‘I
experience an awful lot of joy’
Join in celebration of consecrated life
By Christie L. Chicoine
CS&T Staff Writer
MEADOWBROOK — By the time Holy Redeemer Sister Ana Dura was a high
school senior in northern California, she already desired a deeper relationship
with God, one that would give her the courage to serve others according
to His will.
“Not knowing any religious growing up, it was, like, ‘Where
is this coming from?’” she said recently.
She attended Pope John Paul II’s World Youth Day in Colorado in
1993, the summer before she entered her senior year. “It was an
experience ... that made me aware that God was calling me, even though
I was, like, ‘No. I can’t do it,’” she said, adding,
“It grew from there.”
After high school, Sister Ana, who is now 32, moved to the Philadelphia
Archdiocese and lived with her paternal grandmother, a member Our Lady
of Good Counsel Parish in Southampton.
After two years, while a student at Penn State’s Abington campus,
she decided to attend a weekend discernment retreat in the Archdiocese.
There she met a Holy Redeemer sister.
“When I met our sisters, I just felt at home,” she said. “I
really never looked anywhere else.” She entered the congregation
at the order’s motherhouse in Huntingdon Valley in 2000, and took
her first vows in 2004. She hopes to take her final vows in 2010.
Now Sister Ana works for the Holy Redeemer Health System, making sure
its mission to care, comfort and heal — following the example of
Jesus — is carried out throughout the system. She also works in
occupational therapy — she has a bachelor’s degree in the
field from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia — and is
co-director of vocation ministry for the her congregation.
“I experience an awful lot of joy,” she said. “I’ve
had more opportunities than I ever thought I would.”
Sister Ana will be among the religious sisters, priests and brothers
who renew their vows at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 2 — the 12th annual
World Day for Consecrated Life — at a special Mass at the Cathedral
Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul. Cardinal Justin Rigali will be the principal
celebrant and homilist at the Mass, which will be part of the Archdiocese’s
celebration of its bicentennial.
Msgr. Alexander J. Palmieri, archdiocesan vicar for consecrated life,
invites the laity to attend in order to honor the women and men in consecrated
life who have touched their lives through the years. According to him,
this Archdiocese has more women in consecrated life than any other diocese
in the United States.
“Here, to have sisters, priests and brothers representing nearly
90 different congregations coming together and making their renewal of
vows is a great witness to the people of the Archdiocese,” Msgr.
Palmieri said.
For more information, contact the Office for Consecrated Life at (215)
587-3795.
CS&T Staff Writer Christie L. Chicoine may be reached at (215)
587-2468 or cchicoin@adphila.org.
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