Vocations Resources for Parents

A guide for parents

All parents want to see their children grow up to lead happy and fulfilling lives. Few, however, imagined a life for their daughters as sisters.

If you’re feeling confused, anxious, or simply want more information, this is a great place to start.

We invite you to read through this list of frequently asked questions and to explore our website to learn more about the Tertiary Sisters.

But most importantly, we encourage you to talk to your daughter and to understand her desire to explore a religious life.

Our mission is to do good in the world.You can be proud that your daughter learned from your example the desire to do good, give back, and serve humanity and God.

How should I react when my daughter tells me she is considering religious life?

Some parents are taken by complete surprise by their daughters' interest in religious life. Others know for a long time that their daughters have been thinking about service to the Church. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, your daughter's decision is doubtless a momentous one.

Whether you're initially excited, scared, angry, or confused, the best thing you can do is talk to your daughter. What are her life goals? What has drawn her to a life of service? How does a religious vocation comport with her principles?

Next, we encourage you to learn more about religious life and the Tertiary Sisters. This website is a good starting point. And our sisters and our vocations team are happy to talk with you about our mission, our vocations program, and what religious life is like in the real world.

What are parent-child relationships like between sisters and their lay parents?

Mostly like it is before women enter religious life. Parents are still parents and children are children!

As our women go through the vocation program and become sisters, we find that family relations become strengthened through spiritual support, prayers, and counsel.

This is a big surprise! Why did my daughter decide to pursue a vocation?

This is a difficult question to answer on the Internet!

We find the answer is generally the same for why children decide to follow other callings, career paths, and life choices: Everyone has a unique mission to fulfill in life and a unique path to travel.

How can I best support my daughter through the discernment and vocation process?

By being the supportive parent you always have been! Talk to her, understand her motivations, and get to know the Tertiary Sisters.

Encourage her to attend vocations discernment programs, pray for guidance (for you and your daughter), and most of all, encourage her to make the choice that she thinks is right.

Is it normal for me to be disappointed? Worried?

Absolutely! It is very normal for parents who might have had other dreams their daughter to feel disappointed or confused. Pursuing a religious life is not a common choice.

The more parents understand their daughters' motivations, and the more familiar they are with religious life, the better they feel about their daughters' decision.

Talk to your daughter with an open mind, learn more about the Tertiary Sisters and our work, and remember that it is a great gift to be able to pursue one's dreams.