BY KATHI STEARNS

Staff Writer

SNELLVILLE--A widowed mother of three embraced a new vocation as she consecrated herself to the Lord as a member of the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary.

Sister Mary of the Sacred Heart Green, VHM, made the solemn profession of her perpetual monastic vows at a June 2 Mass at the Monastery of the Visitation with her three children and their respective families in attendance.

Father Michael Hogan, chaplain, was the principal celebrant of the liturgy. The Mass was concelebrated by Father Tom Carroll, MS, pastor of St. Oliver Plunkett Church, Snellville, and Father John Fallon, chaplain of the Missionaries of Charity. Deacon Michael Mobley of St. John the Evangelist Church, Hapeville, assisted.

The solemn profession began before the homily with the call of the candidate.

"Sister, what do you ask of the Lord and of his Church," Father Hogan queried.

"I, Sister Mary of the Sacred Heart, ask the mercy of the Lord and for the love of God, our Savior; the grace of being received to holy profession in this Monastery of the Visitation, there to consecrate my whole life to the service of God and of his Church, in chastity, obedience and poverty."

Father Hogan then asked the Mother Superior Jozefa Kowalewski, VHM, if the community consented to the profession of Sister Green. After receiving an affirmative response Father Hogan interrogated the candidate.

During the formal interrogation Sister Green renewed her baptismal promises under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary as she chose a life of chastity, obedience and poverty. She embraced a life hidden in God with Jesus as she promised to follow the Gospel faithfully in the manner of the founders of the order. Sister Green then professed her obedience to her superior and devotion to her sisters, accepted a life of silence, prayer, work and penance and publicly professed that God and his kingdom were her only concerns.

As Father Hogan faced the congregation he prayed, "As in his goodness he has given this holy purpose to her whom he has chosen, so may he lovingly strengthen it."

Sister Green then prostrated herself on the sanctuary floor as the members of the community invoked the prayers of the saints.

"May the fire of the Holy Spirit purify her from all stain and make her burn with your love," Father Hogan said.

After the litany Sister Green knelt before the altar as her Mother Superior, standing to her right side, took her hands into her own to receive Sister Green's profession. She then read her profession aloud before Father Hogan and the members of the community.

"...I abandon myself forever and totally, in the Holy Spirit, to your infinite love. I chose Jesus, my Lord and my God, for the only object of my love, supplicating Mary, his most holy mother, to receive me under her maternal protection. I choose the order of the Visitation and our holy founders to guide me in the way of holiness..."

Sister Green then signed the formula of her profession and gave it to Father Hogan who then placed it on the altar and with hands extended pronounced the solemn consecration.

Father Hogan then presented Sister Green with a veil as a sign of her submission to the Lord and of her consecration to the Church.

The conferring of the crucifix followed as Father Hogan said, "Your life is hidden with Jesus Christ in God, but when Jesus Christ who is your life will appear, you will appear with him in glory. May you glory in nothing but the cross of Jesus Christ."

Father Hogan then handed Sister Green a lighted candle and said, "May your path be like the light of dawn which shines brighter and brighter until full day."

Sister Green then presented herself to Mother Kowalewski who welcomed the newly professed into the community placing a floral crown upon her head.

"Sister, you are now definitely a part of our community," Mother Kowalewski said. "May you dwell with us in peace and love of our only Lord."

Mother Kowalewski and the mistress of novices then shared the kiss of peace with the newly professed. Sister Green then received the sign of peace from all the members of the community during the singing of the Magnificat.

A convert to the faith who was baptized as a Catholic at the age of 10 in Louisiana, Sister Green credits her parents with nurturing her faith and allowing her to receive a Catholic education although they were not Catholic.

"I am so grateful to my wonderful parents for allowing me to become a Catholic," Sister Green said. "They always saw that I got to Mass on Sunday when we were out of town on a trip. If there was not a Catholic Church available, they would cut their visit short so that I could get back to attend Mass."

After her husband had died and her three children were self-sufficient adults, Sister Green began to examine her calling and rethink her future. "I had thought about becoming a nun when I was young and growing up," she said. "Now the longing to become a nun had come back."

As she began her period of prayer and discernment Sister Green first joined the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites.

"I loved their deep prayer life," she said. "As time went on I was drawn more and more to a very deep prayer life."

Sister Green then read extensively about the many different religious orders. "When I reached the section on the Visitation order and saw that it had been founded by St. Francis de Sales, whom I had already fallen in love with through reading the Introduction to the Devout Life, I was most interested," she said. "When I read about their prayer life and heard of their devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the love of my life, I said, 'This is it!'"