Like the sisters I lived with, I want to make the world a better place for others.
Sister Mary Houke

I attended Our Lady Queen of Peace Elementary School in Milwaukee where I met my first grade teacher, Sister Mary Angela, whom I liked very much. One day Sister Mary Angela asked the class this question: "Who wants to be a sister?" My hand went up.

I then went to a public high school in Milwaukee where I continued to enjoy learning and knew that I wanted to become a teacher. Swimming, riding my bike and reading books were other activities I enjoyed. My favorite class was English and I thought I would like to become a writer some day.

I attended Alverno College in Milwaukee and studied to become a teacher. When I wasn't in class or doing homework, I was on campus working at my part-time job. After completing college I started teaching, but knew that I wanted to do something more with my life. I remembered as a little girl that I admired the sisters who taught me and wanted to be a sister too - they seemed like such happy people.

Once again I thought about becoming a sister. In college I saw the sisters serving others and doing things that made people feel happy. I wanted to help others and make the world a better place, but I knew I could not do that alone.

Many sisters lived and worked at St. Joseph Convent in Milwaukee. I visited there, attended programs to get to know sisters better and also went on retreats with other young women who were thinking about joining the congregation. After several years, I became an affiliate with the School Sisters of St. Francis and lived in community with some sisters to see if religious life was for me.

I felt I had much in common with the School Sisters of St. Francis. Like the sisters I lived with, I wanted to make the world a better place for others. I became a novice and my first year of novitiate was spent praying and studying as I learned more about religious life and the congregation. During my second year of novitiate I returned to ministry as a hospital chaplain. As a chaplain, I comforted people who were sick -  praying with them and bringing Eucharist. When patients died, I comforted their families.

At the end of my second year of novitiate, I professed first vows as a School Sisters of St. Francis. Six years passed and I professed perpetual vows. At that time, my Aunt Emily told me and my parents about her secret prayer for me. When I was baptized, my aunt prayed that I would become a sister and did not tell anyone of her prayer until I professed perpetual vows.

Twenty-five years have past since I joined the School Sisters of St. Francis. I now live in southeastern Wisconsin and serve God's people as a hospital chaplain. I am so happy to be a sister and to help many people every day realize that God loves them.

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