Winter 2009 - K-Space Web Page - Central Catholic High School

PRAYER
One evening, Fr. Jim Miller, who was only assigned to St. Martin de
Porres for six weeks, came to dinner, and he asked Sister Bernard if
she ever thought about becoming a nun. This brought the idea back
to her, and she says, “I think that’s why God sent him to our parish
for six weeks. And I decided that if I was going to become a nun, I
wanted to go all the way and not go into an active order, but go to a
cloistered order.”
Her parents talked her into going to Tiffi n to become a Tiffi n
Franciscan like her sister because they knew if she went to the
monastery, she would never be able to come back home. So Sister
Bernard entered the convent in 1955. But throughout the time she
was there, she knew she wasn’t in the right place, and all her prayers
continued to direct her to the monastery. After studying for a short
time at Mary Manse College, Sister was sent to teach third and fourth
grades in Edgerton, Ohio. She really enjoyed being with the kids
and thought she might stay after all, until she read something that
changed the rest of her life.
As she was reading a book, Sister Bernard ran across a line that said,
“You have to give up all in order to gain all.” She began praying about
it and recalls thinking, “If I stay teaching school, God is only ever
going to get half my heart because the kids are going to get the other
half. I thought He was telling me He wanted the whole thing.”
The Right Choice
Sister Bernard stayed with the convent until August of 1958 when her
fi rst vows expired. Then she had to get a dispensation from Rome to
enter another order. On September 21, 1958, Sister Bernard fi nally
entered the Contemplative Order of the Visitation, and she says she
has never doubted her vocation since.
Sister Bernard says that young people need to think about giving
God the best part of their lives. If they feel like God is calling them
to something specifi c, they should not ignore the call. “When young
people are deciding their vocation in life, the question is not what
do I want to do with my life, but what does God want me to do?” she
explains. “I learned that lesson, and God got me where He wanted
me. He’ll somehow let you know and get you where He wants you, if
you’re listening. That can apply to any vocation – becoming a nun,
getting married, a professional vocation, anything. You have to ask
yourself if this is going to bring you closer to God.”
It’s only fi tting that Sister Mary Bernard chose a vocation that allows
her to pray every day for the needs of others. Her own strong belief in
the power of prayer was what led her to where God wanted her to be.
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