Where are you from? I grew up in León, Guanajuato,México. I am blessed to have a large family; I am the tenth of 12 kids. There are two more religious sisters in my family besides me. I am allowed to visit my family in Mexico every three years.
Tell us about Sisters Servants of Mary, your religious order. My religious order’s apostolate with the sick is what made me choose to study nursing. I believe that the more prepared I am spiritually and academically, the better care sick people will receive from me. In my community, here in Kansas City, we are 30 sisters in the convent from different nationalities. My community is my second family; I share with them everything I am and have. At the same time, I learn a lot from what they share with me.
How and when did you decide to care for others and do so with a religious community? I was nine-years-old when I thought about becoming a religious sister for the first time, but it was not until I became 16 that I was admitted to the Sister Servants of Mary’s order. It was God’s call that made me desire to give my life to Him and to the service of the sick. Before I joined the convent, I was looking for a religious order that offered its service to people free of charge. The only order of sisters that I knew with that charism was the Sisters Servants of Mary.
How long have you been a student DC? I have been studying at Donnelly College for one semester. My end goal is to become a nurse. I like Donnelly College; I feel content and at home here. The people who work here create a welcoming environment. I’ve had a very positive experience with all my teachers. They challenge students to give the best of themselves and, at the same time, they support and care for them. Since I am Catholic, I also value the religious atmosphere that exists at Donnelly. I love seeing priests and other religious sisters from different congregations and I appreciate the religious freedom and respect that every person gives and receives.
You’ve been studying English and are becoming quite proficient. Has it been difficult? The most challenging thing about writing in English is to formulate a thesis statement in a research paper and spelling words correctly.
How do you like to spend your free time? I love being in touch with nature. I love parks, zoos, lakes, and the beach. I love to contemplate sunsets. I love standing under the rain and hanging out with friends.
Who do you turn to for grace, compassion and love when caring for the sick? Jesus is my number one guide and model of love and compassion. I talk to Him all the time, but I listen and talk to Him in a particular way during my prayer time.
What does a typical day look like for you? During the school year I get up at 4:45 a.m. I take some coffee and do a half-hour of spiritual reading in the chapel. At 5:30 a.m., I join all of the sisters for an hour of meditation. At 6:30 a.m., we do Divine Office prayers and then there’s Holy Mass followed by breakfast. After that, I usually help wash dishes, wash my cloths, iron, clean my room, or do whatever I have time to do before leaving for school. I do my tutoring during my free time between classes. After school, I come back home and take lunch then I go to the chapel and say some prayers. At around 2:30 p.m., I study and do homework. We pray the Holy Rosary and do evening prayers together at about 5:40 p.m. Then, at 7 p.m. is recreation time when I join with my sisters and have a good time as a community. We play, talk, laugh, iron, etc. Dinner is at 7:30 p.m. and night prayers are at 8 o’clock. The rest of the evening is spent finishing homework, studying, showering and sometimes exercising. On some Saturdays I stay overnight taking care of our sick and elderly sisters at home; they need special care. When we have school breaks, I go out to take care of the sick in their homes until classes resume. My mission is to take care of them the way Jesus would do it. In order for them to experience Jesus’ presence at their side, I constantly pray and ask Him to use me as an instrument through which He Himself can get close to the sick people I am taking care of.
Tell us about Sisters Servants of Mary, your religious order. My religious order’s apostolate with the sick is what made me choose to study nursing. I believe that the more prepared I am spiritually and academically, the better care sick people will receive from me. In my community, here in Kansas City, we are 30 sisters in the convent from different nationalities. My community is my second family; I share with them everything I am and have. At the same time, I learn a lot from what they share with me.
How and when did you decide to care for others and do so with a religious community? I was nine-years-old when I thought about becoming a religious sister for the first time, but it was not until I became 16 that I was admitted to the Sister Servants of Mary’s order. It was God’s call that made me desire to give my life to Him and to the service of the sick. Before I joined the convent, I was looking for a religious order that offered its service to people free of charge. The only order of sisters that I knew with that charism was the Sisters Servants of Mary.
How long have you been a student DC? I have been studying at Donnelly College for one semester. My end goal is to become a nurse. I like Donnelly College; I feel content and at home here. The people who work here create a welcoming environment. I’ve had a very positive experience with all my teachers. They challenge students to give the best of themselves and, at the same time, they support and care for them. Since I am Catholic, I also value the religious atmosphere that exists at Donnelly. I love seeing priests and other religious sisters from different congregations and I appreciate the religious freedom and respect that every person gives and receives.
You’ve been studying English and are becoming quite proficient. Has it been difficult? The most challenging thing about writing in English is to formulate a thesis statement in a research paper and spelling words correctly.
How do you like to spend your free time? I love being in touch with nature. I love parks, zoos, lakes, and the beach. I love to contemplate sunsets. I love standing under the rain and hanging out with friends.
Who do you turn to for grace, compassion and love when caring for the sick? Jesus is my number one guide and model of love and compassion. I talk to Him all the time, but I listen and talk to Him in a particular way during my prayer time.
What does a typical day look like for you? During the school year I get up at 4:45 a.m. I take some coffee and do a half-hour of spiritual reading in the chapel. At 5:30 a.m., I join all of the sisters for an hour of meditation. At 6:30 a.m., we do Divine Office prayers and then there’s Holy Mass followed by breakfast. After that, I usually help wash dishes, wash my cloths, iron, clean my room, or do whatever I have time to do before leaving for school. I do my tutoring during my free time between classes. After school, I come back home and take lunch then I go to the chapel and say some prayers. At around 2:30 p.m., I study and do homework. We pray the Holy Rosary and do evening prayers together at about 5:40 p.m. Then, at 7 p.m. is recreation time when I join with my sisters and have a good time as a community. We play, talk, laugh, iron, etc. Dinner is at 7:30 p.m. and night prayers are at 8 o’clock. The rest of the evening is spent finishing homework, studying, showering and sometimes exercising. On some Saturdays I stay overnight taking care of our sick and elderly sisters at home; they need special care. When we have school breaks, I go out to take care of the sick in their homes until classes resume. My mission is to take care of them the way Jesus would do it. In order for them to experience Jesus’ presence at their side, I constantly pray and ask Him to use me as an instrument through which He Himself can get close to the sick people I am taking care of.