While working alongside a sister in full habit in Chicago this summer, I realized that many of my students had never met a religious sister before. When I mentioned this to someone, they responded, “I wasn’t even sure the Catholic Church had them anymore.”
Once the driving force behind Catholic schools in the United States and around the world, women religious have seen their numbers decline dramatically. Some communities are growing and thriving, but sadly, many convents have closed, and religious orders have turned out the lights for good.
We are always called to read and respond to the signs of the times. Still, I can’t help but look back and recognize what a tremendous gift women religious have been—and what a tremendous loss their decline has been for the Church and for our world. But they’re not dead yet.
This summer, I encountered two dynamos: one in person and the other through Instagram. Their vocations reflect the joy of the Gospel. They bear witness to the truth that a life lived for Christ can provide not only meaning and purpose, but great joy, too. They have a lot to offer. And I’d like to share their stories with you.
Sister Stephanie
Day one of the St. Ignatius College Prep Immersion began with my not being particularly happy about the 5:45 a.m. alarm. The Brother David Darst Center summoned us to an early breakfast so we could head out to the Mission of Our Lady of the Angels in West Humboldt Park on Chicago's west side. I grumbled as we walked to our bus, wishing I were time-zone agnostic. Chicago, after all, is two hours earlier than PDT.
We were greeted by a petite, young woman standing in a full brown habit: Sister Stephanie.
The Darst staff member Maggie had warned us about her ahead of time. She said,
Sister Stephanie is a force. She oversees the Food Pantry, which provides food to about 4,000 families each month.
We soon learned that the purpose of the Mission is twofold: to assist the materially poor and to share the treasure of our Catholic faith. In addition to feeding the hungry, the Mission distributes clothing and household goods and provides emergency assistance, after-school programming, senior citizen programming, community dinners and special events. At its heart, the Mission of Our Lady of the Angels is about establishing and sustaining a Catholic presence in West Humboldt Park.
It was a good thing Sister Stephanie wore running shoes, because she did not stop.
Someone told us that if we couldn't find her, we should simply stop and wait a few moments. She was sure to barrel through again—directing, loading, unloading, negotiating, and, in general, taking care of business in a flash.
While she was certainly the leader, Sister Stephanie did not work alone. Several other women from her religious community assisted a regular volunteer crew of at least 25 people, including the 12 St. Ignatius students, another teacher and me.
What these rising seniors encountered looked nothing like the angry, mean or pious-and-petty nuns they might have seen on television or in movies. These women smiled. They led through service. They radiated the love of God.
It is important to mention that the Mission's work takes place in what was once the Catholic grade school at Our Lady of the Angels. The school closed in 1999, but its story cannot be told without acknowledging what happened there in 1958, when a devastating fire in the school took the lives of 92 children and three religious sisters. We took a photo in front of the statue honoring those who died.
At our evening reflection, every student commented on the impression Sister Stephanie—and the other sisters—had made on them. My immersion groups gathered nightly for reflection, and without a doubt, Sister Stephanie had made a noteworthy impression on all of us.
Sister Stephanie is part of the legacy of Mission and church that aims to "share the treasure of our Catholic Faith." My colleague Dan noted the paschal mystery we bore witness to that day. In the very same building where school children perished, is a place that brings people hungry for food, community and faith together. None of this is possible without hearts to lead and to serve.
Sister Stephanie showed us the way.
Sister Mary Jo, Sobieck, OP
Trust me, people send me social media posts and Instagram reels of religious women all the time. I have never wanted to be a Sister, but I have nothing but love, gratitude and respect for so many of these she-roes in the Catholic Church. I watch them and wait. Are they a spectacle, or do they speak to me? This inquiring mind wants to know.
I started to see a Dominican Sister, Sister Mary Jo Sobieck, OP, on the daily. It's hard not to notice her. (Take a look and you will see why.) A Dominican Sister of Springfield, Illinois, Sister Mary Jo is probably best known for becoming an internet sensation after throwing one of the most memorable ceremonial first pitches in baseball history.
On August 18, 2018, Sister Mary Jo threw out the first pitch at a Chicago White Sox game as part of Marian Catholic's 60th-anniversary celebration.
She stepped onto the mound in her distinctive Dominican habit—white dress and black veil. She bounced the ball off her bicep and then threw a perfect strike over the plate. The video went viral internationally. She subsequently appeared on programs including Good Morning America and ESPN and even ended up with her own Topps' baseball card.
According to Chicago Catholic, she didn't just enjoy the attention. She used the unexpected platform to talk about God, vocation and religious life, particularly with young people. And it didn't stop there.
Today, she offers a "Daily Pitch" on Instagram. The posts connect a passage of Scripture with a real-life lesson. She makes personal and profound connections—continually connecting our joys and struggles, desires and shortcomings, needs, hopes and prayers with the Word of God.
It's wonderful.
And here's the thing: the more I watch, the less I see the spectacle and the more I see the Sister.
The first pitch may have put Sister Mary Jo on the internet's radar, but her daily pitch is something else entirely. She isn't simply throwing a baseball anymore. She's throwing out an invitation—to pay attention, to reflect, to pray, to recognize God in the ordinary stuff of our lives.
Maybe that's what makes her worth watching.
I encourage you to follow Sister Mary Jo. You might come for the first pitch but you'll stay for the daily one.
I'm so glad we still have sisters in the Catholic Church—past, present and with the grace of God: forever.
Sister MJ
Sister Steph
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