I truly love living the Franciscan life.
I am a native of Northwest Louisiana and grew up in Sabine Parish. Even though my family was Catholic, the general environment in which I lived was Protestant. Consequently, there was little contact with Catholics outside of my family. My principal contact with the Church was through my parish priest and my family. Still, I felt the calling to the religious life.
I entered the novitiate at the Franciscan Provincial House in Baton Rouge with five other young women. My call to religious life has been a blessing to me in many ways. I truly love living the Franciscan life. It’s a great source of strength, peace and joy in my spiritual journey with the Lord, the Franciscan Sisters, and all God’s people.
As a girl and as a young woman, I was an excellent athlete who enjoyed games and outdoor activities. My favorite sports are basketball, tennis, and football.
After finishing the novitiate, I was assigned to St. Francis in Monroe where I completed the LPN studies. If you could pass under the tutelage of Sister Liguori, you could do the job! So, I began my career as a floor nurse at St. Francis Medical Center in Monroe, a ministry that I enjoyed very much.
One day while lifting a patient, the person fell on me and I suffered muscle damage. As it turned out, I was in the beginning stage of Muscular Dystrophy. This unfortunate circumstance has directly affected my ability to perform the duties of a nurse. Since that time, my ministry has focused on duties as Sacristan for the chapel in the hospital and as a Eucharistic Minister. I also work in the pharmacy as a certified pharmacy technician. I have served more than 40 years at St. Francis Medical Center.
In reflecting on my years of service in the healthcare ministry, I recall one of my favorite quotes: “I am not afraid of tomorrow for I have seen yesterday and I love today.”
