Emily Kimmel (standing,) a senior at John Paul II High School and (seated) Megan Rothe, a sophomore at A&M Corpus Christi, listen to Mother Superior Sister Mary Margaret Friedl, SSSPdeAP (Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration) as Sister Mary Margaret explains their order's mission statement. Six young ladies: five high school students and one college students, spent the Saturday, June 26, visiting eleven different convents to learn more about each order.

Six young ladies spent Saturday, June 26 touring different religious orders on a discernment journey dubbed the "Nun Run." These young women, five high school students and one college student from throughout the diocese, visited 11 different religious orders for women, enabling them to better understand each order, the role each order has in serving the Lord and the people of the Diocese of Corpus Christi.

Meeting at 8:00 a.m. at the Pax Christi convent in Calallen, the women together with representatives from several different religious orders boarded an Incarnate Word Academy bus.

The "Nun Run" discernment bus took everyone from Calallen to Robstown to Lamar to Flour Bluff then back to Corpus Christi with their travels finally ending at the Blessed Sisters of the Incarnate Word Convent.

The stops included a cloistered convent: Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit of the Perpetual Adoration, a healing ministry: Sisters of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and a teaching order: Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament.

While visiting the Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit of the Perpetual Adoration, the women participated in afternoon prayers in the chapel. Locally, this order is also know affectionately called the "Pink Nuns" because of the sisters' brilliant pink habits. Mother Superior Mary Margaret Friedl, SSSPdeAP, explained what made the cloistered life so wonderful for her and her fellow sisters. "We are always at peace because we are with God day and night."

The young women learned during their stop at the Sisters of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament home that this order is both one of Eucharistic adoration and healing ministry. Sister Treasa Jose Pannattuparamban, SABS, described to the women the history of their order and the primary mission of the order. "Our prime focus is on Eucharistic adoration. No matter where we live we must have a chapel in our home." Our work of service is in the "healing ministries" such as nursing and social work stated Sister Treasa.

Answering questions such as "do you get to pick your assignments?" and "what different colors of habits do you wear?" Sister Treasa laughingly gave the answers. "Your preferences are taken into consideration, and we wear two different colors of habits: white at work and gray/blue for home and prayer." Sister Treasa reminded the women that "you must go where the Holy Spirit calls you."

At the last stop of the discernment journey, travelers arrived at the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament Convent for evening prayers and then dinner. The six girls were greeted with hugs from all of the IWBS Sisters, and each girl was paired with one of the sisters during evening prayer.

At dinner, the girls reflected on their day. Emily Kimmel, an entering senior at John Paul II High School was surprised to learn that there were so many different religious orders for women in the diocese. "I loved it. It is amazing to see so many women who have consecrated their lives to God." A parishioner at St. Anthony in Robstown, Kimmel has felt the pull toward religious life since her sophomore year of high school. The oldest of eight children with the younger seven all boys, Kimmel remarked, "I am more opened to listening about the cloistered orders. I am glad I did today's 'Nun Run.'"

For Marisol Rocha, An incoming sophomore at Odem High School, the "Nun Run" expanded her knowledge of the numerous religious orders. Rocha has been thinking about entering the religious life since she was in the eighth grade. "I was interested in the Dominican Sisters of St. Thomas in Calallen. I am trying to branch out" and visit different orders. I am interested in trying new things and being open to what God has planned for me," explained Rocha.

While tired and overwhelmed with all of the information they had received, all of the girls agreed with Sister Treasa that religious life is a "beautiful vocation."