Sister Ethel Puno

Somehow it seems surreal that I am now a Professed member of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word of Houston, because my journey in religious life spans a long length of time and quite a bit of distance. The seed of desire for a life consecrated to God was planted in me when I was a young girl in grade school in the Philippines. Blessed with loving parents, five older half siblings, a younger sister, and a large extended family, I grew up a cradle Catholic in a small town whose patron saint is Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.  

My parents instilled in me the value of faith and education. I was educated in Catholic schools from grade school to college by religious and lay teachers. My parents and teachers inspired me to work hard and they laid down a good foundation for my character and Christian formation. A Sister, Sr. Cleofana, who was one of my grade school teachers, was the first to approach me and talk with me about the possibility of becoming a Sister. Even if I had not thought about it before, and I did not take it seriously then, my curiosity was piqued. I became more observant of the Sisters’ way of life and soon I admired them to the point of desiring the same life for myself.

One day at dinner, I found the courage to broach the subject of religious life to my parents. Naturally, they both thought I was too young and that I should finish my studies. I went on to finish my studies and started working. I even expected that eventually my desire to be a religious would pass. My culture expects women to be married and have a family and so I thought that would be my path. When my father passed away about a month after I graduated from college, as my mother’s older daughter I felt I had more of the responsibility to care for her and my younger sister. Yet, my interest and my desire to enter religious life would not go away.

In 1991, my mother, my younger sister and I immigrated to the United States of America. I decided to go back to school and get my Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy. I easily found work and I thought this was what I needed to do with my life. Even though I thought I was getting on with my life, there was always this nagging feeling about finding out whether religious life was my calling.

Living in a place with diverse denominational groups and religions where, for the first time, my faith was challenged making me feel inadequate in my knowledge of the Church’s teachings. I took steps to know and become closer to Jesus by reading books on the Church’s doctrines, attending talks offered in my parish and in the diocese and becoming more involved in parish life. By this time my mother and my sister knew how I felt about religious life. Initially they were not very supportive because they did not know much about it and how important it had become for me. I longed to find spiritual guidance and to meet other people who shared the same thoughts and struggles about religious life that I was having, but I did not know where to look or how to begin.

My parish’s Sunday bulletin periodically had advertisements about various religious orders’ days of discernment. I had also seen advertisements about the Life Awareness weekend where men and women who are discerning  a religious vocation had the chance to spend an entire weekend with priests, brothers, nuns and novices to find out what religious life is all about.  I thought of going to one of these several times but always found an excuse not to go.

Finally, in March 2000, on the feast of the Annunciation, I could not stand not doing anything anymore, so I showed up for the “Come and See” of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word. For the first time I found out what religious life is all about directly from those who live it.  I heard the stories of how a Sister, a Novice and an Affiliate came to their decision to enter religious life. I found similarities in my own life.

It was awesome and helped me understand what I was going through. Hearing the various men and women religious speak and share their experiences, meeting other men and women who were discerning, and the time spent in prayer encouraged me to continue with my own discernment. That weekend helped me to be more open to the possibility that religious life could be for me.

With the help of Sr. Ricca Dimalibot, I found my spiritual director, Sr. Kathleen Smith. Finding the right order and knowing the right time to enter were harder than I thought. I explored other orders, but continued to struggle with questions about how my mother would be taken care of and how I would meet my financial obligations. With Sr. Kathleen’s gentle guidance, I learned to patiently wait on the Lord and let God take control. I finally let go and left everything in God’s hands. I continued to live my life and slowly things started falling into place. My mother and my sister saw what I was going through and began to understand and accept my decision.  My sister and her husband came to terms about my mother living with them once I entered. They are appreciative of my mother’s presence and her help with their child. God has richly blessed my family.

The Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word have shown me what it is I am looking for in a religious community. The Congregation’s apostolic and contemplative spirituality, and the Sisters’ example of bringing and recognizing the presence of Jesus in those they serve are what attracted me. The time I was actively seeking and making the initial steps toward entering religious life with Sr. Pauline Troncale patiently supporting me and my three years of religious formation in St. Louis with Sr. Ita Harnett faithfully accompanying me helped me grow as a person as I prepared to devote my life to Christ.

My First Profession of vows on the 15th of July affirms the dedication of my life to God and to this community that is committed to serve God’s Church. The presence of many of the Sisters, some of our Associates, and my family and friends made the celebration special and moving for me.

When I look back at the things that have led me to where I am now, it is clear that God’s hands were in everything that has happened to me. Mary, the Blessed Virgin, whose guidance and help I continually seek, has been part of my journey and my model of trust and love. I am very grateful for my many blessings, especially being part of this Congregation, and for the love and support of my family and friends. I pray for the grace to remain open and faithful to God’s will.

With joy and hope in my heart, alongside our Sisters and dedicated Associates, I seek to serve Jesus Christ in the persons of those in need of God’s mercy and love.

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