JONESBORO — One of the earliest lessons in life is that each person belongs to a family, Bishop Anthony B. Taylor said Saturday, Aug. 15.
For Sisters Deborah Coffey, Therese Marie Dunn and Cecilia Nguyen of the Olivetan Benedictine Sisters, this lesson was reaffirmed as the three women made their perpetual monastic professions at Holy Angels Convent in Jonesboro.
Family played a key role in bringing Sister Deborah to Holy Angels Convent. Sister Deborah said her New Jersey family attended Mass every day.
“God has really been good to my family,” Sister Deborah said.
Sister Deborah worked in the medical field for many years, mainly in strategic planning at a Florida hospital, before deciding to pursue her vocation.
She eventually joined a Bronx, N.Y., monastery for two years before leaving when her mother became sick. She later learned of Holy Angels Convent through the Internet. She said there were several reasons she was attracted, which included “the fact that they were having vocations come.”
Other reasons included the Olivetan Benedictine’s charism and the fact that the sisters still wore habits.
“A habit — that’s important to me because it’s witness to the word,” Sister Deborah said. “Everywhere I go I’m stopped by people from all denominations. (This habit) is a symbol of God’s presence in the world. When they see this, they have to see God’s presence.”
Since coming to Holy Angels Convent, Sister Deborah has taught religion for the past three years at St. Michael School in West Memphis before coming back to stay at the Jonesboro convent to work in the yards.
Sister Deborah is currently working toward a theology degree from St. Gregory’s University in Shawnee, Okla., through classes at the Little Rock Theology Institute. She is also assigned to arts and restorations and is working with Sacred Art in Action in its marketing and development.
“What I like about it is the spiritual aspects,” Sister Deborah said. “You get to work with people from all religions because they are attracted to the spiritual beauty of art.”
Sister Deborah said it was important to “get the understanding that God is calling all of us to be holy — not just nuns and priests — but everyone married, single, just to live a holy life.”
Sister Therese Marie agreed. She said, “I figured God brought me (to Holy Angels Convent) and only God can take me out.”
“I’m from a family of 15, and the whole time I was growing up my parents were praying for vocation. I’m a little late, but I’m finally joining,” Sister Therese Marie, 63, said. “I felt the call.”
Sister Therese Marie, who has four children and four grandchildren, said her biological family remains an important part of her life.
The Colorado native said, “When I first decided to (make a vocation) I wanted to be closer to my family.”
She visited several convents before realizing “They just didn’t fit.” Sister Therese Marie continued to search on the Internet, which finally led her to Holy Angels Convent in early 2003.
“When I arrived here, I just loved it,” Sister Therese Marie said. “I lived here for a month and when I left I cried. I was homesick for (Holy Angels Convent) and not for home. While I was here, I loved it so much and the people so much that before I left I asked if I could join and they said yes.”
By the end of July 2003, Sister Therese Marie was back at Holy Angels Convent as a postulant. She is currently in pastoral care at St. Bernards Regional Medical Center where she visits with patients and prays with them.
“The hardest part is leaving my kids. It’s hard for them too,” Sister Therese Marie said. “We are very close … We talked on the phone several times a day. On weekends, they would come see me.”
Family was also an important factor in helping Sister Cecilia find her way to Holy Angels Convent. Sister Cecilia, 37, said she was 6 or 7 years old when she decided she wanted to become a priest.
“I wanted to be a priest, to be a missionary. I prayed for several years and God just said, ’No, you’re a girl.’ So I changed my mind to become a sister,” Sister Cecilia said.
Sister Cecilia, originally from Vietnam, said she entered the Holy Cross Sister convent in Nha Trang, Vietnam, at the age of 16 in 1991. However, she left the country in 1993 to settle in Minnesota with her family.
Ten years later, Sister Cecilia entered Holy Angels.
“My friend told me about Holy Angels, and I saw the peace and spirit here so I decided to come and join,” Sister Cecilia said.
Sister Cecilia said she was nervous, excited and worried about making her final vows.
“Every vocation is a challenge to live your life to the vocation,” Sister Cecilia said. “My prayer is for my life to be one with God and to accept whatever God wants me to.”
A religion teacher for grades 1-5 at St. Michael School in West Memphis, Sister Cecilia said her job assignment so far was going well.
“I enjoy being with kids — teaching them and playing with them on the playground,” Sister Cecilia said.
Sister Cecilia is also one of five siblings, with her youngest brother, Father Hoang Nguyen, serving his vocation in St. Paul, Minn. She said her parents encouraged and prayed for vocations.
“They encouraged us to do it as long as we were happy,” Sister Cecilia said.
