Showing posts with label Sister Grace Ford Er Dio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sister Grace Ford Er Dio. Show all posts

23 August 2020

UPDATE! Perpetual Profession and Consecration: Sister Grace Ford, Er Dio, Hermit for the Diocese of St Augustine

Perpetual Profession and Consecration
UPDATE: In an email written in joyful celebration of c 603 and (specifically) Sister Anunziata's perpetual profession yesterday, Sister Grace Ford wrote to let me know she [[was perpetually professed [under c 603] on 28.June.2020 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Jacksonville, in the Diocese of St. Augustine. Bishop Estevez officiated along with (her) spiritual director, Fr. James Kaniparamparil, CMI.]] God is so good!!!! I give God thanks for c 603 and the way the Spirit is working through it to raise up solitary eremitical vocations in the consecrated state!

Sister Grace also wrote today: [[I cannot express adequately the gratitude and awe I have for the abundant grace God has gifted me with through this precious, arduous, terrifying and peaceful process.  I do not think it is possible to effectively share the essence of this journey unless one has lived their own experience of it.]] As some may remember, I posted news of Sister's temporary profession here in May 2019. Part of the original post (Congratulations Sister Grace Ford, Er Dio), which includes more of Sister Grace's background, follows:

Temporary Profession
I received the following "Thank you" note this afternoon from Sister Grace Ford, Er Dio, who was just professed (temporary vows) as a diocesan hermit for the Diocese of St Augustine. 

What  a terrific surprise!! Sister, a former Sister of St Joseph, is (or has been) a teacher, a professor of psychology, and a  psychotherapist specializing in child psychology, trauma, depression, and family systems. After discerning for 15 years, she has chosen to live eremitical life and will do so as a solitary hermit of the Diocese of St Augustine. As I told Sister Grace, I am profoundly gratified to hear this blog was helpful to her and believe sharing this small portion of her story will be helpful to others discerning or considering discerning this vocation with their dioceses. How good God is!!!

23 May 2019

Congratulations, Sister Grace Ford, Er. Dio.!!!

I received the following "Thank you" note this afternoon from Sister Grace Ford, Er Dio, who was just professed (temporary vows) as a diocesan hermit for the Diocese of St Augustine. What  a terrific surprise!! Sister Grace, a former Sister of St Joseph, is (or has been) a teacher, a professor of psychology, and a  psychotherapist specializing in child psychology, trauma, depression, and family systems; she has chosen to live eremitical life and will now do so as a solitary hermit of the Diocese of St Augustine. As I told Sister Grace, I am profoundly gratified to hear this blog was helpful to her and believe sharing this small portion of her story will be helpful to others discerning or considering discerning this vocation with their dioceses. How good God is!!!

Dear Sr. Laurel,  I’d like to thank you for your openness on your blog.  I have been in discernment these past 15 years and yesterday I made my first vows as a Diocesan Hermit in the Diocese of Saint Augustine Florida.  I have been quietly learning from your experience for some time and wanted to reach out and thank you for your willingness to be vulnerable and share your wisdom on our little understood vocation.  With the blessing of my Spiritual Director and Bishop, I made vows yesterday after spending six years with the Sisters of Saint Joseph.  I am grateful for the opportunity to live more fully into the eremitic life now that I am publicly professed.  You have been an instrument of peace in my life as I have journeyed on this path.  I really just wanted to thank you! Please be assured of my prayers for you.

In the Silence of Solitude,
Sister Grace Ford, Er. Dio