In a sunlit chapel behind the grate at Sancta Clara Monastery, Sister Mary Faustina of the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary professed her first vows Saturday, taking the next step in her life of prayer and devotion among the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration.
“It’s taken 30 years to get here,” Sister Mary said after the ceremony. “A lot of twists and turns, and it just feels surreal right now. Just so joyful, so thankful. I’m very grateful for everything that God has done in my life—everything that He’s given me. I can’t thank Him enough.”
The rite was celebrated by Youngstown Bishop David Bonnar, who presided over the ceremony and questioned Sister Mary on her readiness to dedicate herself to God and “to seek perfect charity according to the Constitution of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration.” Afterward, Bishop Bonnar prayed for God’s help and invited the congregation into silent reflection.
“This is always a humbling experience,” Bishop Bonnar said. “It really reminds me of how we have to root our lives in God and in His will. One of the most moving parts is when the sisters welcome the new member. You can tell these women not only love God—they love each other. That sense of community is powerful in a world that’s often so individualistic.”
Sister Mary’s journey to the cloister was born of both faith and loss. Years ago, she lost her husband John, an event her son, Ben Ryan, said deeply shaped her path toward religious life.
“When you lose the head of a household, it can cause fractures,” Ryan said. “Our mother had to find her own way—to find out what she was going to center her life around. Finding her vocation here, it’s such a great blessing. To find that out of tragedy and grief—that’s how Christ’s power works, to transform those things into something beautiful and powerful.”
The ceremony came just a week after Bishop Bonnar called Catholics across the Diocese of Youngstown to renew their faith through the enthronement of the Sacred Heart—a devotion inspired by his newly released pastoral letter, Take Heart! Do Not Lose Heart! Behold the Sacred Heart! The letter, his third since becoming bishop in 2021, urges the faithful to turn toward Christ’s heart as a source of healing, hope and perseverance.
In that sense, Sister Mary’s vows reflected the same message of endurance and divine love that Bishop Bonnar has preached throughout the diocese.
“Serving Christ is the ultimate calling for anybody,” Ryan said. “For her to find that—and for all of us to see it—it’s nothing but blessings.”
