The Heart of a Woman

Women are the pinnacle of creation (cf. Gen. 2). As such, God works with women to bring life into the world by their unique abilities of loving those around them, being present to the needs of others, and reflecting the compassion of God himself. When cooperating with God’s will in their lives, women reflect the truth, beauty and goodness of God in their vocations, inspiring the students, patients, husbands, coworkers, and children in their lives to pursue God’s goodness in their own lives.

Each of the particular vocations for women answer the deep ache in their hearts to bring God’s goodness into the world. By their ministry in the home, hospital, school, workplace, community, and convent, married women, religious sisters, consecrated virgins, and single women draw us all into a deeper relationship with God.

Women's Discernment Events:

Consecrated Life

The consecrated life is a counter-cultural, love-filled, life-giving response to God’s love. In this vocation, a woman imitates Jesus Christ by taking vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, and in doing so, finds a profound source of joy. She gives her heart to God alone, becoming a bride of Christ and an image of the Church -- that is, a witness to the world of the dedication we all should have to the Lord. She witnesses by her life that God is enough to satisfy all the desires of our hearts! A woman who is called to this vocation lives in a community that prays, works, and ministers together, and that community is a profound source of support and joy.

Religious communities have different ministries (or “apostolates”) in which the women of the community can pour themselves out in service to others out of love for the Lord.  

All religious women bear profound fruit in the Church by their life of consecration to God, whether their ministry is silent prayer and work in a convent, teaching in a school, giving retreats or spiritual direction, serving the poor, or missionary work. Religious communities all respond to a particular movement of the Holy Spirit in the Church, so they are distinguished by their charism--the particular gift they bring to the Church--as well as by the way they live community and by the work or ministry (called an “apostolate”) that they do. Religious communities fall along a spectrum, from strict contemplatives like the Carmelites, to very active communities like the Daughters of Charity.  

The link to the right will help you explore the different religious communities of women serving in or near the Diocese of Austin.  Contact them for more information or to arrange a visit!

Check out these stories:

Web Resources:

Cloistered Life - A wonderful website sponsored by the Institute on Religious Life. You’ll find information about the contemplative life, how to discern it and some great discernment resources!

Video Resources

A married woman gives her heart to the Lord through her gift of herself to her husband and children. By loving and devoting herself to her husband as the Church loves and follows the Lord Jesus (cf. Eph. 5: 23-33), a wife both shows her love for God and allows God to love her through her husband. By God’s gift, that love can bring about new life, which she bears in her own body. Through her particular feminine gifts, a wife and mother nurtures and cherishes her children, making present the tender love of God. She makes the home a place where the love of God is given and received, and by the daily gift of herself to her husband and her children, she inspires them to holiness.

We'll be working with the Family Life office to bring you more resources soon!

For different reasons, God can call a woman to live in the single state. While this vocation is different because it is not distinguished by a public consecration through vows or promises, it is nonetheless a call from God to the woman to give herself away in love and bring life to others. A single woman will often have more time and availability than a married woman, making her more able to bring about new life and extend the compassion of God through service to others. Like all women, the single woman needs a supportive community to walk the Christian life with. And in the times of loneliness, she becomes a witness that we are not made for this life, but for heaven.