Denver Catholic

6 MAY 12-25, 2018 | DENVER CATHOLIC BY MOIRA CULLINGS W hen Sister Joseph Marie Cruz was a child, her family lived near the Mullen Home in Denver where the Little Sisters of the Poor serve the elderly in need, and she and her sisters visited often. "I was attracted by the caring for the elderly — the compassion and the hap- piness that the Sisters portrayed and their serenity in caring for the elderly," said Sister Joseph Marie. "I used to love to comb the residents' hair and talk to them," she said. "It was such an enrichment listening to their stories and seeing the Sisters care for the residents. It was such a beautiful feeling that I wanted to be a part of it, too." Low and behold, years later Sister Joseph Marie followed that inclination and joined the Little Sisters of the Poor, a vocation she has been living out for 43 years. "I love it," she said. "If I had to do it again, I'd do it all over." The Little Sisters of the Poor are one of several religious orders in the Arch- diocese of Denver where women give themselves to God. And although they will never have their own children, these religious women take care of all sorts of souls entrusted to them — often sacrifi cing their own comforts to bring them closer to God. Sister Maris Stella Karalekas, one of the Sisters of Life, felt called to religious life but never expected to serve in the way she does now. "When I met our community, I couldn't believe that it existed in the Church and in the world," said Sister Maris Stella. "They have this charism of the dignity of the human person, that every human being is sacred — and not for anything that they can do or pro- duce, but because they're created and loved by God and held into existence by his love." The Sisters of Life serve pregnant women who live with them at their convent, o› er post-abortive ministry and evangelize on college campuses, specifi cally to young women. "It's really helping to discover the beautiful women God created them as," said Sister Fiat Marie Hayes, "and help- ing them to live out that identity rather than anything the culture tells them. "When they live out of that reality, they live their lives in meaningful ways, and they don't squander gifts that have been given to them," said Sister Fiat Marie. "They don't fall into traps that the culture has." The Sisters are inspired by those they work with, especially the mothers. "Seeing the sacrifi ces that they're willing to make for their children inspires us to make sacrifi ces for our spiritual children," said Sister Maris Stella. "I think we can learn from one another." Sister Maris Stella is amazed espe- cially by young moms who bring their children to Mass each weekend. "I think her prayers must be so valu- able to the Lord and so precious to God because she's really giving all she has to her children, and, in that way, giving it all to God," she said. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Little Sisters of the Poor accompany Around the Archdiocese 20 for GOLF 18 SEEDS of HOPE H O P E Join Us! Register now at golfforhope.org MONDAY JUNE 11 CHERRY CREEK COUNTRY CLUB TEE IT UP TO TRANSFORM LIVES THROUGH CATHOLIC EDUCATION Not a golfer? Adopt-A-Student at golfforhope.org Sisters o er spiritual motherhood to those they serve

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