Vocation is a gift

On July 14, during the seventh General Chapter of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, I professed my perpetual vows of poverty, chastity and obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ. In preparation for this long-awaited day, I have been blessed to look back and see how God’s guiding hand has placed this desire to belong totally to Him so carefully in my heart. It has truly been a gift from our heavenly Father that has grown and deepened over time. 

Baptized Kathryn Dolan, I was born Aug. 4, 1984, to parents, Larry and Linda Dolan. I grew up in Sartell, Minnesota, a small town in the central part of the state. I was raised in a small Catholic family which included my parents and my older brother Sean in a home where the Catholic faith was honored and valued. My parents diligently taught us, through their word and example, the importance of striving for virtue and treating people with dignity and respect. 

Often people will ask if I always wanted to be a sister, but to be honest, that thought had not really occurred to me. Growing up, I was not exposed to very many religious sisters, so I had not considered it an option. Even though I was unaware, I think the Lord was still preparing me, because, from a young age, I always had a deep desire to pursue what was right and good. 

In 2007, I graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota, Duluth where I studied Speech-Language Pathology. My heart has always been moved with compassion for those who struggle to communicate. It was the Newman Center on campus where the Catholic faith came alive in my life, and I started seeking the Lord with greater zeal and fervor. During my junior year, I began to consider a vocation to consecrated life.

After I graduated from college and being uncertain of what God was calling me to, I decided to give a year of service to the Lord, in hopes that he would reveal himself and what he desired for my life. I spent two years serving in the SOLT mission in Belize, Central America as a lay volunteer. It was through this mission experience that the Lord broke open a seed of desire in my heart, that was planted long ago, a desire to give myself totally to Him. The seed has continued to open ever since. 

When it came time to discern a community of sisters God was calling me to, my heart kept returning to SOLT. Through my immersion into the charism of SOLT while volunteering in Belize, the experience of family, and the gentle presence of our Blessed Mother poured through the SOLT members is where I found peace and felt most at home.

I entered the initial stage of formation in March 2010 in Holman, New Mexico. I professed my first vows in July 2013 at Our Lady of Corpus Christi Adoration Chapel in Corpus Christi. Since my first profession, I have been blessed to spend the past five years serving at Our Lady of Corpus Christi Retreat Center in the Diocese of Corpus Christi. It has been a great privilege to coordinate retreats, offering many people in the diocese and beyond, a place to deepen their relationship with the Lord and encounter Jesus in new and profound ways. 

The Lord has abundantly blessed my journey thus far. So, my heart eagerly sings His praise and I give thanks to the Father for the gift of my vocation! It is truly a gift from above, and with his guiding hand, I look forward to watching it unfold. 

Sr. Maria Laudem Gloriae Dolan, SOLT, has been reassigned to Kansas City, MO to begin her new assignment serving at the SOLT mission.