Sr. Maria Emmanuel, SV
Sisters of Life
Sr. Maria Emmanuel was born in Poland and emigrated to Canada as a child. Her family now lives in Mattawa, ON. She is a gifted singer, who attended Queen's University in Kingston, ON. During her university studies she began discerning religious life with the Sisters of Life. On August 6, 2016, Sr. Maria Emmanuel professed perpetual vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and to protect and enhance the sacredness of all human life.
Vocation Story
How good, how loving is the providence of God! When I was little, my family immigrated from Poland to Canada. As a child, I loved to read stories of saints and visions. One day, I was reading about Padre Pio; I became instantly captivated by this saint, and wanted to imitate him. Therefore I went and promptly announced to my parents that I was going to become a nun when I grew up. From that day on, with my eight-year-old’s zeal, I would talk to God at night, begging Him to call me to religious life.
At about the same time that I decided I was going to be a sister, I realized I loved to sing. I began taking voice lessons, encouraged by my musician parents, and singing soon became my passion. By the time I was twelve I was convinced that God could not be calling me to religious life, because surely He wanted me to become a famous opera singer!
Towards the end of high school, I became aware of a growing hunger in me for the Sacraments, particularly for the Eucharist. In order to be able to receive the Eucharist more often, I knew I should be going to Confession regularly; the fear of that had been for me an insurmountable obstacle. However, my desire for Holy Communion kept increasing, and I could resist no longer. I began going to Confession, gradually more and more frequently. Now that I was able to receive Jesus at every Mass, I longed to receive Him more than once a week. I started sneaking out of my public high school during the lunch hour to attend daily Mass.
One summer day before my senior year of high school, I was flipping through the pages of St. Faustina’s Diary, which we had at home. All of a sudden I was struck by a lightning bolt, and I knew, without a trace of a doubt, that God was calling me to be a religious sister! An overwhelming feeling of joy engulfed me as I spoke my interior “yes” to Him. I realized that in God alone was the fulfillment of my desire to love, and to be loved, infinitely -- and that this love was, ultimately, all that mattered in life.
At first, I imagined that religious life was still a decade or two away: I had to attend university, and I still intended to be an opera singer before finishing my career by entering a convent. I went to Queen’s University in Kingston, ON. While at Queen's, I became involved with the campus chaplaincy. I met, for the first time, Catholics of my age who were zealous for the faith, loved God and the Church, and wanted to share this love with others. The chaplain was a buoyant, newly ordained priest, who eventually became my spiritual director. It was during my first year at Queen's that I discovered Eucharistic Adoration. I found myself irresistibly drawn to the little adoration chapel near the university campus.
Beginning with my second year of studies, I found myself living at Newman House, the student chaplaincy centre. One of my housemates there was herself discerning religious life -- and my friendship with her proved a tremendous blessing and source of support in my own discernment. Even though I had at that time substantial obstacles and doubts concerning my vocation, the memory of that "lightning bolt" experience with St. Faustina's Diary continued to strengthen me and give me courage. Gradually, through prayer and spiritual direction, I realized that I may indeed be entering religious life -- and sooner than I had thought.
The following school year -- I was a junior then -- I was ready to begin contacting and visiting various religious communities. I looked into several, but at the end of the year God's will was still unclear to me. At World Youth Days in Toronto the previous summer, I had picked up a brochure from the Sisters of Life. I had read it, bud did not inquire with these sisters any further. Since at that point I still hadn't found a community where I felt called, almost in desperation I picked up the phone and called the Sisters of Life. After a lengthy and beautiful conversation with the Vocations Director, I found myself scheduled to attend the sisters' upcoming Discernment Retreat. During the course of that retreat, I discovered the beauty of our Charism to protect and enhance the sacredness of human life. This charism encompasses all aspects of the Culture of Life: It seeks to proclaim the beauty and dignity of womanhood, motherhood (and fatherhood!), family life, and human love. It seeks to bring the gentle, healing light of Jesus to hearts darkened by pain and sin, broken by irreverence to life. I understood that the Charism encompasses the heart of who we are: beloved children of our Father God.
I applied to the Sisters of Life, and entered after graduation. In August, 2016, I received the incredible blessing of making my Final Profession. How wonderful are Your ways, O Lord. May You be blessed forever!