Meet Sister Leona

I am convinced the Lord has been with me every step of the way

Roots

I was born second youngest in a family of five into a Catholic family where religion was, I think, transmitted by osmosis. The first Sister I met must in some way must have impressed me deeply; then and there, at age five, I made the decision to become a Sister when I grew up. As a small girl, I was always going to take my mother to the convent with me.

Growing Up

My schooling in both elementary and high school was entirely with Sisters. In high school, the call to religious life and my desire for God, although always within me, was somewhat obscured by the fun and good times I was having at that time. I especially loved sports of any kind.

Taking the Plunge

I planned to consider the question of my vocation at the end of high school but when I mentioned this to Sister Helena McCarthy, she set the wheels turning and I found myself being interviewed by the Reverend Mother and the Mistress of Novices. I entered the Novitiate in September, 1942, aged 18 – an age both my parents thought much too young for such a step.

Looking Back

After 60 years as a Sister of St. Joseph, I am convinced the Lord has been with me every step of the way. I have felt Him beside me through all the ups and downs inherent in every human life, through all joys and sorrows and even doubts encountered in religious life. I feel a deepened relationship with the Lord in prayer and every activity, mostly ordinary, occasionally extraordinary, that makes up the life of a Religious Sister. My heart is filled with gratitude to God. May He continue to guide me in the path He has chosen for m