Section:
vocations
Sister Maureen Fox, OSF
What initially attracted you to religious life?
After college, as I was looking at life choices, I was thinking about going to graduate school. As I was looking at my choices, the possibility of religious life kept coming to my mind. The more I said “no” to that choice, the more persistent the call became. So, in my contacts with sisters in the congregation, I got a job at St. Joseph’s Children’s Home, in Spokane, Washington. I ate, prayed, and lived with the sisters. During that time with the sisters, my call was affirmed.
How did you come to know the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia?
I was taught by our sisters at St. Leo High School, Tacoma, Washington.
How did you know you wanted to become a member of the congregation?
I had contact with other congregations while in college. However, when I was with our sisters, I experienced an “at homeness” that was more tangible than with the other congregations. As I look back, it was truly the spirit and charism of Francis that drew me and was already in me. I think I’ve been a Franciscan since I was a child.
What motivates you today in your life as a woman religious?
My call as a Franciscan and a woman of the Church is still very strong after twenty-five years in our congregation. As an expression of this call, my ministry to young people as an educator keeps God ever present in my life. This motivates me to bring the presence of a loving God through the spirit of Francis in the circumstances in which I find myself in daily life.
What would you say to a woman discerning religious life?
Today young people have so many other choices to give service in the world. But I feel that many are looking for more than an opportunity to serve. They desire to belong to a community of peers/people who are committed to one another and the service they give. Therefore, I would advise someone to stay open to the movement of the Spirit and to “come and see” when an invitation to connect with religious communities becomes available.
