Help Natalie Enter the Convent!
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Hello my brothers and sisters in Christ,
It is with great joy and excitement that I write you! I would like to tell you of the great news that I have decided to answer Christ’s invitation to take a step in discerning a call to religious life. I am discerning giving up a life in the world for a life solely dedicated to serving Christ and His Church.
My Vocation Story
I first started thinking about religious life when I was in 8th grade. My great aunt, Sr. Caroline Cook, was a Franciscan sister and I remember seeing her and wanting to be a religious sister too. All throughout the rest of high school, I knew deep in my heart that God was calling me into an intimate relationship with Him. Whenever I would stop to pray, I knew God was so close to me. However, I often prayed that I wasn’t called to religious life and was scared about the idea of giving my life to God in that way. After all, wasn’t getting married and having a bunch of kids every girls’ dream? When I started college, I remember thinking, “Which one of these handsome young men will be my husband?” Haha! During my sophomore year of college after I learned more about prayer, I began to fall in love with Christ. Instead of running away from the chapel, I found myself dropping in to visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament almost every day. One day in prayer, I felt the Lord inviting me to be all His. I responded, “Fine. I’ll be a religious sister if I have to.” That wasn’t the best mentality, but the Lord worked with it. Shortly after this surrender, the Lord actually brought a wonderful man into my life. We dated for a short time, and it helped me realize that I was made to give my heart, not to just one soul for the rest of my life, but to God so He could give me to whatever soul needed me the most. The Lord made my call abundantly clear during my 8-day silent retreat in January of last year. In the silence and intimacy with Jesus, He actually proposed to me and asked me to marry Him. I couldn’t run anymore. I couldn’t say no, and for once I didn’t want to say no. I wanted to be all His. Since then I’ve been visiting communities and trying to find my future home - I’ve found that home and community with the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal. Entering religious life is crazy, joyful, exciting, wild, terrifying, inexplicable, and peaceful all at the same time. I am in complete awe to be discerning this possible call to be a bride of Christ.
In order to enter into this life of poverty, charity, prayer, chastity and obedience, I have to be completely debt-free. In the desire to answer the Lord’s call, I humble ask you to consider supporting me spiritually and financially. Currently, I have a little over $10,000 in student loans. I am also asked to cover my first year of health insurance expenses which will be $6,000, therefore I have a fundraising goal of $16,000. This needs to be raised by my entrance date of September 22, 2019.
Every bit helps, and I am eternally grateful for any support.
Just to put this out there, in this step forward, there is no guarantees. I know the Lord is asking me to take this step, but I just want you all to know it’s not a “for sure” thing. Similarly to a dating relationship, when you start dating someone, you don’t know 100% and without a doubt that you will marry them on the first date, at least most don’t! :) I will stay with my whole heart unless the Lord calls me elsewhere. As St. John Paul II was famously quoted, “Life with Christ is a wonderful adventure!” It’s so true!
More about the community I’m joining:
“The Community of the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal is a public association of the faithful established in 1988 as a parallel Community to the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. The aim of the Community is to live the Gospel in simplicity according to the ideals of Saint Francis, as handed on by the Capuchin tradition. The values uniting the sisters include a strong Eucharistic prayer life, an emphasis on a common life marked by a warm family spirit, joyful imitation of Saint Francis and Saint Clare, faithfulness to the Magisterium of the Church and loyalty to the Holy Father. The sisters’ two-fold apostolic mission is hands-on work with the poor and evangelization. This ministry is accomplished through a variety of apostolates including a soup kitchen, food pantries, clothing pantries, home-visits, pro-life work, retreat work, and inner-city youth ministry. The CFR sisters currently have four convents in New York City, where they were founded, and mission convents in Leeds, England; in Drogheda, Ireland; and in Atlantic City, New Jersey.” If you want any more information, here is their website! https://www.franciscansisterscfr.com/
Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have. Also, please feel free to share this letter or my story with family or friends. Thank you!
Thank you for prayerfully considering helping me enter this stage of discernment and truly, thank you for your support. And a huge thank you to my family and friends who have and continue to support me in countless ways. May God Bless you!
Your sister in Christ,
Natalie Cook
It is with great joy and excitement that I write you! I would like to tell you of the great news that I have decided to answer Christ’s invitation to take a step in discerning a call to religious life. I am discerning giving up a life in the world for a life solely dedicated to serving Christ and His Church.
My Vocation Story
I first started thinking about religious life when I was in 8th grade. My great aunt, Sr. Caroline Cook, was a Franciscan sister and I remember seeing her and wanting to be a religious sister too. All throughout the rest of high school, I knew deep in my heart that God was calling me into an intimate relationship with Him. Whenever I would stop to pray, I knew God was so close to me. However, I often prayed that I wasn’t called to religious life and was scared about the idea of giving my life to God in that way. After all, wasn’t getting married and having a bunch of kids every girls’ dream? When I started college, I remember thinking, “Which one of these handsome young men will be my husband?” Haha! During my sophomore year of college after I learned more about prayer, I began to fall in love with Christ. Instead of running away from the chapel, I found myself dropping in to visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament almost every day. One day in prayer, I felt the Lord inviting me to be all His. I responded, “Fine. I’ll be a religious sister if I have to.” That wasn’t the best mentality, but the Lord worked with it. Shortly after this surrender, the Lord actually brought a wonderful man into my life. We dated for a short time, and it helped me realize that I was made to give my heart, not to just one soul for the rest of my life, but to God so He could give me to whatever soul needed me the most. The Lord made my call abundantly clear during my 8-day silent retreat in January of last year. In the silence and intimacy with Jesus, He actually proposed to me and asked me to marry Him. I couldn’t run anymore. I couldn’t say no, and for once I didn’t want to say no. I wanted to be all His. Since then I’ve been visiting communities and trying to find my future home - I’ve found that home and community with the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal. Entering religious life is crazy, joyful, exciting, wild, terrifying, inexplicable, and peaceful all at the same time. I am in complete awe to be discerning this possible call to be a bride of Christ.
In order to enter into this life of poverty, charity, prayer, chastity and obedience, I have to be completely debt-free. In the desire to answer the Lord’s call, I humble ask you to consider supporting me spiritually and financially. Currently, I have a little over $10,000 in student loans. I am also asked to cover my first year of health insurance expenses which will be $6,000, therefore I have a fundraising goal of $16,000. This needs to be raised by my entrance date of September 22, 2019.
Every bit helps, and I am eternally grateful for any support.
Just to put this out there, in this step forward, there is no guarantees. I know the Lord is asking me to take this step, but I just want you all to know it’s not a “for sure” thing. Similarly to a dating relationship, when you start dating someone, you don’t know 100% and without a doubt that you will marry them on the first date, at least most don’t! :) I will stay with my whole heart unless the Lord calls me elsewhere. As St. John Paul II was famously quoted, “Life with Christ is a wonderful adventure!” It’s so true!
More about the community I’m joining:
“The Community of the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal is a public association of the faithful established in 1988 as a parallel Community to the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. The aim of the Community is to live the Gospel in simplicity according to the ideals of Saint Francis, as handed on by the Capuchin tradition. The values uniting the sisters include a strong Eucharistic prayer life, an emphasis on a common life marked by a warm family spirit, joyful imitation of Saint Francis and Saint Clare, faithfulness to the Magisterium of the Church and loyalty to the Holy Father. The sisters’ two-fold apostolic mission is hands-on work with the poor and evangelization. This ministry is accomplished through a variety of apostolates including a soup kitchen, food pantries, clothing pantries, home-visits, pro-life work, retreat work, and inner-city youth ministry. The CFR sisters currently have four convents in New York City, where they were founded, and mission convents in Leeds, England; in Drogheda, Ireland; and in Atlantic City, New Jersey.” If you want any more information, here is their website! https://www.franciscansisterscfr.com/
Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have. Also, please feel free to share this letter or my story with family or friends. Thank you!
Thank you for prayerfully considering helping me enter this stage of discernment and truly, thank you for your support. And a huge thank you to my family and friends who have and continue to support me in countless ways. May God Bless you!
Your sister in Christ,
Natalie Cook
Organizer
Natalie Cook
Organizer
Adrian, MN
