Sister Anne Elizabeth Cronin, has been appointed diocesan pastoral minister to those in consecrated life. She oversees administrative tasks at Mt. Carmel and is attending school to earn her Licensed Vocational Nurse degree.

Growing up in Southern California, 28 year-old Sister Anne Elizabeth Cronin was always drawn to the consecrated lives of nuns who lived close to her home. She didn't fully understand why, but something kept bringing her back to their convent as a teenager and even later as a college student.

"As a teenager, I would find reasons to drop by because their convent was less than a mile from my house. Finally in college I had to make a decision: join the church or concentrate more on my studies," she smiled.

Sister Cronin recalls with fondness the first time she knew a consecrated life was God's will for her life. She was visiting the convent for a weekend and it was the Feast of St. Therese of the Child Jesus.

"I had just finished reading ‘Story of a Soul' for the first time. During the Mass I was touched by the presence of the sisters who were all in their white mantles singing," she remembered. "And for the first time I saw what consecrated life really was: souls living only to see, serve and love God in all."

After a weekend of soul searching, she decided to answer God's calling and in 2004 she professed her vows.

Last year, Sister Cronin joined the administrative staff at Mt. Carmel Assisted Living and soon was assigned the role of the Director of the Office for Consecrated Life for the entire diocese by Bishop Edmond Carmody.

"I feel excited about the new position and it is great being able to meet and talk with all different types of congregations and see how beautifully each order serves the church and the diocese," she said.

Each year the diocese hosts a Jubilee Mass which celebrates sisters and priests who have spent 25, 40 and 50 or more in ministry. Organizing this February's World Day of Consecrated Life Mass was a highlight of Sister Cronin's newest assignment.

"It was a chance to publicly thank these sisters and priests who have spent years witnessing to Christ's love to countless people through the vows they professed. I was touched watching them all up there...and proud," she said.

While she is still overseeing administrative tasks at Mt. Carmel, which has 60 senior residents and a staff of 23, she is currently attending school to earn her Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) degree. This is in addition to her new role with the diocese, which includes responsibility for the bishop's pastoral ministry to both men and women in institutes of consecrated life (but not in regard to ordination or appointment of priests).

Meanwhile, Sister Cronin believes one day in the distant future she will be celebrating her own Jubilee Mass with pride and joy.

"My own Jubilee, God-willing, will be a chance like all those other brothers and sisters before me to stop and really thank God for the gift of my vocation and for the graces that come along with it," she said. "I will use that time to re-commit myself to Our Lord and whatever He decides to send my way."