JONESBORO — Sister Elizabeth Love had a longtime dream realized Aug. 15 when she professed her perpetual vows as an Olivetan Benedictine sister at Holy Angels Convent in Jonesboro.
Sister Elizabeth, 67, said religious life “was something I wanted for years.”
“I am a single mother — I raised three kids after my divorce. After I had my children raised and a grandchild, the Lord just led me,” Sister Elizabeth said.
With family in Fort Smith, she lived in Little Rock and attended Our Lady of Good Counsel Church until 2002. Sister Elizabeth said she has always been on a spiritual journey, and this journey led to discovering a saint she can easily relate to — St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American canonized saint.
Sister Elizabeth, who was born Anne Elizabeth Love, first learned about the saint when participating in a Cursillo, a three-day retreat to further one’s faith.
In addition to sharing the same first and middle names, Sister Elizabeth had another reason to relate to the saint. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton was a widow with five children who converted to the Church and established The Rule of the Sisterhood, which was formally ratified in 1812.
“Over the years, I asked her help. She knew all the troubles” of being a single mother, such as money and raising children with no father, Sister Elizabeth said.
She said it was when her children were grown that she thought about approaching a convent, though it was not meant to be at the time. She, instead, raised a grandchild.
“So for seven years, I was put on hold again and I enjoyed those years with him but then he left to go live with one of his parents and I started theology school,” Sister Elizabeth said.
It was while attending the Little Rock Theology Institute that Sister Elizabeth first learned of Holy Angels Convent.
“I met two of the sisters from Holy Angels and they had heard me talking about how I wanted to join the convent, but I wasn’t sure they’d take me because of my age,” Sister Elizabeth said.
She visited Holy Angels for a few days each month for eight months until she finally decided to join in 2002. She was accepted, along with Sister Virginia Baltz.
“It has been wonderful,” Sister Elizabeth said. “It was never anything that I had in my mind that I would do.”
Since her decision to join, Sister Elizabeth has taught religious education in Paragould and performed office work and currently is in her second year as the director of religious education at St. Paul Church in Pocahontas.
“When you let God pick out what you are going to do — you get the best job,” Sister Elizabeth said. “I’ve always loved working with people and that’s another thing — you have to be a people’s person.”
While Sister Elizabeth has not regretted her decision to join the religious life, she has had to make certain sacrifices, such as time spent with her children, Brenda Imy of Norman, Okla., Debbie Buergler of Fort Smith and Matt Thompson of Little Rock, as well as seven grandchildren.
For this sacrifice, Sister Elizabeth said she has been rewarded.
“The Lord has said if you give up your father, mother and everything, I will give it back to you a 100-fold,” Sister Elizabeth said. “Since I gave my children up, he has given me hundreds of children through the parish.”
She said, “I tell the children that since I had to leave my grandchildren that they are my grandchildren, and they love it.”
A feature on Sister Virginia Baltz, OSB, will appear in a coming issue of Arkansas Catholic.