SISTERS
SISTER THEODORA Hawksley plays guitar during a service in the community chapel.
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF CONGREGATION OF JESUS
A beginner sister keeps saying yes by
Sister Theodora Hawksley joined the Congregation of Jesus in 2015. Previously she had worked as an academic at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, where she specialized in peace-building and Catholic social teaching.
Sister Theodora Hawksley
From her exciting decision to enter religious life to an intense inner journey to grace-filled moments in ministry, here’s one woman’s experience of discernment as a brand-new sister.
I
HAVE BEEN on the journey of religious life for almost two years now, and I have a growing sense that life as a sister is about one gospel scene, repeated over and over: Jesus arrives on the shore and says, “Follow me,” and I answer, “Yes.” The challenging and enlightening experiences of my postulancy and novitiate helped me learn how to keep saying it as I continue to discern my call. The first yes was exhilarating and easy. After years of careful discernment, it felt exciting to finally leave my job, clear my flat, and give away my possessions. I decided I would make the journey from my parents’ home to the Congregation of
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