RELIGIOUS LIFE FOR MOST of her life as a member of a religious community, Sister Janet Gildea has been able to work as a physician.
Can your career fit into religious life? by Sister Janet Gildea, S.C.
Sister Janet Gildea, S.C. is a Sister of Charity of Cincinnati and a family physician.
Becoming a sister, brother, or priest doesn’t have to mean giving up your professional path. Not only that, a religious vocation can reshape your career in surprising ways.
I
WAS SO CLEAR ABOUT MY CALL to be a family physician. I had been accepted to medical school. I desired to serve those most in need of health care—people I had met at a free clinic sponsored by an inner-city parish and where I volunteered in high school. The doctors, nurses, and other parishioners who served the sick in the evenings at the clinic taught me that health care is a basic human right and that my faith calls me to be sure that everyone has access. That was my calling. During college I also began to notice within myself a growing curiosity about religious life. The sisters who taught many of my classes and lived on campus were dedicated professionals and academics with a spiritual side that showed in their interactions with students, staff, and colleagues. Some lived in the college convent,
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