"an investment with an eternal return"

I am broadly construing Angela's request that I "Please forward [this letter] to anyone who might like to hear about me, or who might be able to support me." I will leave it to GIV to prayerfully consider whether the Laboure Society might be a suitable charity to support corporately.


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September 5, 2006

Dear family, friends, and others,

I am writing to update you about a major development in my life and to plead for benefactors, both spiritual and financial. To find out exactly why I am asking for your help, keep reading. If you want to skip right to the crux of my request, head for the end of the letter.

As some of you may know, I have been drawn to the vocation of being a nun since at least the beginning of high school. I have especially felt God calling me to religious life while I prayed in front of the Eucharist, where Jesus is present. On September 8, 2006, I will be entering the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, MI. My greatest reason for joining a convent is because I know that Jesus is calling me to be close to him in prayer and to be a bride of Christ. I will be happiest in a life that sets aside time every day for prayer. Being part of community of women consecrated to Jesus Christ is how I will grow in holiness. In addition, religious life will lead me to serve others. It will involve sacrifice and difficulties, but God will give me strength.

It was only recently that I decided to seriously pursue religious life. On May 6, 2006 I graduated from Ave Maria University in Naples, FL with a Master’s degree in theology. At that point, I had made plans to spend a year working for Ignatius Press in San Francisco. I also planned to visit different religious communities during the upcoming year, and perhaps join one of these orders after another year. As you will see, the God was not on my time schedule.

One of the first orders that I visited was the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma. This particular community was founded in 1972 by eight Sisters of Mercy who wanted to remain close to the charisms of Venerable Catherine McAuley, the Irish foundress of the Sisters of Mercy. The sisters who made the new foundation in Alma sought to faithfully serve the Church even as they responded to Vatican II’s call for renewal within religious life. First and foremost, the Alma sisters are women consecrated to God. This consecration, their common life, and their prayer enable them to live their vows of poverty; chastity; obedience; and service to the poor, sick, and ignorant. Their apostolate, or work at the service of others, primarily involves medical care and education. The Sisters of Mercy have photos and further details about their life available at www.rsmofalma.org.

When I visited the Sisters of Mercy in Alma, I was surprised at how comfortable I felt around them. I was excited to learn that they use Saint Thomas Aquinas’ writings as an important part of their formation, because I gained a deep appreciation for Saint Thomas through my studies at Ave Maria. In this and many other ways, the Alma sisters seemed to be a good match for me. I had the privilege of speaking with Mother Mary Quentin, their superior general, during my visit. After I told her that I had been thinking about religious life even since high school, she encouraged me to enter as quickly as possible if I felt that God was leading me to Alma. "What are you waiting for?" she asked me. At first, the thought of entering in September 2006 was huge shock to me. My plans for the next year were already set! Gradually, I began to realize that entering this fall might be God’s plan, and might be the best thing for me. Now I am looking forward to entering in just a few days, on September 8th.

I ask all of you to pray for me throughout the next year. I am scared by many parts of religious life, especially of facing my own weakness and faults. It will not be easy to give myself completely to the Lord and to grow in holiness under the guidance of my new community. Please pray for the Alma Mercy Sisters both that they may discern what is best for me, and that they may work and pray as God asks them to do. In addition, pray fervently for my family who will have to make a big transition as I enter religious life.

I will keep all of you, my spiritual benefactors, in my own prayers. I also hope to offer prayers of thanksgiving for many of you as financial benefactors. I had six great years of Catholic education at Franciscan University of Steubenville and Ave Maria University, but, as is usual today, my degrees left me in debt. My family will temporarily make payments on my college loans so that I can enter religious life, but I cannot leave them to pay the full amount.

The Laboure Society will be helping me to pay off my loans by collecting money in my name. Donations made to them are tax deductible. When the Laboure Society has accumulated enough to pay off the balance of my loans, they will make one large payment to my lenders. Please be generous and financially support my vocation according to your means. If you can make several small donations, over the course of a year, please do so. If you can make a larger donation, that is wonderful. Even if you can send only a few dollars, I thank you for your help. The directors of the Laboure society characterize support for a religious vocation as an investment with an eternal return. As Jesus instructs in the Gospels, you will be storing up treasure in heaven. You can be assured of receiving my prayers for your spiritual and physical needs, as well as the prayers of my whole community. In fact, feel free to write to me during the next year, and to send your intentions to me at Our Lady of Guadalupe Postulant House, 1530 Michigan Ave., Alma, MI 48801. The Sisters of Mercy may also be contacted by email at vocation@rsmofalma.org. My family can be reached at home at 211 Chestnut St., Towanda, PA 18848.

Again, I ask for your prayer for me, for my family, and for all of the Sisters of Mercy. In addition, please pray for Cy Laurent, who began the Laboure Society, and for his coworkers and family.

If, along with your prayers, you are able to make a monetary donation to my vocation, please send checks to:

The Laboure Society
1620 Johnny Cake Ridge Lane
Eagan, MN 55122

Place my name, Angela Hoffmann, in the memo line.

For more information, visit the Laboure Society website . Thank you ever so much. All of you will be in my prayers.

With God’s grace,

Angela Hoffmann