A young Felician Franciscan Teaching Nun

http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051211/Lives02/512110535/0/ourLives

"I discovered that Jesus was calling me to offer my life in a way that many people (including myself, at the time) do not understand."

"I grew up in Mendon, Michigan, on a farm. I have nine brothers and sisters, and I was home-schooled. I graduated from high school early and entered Madonna University (in Livonia, Mich.)."

I have a soft spot for the Felicians. They ran an orphanage up in Polonia, WI.. and are still there. They were also sent to the wilderness of Wisconsin to minister to the Polish immigrants, and mainly survived on donated potatoes during their 1st winter.

The Priest in Polonia was Father Joseph Dombrowski, who became famous for standing up to the taverns there, and dismantling the church, and moving it 3 miles away from the taverns so Sunday Mass could be conducted in peace. After that, the tavern owners were probably the ones who burnt down the church.

He later went to Orchard Lake, Michigan to found the still existing Cyril and Methodius Seminary. There is a statue there of him, that I would like to visit someday.

Anyway, do you think growing up on a farm, being home schooled, and coming from a large family would give a person the tendency to enter Religious life? I do.

Today's tiny little families may have much to do with young men and women never being able to consider life as a Religious, until it is too late.