Thank You Sister

There's a nice website I thought I'd let you know about ... "Thank You Sister: a letter campaign in support of women religious." Just ordinary folks writing in about Catholic Sisters who have played an important role in their life at some point.

I just submitted my own "Thank You Sister" letter to the site:

I would like to go on the record as thanking Sister Janet Stolba, RJM. Sister Janet was my high school principal at Regina High School, a small all-girls school since closed, once run by the Religious of Jesus and Mary in Adelphi, Maryland. Sister Janet was kind, fun, wise and always present to her students. She took you seriously, even as you were experiencing 13 year old angst, and encouraged you to become who you were meant to be. She also showed me that you can be "cool" and be a nun. She even dressed up as punk rocker one year for Halloween!

Ironically, in college, I attended a "Dress as Your Hero" party. I went to Goodwill and purchased a sensible suit for my Sister Janet costume! Now, almost 20 years later, I finally listened to what my own inner voice was telling me and became who I think I was meant to be ... I made my own first vows as a Sister of St. Joseph of Peace in October 2008. My journey since meeting Sister Janet has been long and circuitous, but she played a big part in me realizing I could still be "me" and be a Catholic Sister.

Thank you Sister Janet!

Susan Francois, CSJP
Seattle, Washington