrived in Boston to begin serving the immigrant community. By 1906, the sisters moved to Hamden, Connecticut where their U.S. Provincialate is presently located. The motto of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart, “Caritas Christi Urget Nos”-The Love of Christ Impels Us-summarizes the moving force of their lives. Today, Apostles of the Sacred Heart number 1,300 and serve on five continents in thirteen countries in schools, parishes, social outreach offices, hospitals, and diocesan offices.
Immigrants themselves, the Apostles arrived in St. Louis in 1913 and quickly began to serve the Italian immigrants of Our Lady Help of Christians parish. Today, the sisters teach in the Archdiocese of St. Louis in educational ministries at Sacred Heart Villa Preschool, St. Ambrose School, Cor Jesu Academy, and Saint Louis University Doisy College of Health Sciences. They serve within the parishes of St. Ambrose, Our Lady of the Rosary, and St. Joseph (Imperial). They minister at Washington University Catholic Student Center, Queen of Apostles Spirituality Center, and St. Vincent de Paul Youth/Young Adult Development.
hi!!!
Good luck with everything, especially your call to be a nun. I will be sending in a small donation through The Mothers
Club at St. Pius High School (your alma mater). Ironically my daughter, currently a senior at SPX, is seriously considering St Marys College for next year.
I know your mom from my interactions at SPX. She is a lovely woman and we are so lucky to have her at our high school.
May God continue to bless you.
Gayle Sherlag
Katie,
You are most certainly in my prayers and I will have the St. Pius moms praying for you too! God has all the money in the world, so I know he will be generous to your vocation!
In Christ,
Gayle Ohrenberger
St. Pius X
Hi Katie:
So proud of you and I think the world of your mom. She is always ready to step in and help. Being a parent at SPX, she makes the way so easy for “newbies”. I am sure you follow in her ways. Good luck with your calling. Having just been through this with a young man from SPX who joined St. Joseph Friary in NYC, I know you are destined for a challenging but all too needed and rewarding life!
Best to you always,
Rebecca
KP!
First off, hi! Secondly, how do you only have $17k in student debt? I do not have a Masters and I still have over double that. SMC must have been nicer to you than to me.
Anyway, just wanted to let you know I am very excited for you and your vocation. You will certainly be in my prayers!
Your fellow RLST-er,
Sarah
Hi Katie,
I so enjoyed meeting you after morning Mass at SPX a while back. Your mom is a dear person, a blessing to me and to our school!
This is a fabulous calling you have chosen to answer. You are in my thoughts and prayers and may God bless you always!
Kathie Lyons
Dear Katie,
Thank you for sharing your journey with your St Pius family. How important your path will be to God and His people. Like any journey the road will have highs and lows…we will be lifting you in prayer along the way ! Remember that without the lows the highs would be less exciting.
Please keep the students at SPX in your prayers. So many wonderful kids …in need of many prayers.
Your momma is a gift to everyone at SPX…her smile and kindness is felt by all…you , Katie , must also have that special gift !
Our family will be excited to contribute to your mission !
Blessings and Pax,
Marci,Doc,Trey and Shockley
Katie – We read about your story in the Georgia Bulletin. We have some connections. My wife attended St. Pius, I teach at a Catholic School and we are from the St. Louis Area. Actually my three brothers were baptized at St. Margaret of Scotland. While I was in High School I was in musicals at Cor Jesu Academy and got to know the good sisters that helped with the productions. What a great order to join! We wish you the best and will contiune praying for your and your calling!
Katie, I read the article in the Ga. Bulletin and enjoyed learning about your journey. I made a small contribution to your fund, and even though it is a tiny amount, I hope that it will mix with the other donations to pay off your debt. God bless you.
Dear Katie,
I read your story in the latest Georgia Bulletin. I am a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Please know of my prayers for your continued discernment and that the path to your entry to the community is cleared very soon!
In Christ,
G
Hi Katie,
I was just told about your journey and blog from a friend in Atlanta whose parish community is praying for you. My husband and I have been leaving in St. Louis for almost two years while I pursue my master’s degree. We don’t have a huge network, but we would be willing to help where we can. You can contact me at my email address.
God bless!!!
Hi Katie,
Good luck with your involvement in the convent. My daughter is a senior at St. Pius. Your mother is one of my favorite people at the school. I wish you all the best.
Katie,
I know only too well this very situation. Currently I am in the application process with the Sisters of Life and trying to pay off my student loans from nursing school. Even while working the night shift and overtime, I’m still going to be cutting it close for this September. While I wish I had some extra money to support you, my prayers will have to suffice. May we both continue to learn how to surrender our ‘all’ to He who Is. God’s peace to you!
+JMJ+
Erin
May God bless you dear one.
Hi Katie,
I read your inspirational story and I just wanted to say how amazing I think you are! I am so glad you were able to fulfill your dream! Its so nice to see new young sisters, I spent time volunteering with the retired sisters of the BVM here in my hometown while I was unemployed and it was definitely one of the most positive experiences of my life, they were all so kind and dear and I loved hearing all of their stories, one of the things that each sister mentioned was their sadness at the lack of young women interested in religious life and now reading your story I see someone my own age, a young, intelligent, woman of faith, and I think its wonderful, while religious life is not for me, I strongly support and admire those do find themselves on that path and I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers as you continue on your journey!
God Bless!
-Jenny