Hearing God's Call in Grade School
by Sister Nora Schaefer, OP
Professed in 1965
When I was in fifth grade, our class went to the gymnasium and saw a film about a Maryknoll Sister whacking a path through the jungle with a big gleaming machete. Right then and there, I knew that I, too, wanted a machete. Something powerful, strong, and very shiny that would be my instrument for bringing God to others.
After my elementary years at St. Edmund School, Oak Park, IL, I went to Trinity High School and met the Sinsinawa Dominicans. This was at a time when the convent was overflowing with young, energetic, dynamic teachers. There were so many Sisters that a new convent had to be built. I saw the interchange among the Sisters and was struck by their enjoyment of life. They understood sports (T-Club), current events (Kennedy was president and a Catholic to boot), and were following the news of Vatican II. As I discerned the next phase of my life, I saw myself joining this group of women and perhaps going off to the foreign lands that I had dreamed about.
Upon entrance in 1963 I realized that most of the community was engaged in teaching, yet there was a new burgeoning embrace of the mission to Bolivia. Many of us in my “crowd” thought that we would be sent there. We even attempted to learn Castilian Spanish from Sister Timothea. The early years as a professed Sinsinawa Dominican saw many changes in the Church and in our personal lives. We were constantly in change, and many of the young dynamic Sisters of my high school years left to pursue other lifestyles, and the '60s ended in great turmoil. These were not easy times. I grieved over the loss of the presence of those who left. “Was I still called to this life?” became a daily mantra. The answer remained the same but the reasons changed often.
So, what have the intervening years brought to my vocation? These years have brought an opportunity to pursue God and answer the call that I felt in fifth grade. They have enabled me to live with gifted, interesting people who have challenged me to grow personally and communally. I have ministered to those who are in need of physical assistance, and I have been ministered to by those who have tended my needs. I have laughed, cried, prayed, studied, and shared with the best people on Earth. I have wonderful friendships, close ties to the communities in which I have ministered, and a deep appreciation for all of the opportunities given to me. One of the challenges that I am struck with now is grieving over those who are on their last earthly journey. I will no longer be able to tap into their wit and wisdom.
Alas, I have never been to Bolivia, I know "un poco Espanol," and I never received my shiny machete, but I have the comfort of knowing that the Word of God, which I believe and preach, is a more powerful and stronger instrument. It allows us to break down barriers of poverty, loneliness, and despair. If I can continue to do that with my life, I will be content and will encourage anyone to embrace this life for that reason and for the chance of a lifetime to always be on the cutting edge.