Cathoic Midshipmen Club

"It is by following Christ, renouncing themselves, and taking up their crosses that spouses will be able to "receive" the original meaning of marriage and live it with the help of Christ. This grace of Christian marriage is a fruit of Christ's cross, the source of all Christian life."

Paragraph 1615 in Catechism of the Catholic Church

Catholic Midshipmen Club is a club here at the Academy run by our Chaplains and has a board of students that plan the evenings. We met every Tuesday night at 1900. (That's 7pm for all you trying to do the math.) This week they brought in a well-known Captain on the yard to speak on married life and practicing your Catholic faith in the military. Captain Thorp has been at the Academy for sometime teaching students and being a mentor to so many.  This was one of the best meetings thus far this year.

Capt. Thorp opened up the with how the vocation of marriage is downplayed and how it society sees it today. He did the math and only 28% will grow up in a household where the parents are still together. Capt. Thorp mentioned the policy at the Academy "only if it's consensual" and challenged the mids to practice what the Catholic Church teaches, and to be a witness to everyone else at the Academy. Hearing these stats and being challenged from a high-ranking military officer was huge! Capt Thorp was an inspiration to many, including myself as he shared his personal testimony to the grace and beauty of marriage.

The Sisters of Life

Angel and I in Vermont Fall 2010

Angel and I after the entrance Mass

This past weekend I went to NJ/NYC. Angel my teammate, more importantly my dear friend, was entering the Sisters of Life! If you have never heard of the Sisters of Life, they are amazing! I first heard about them at George Mason University, they came and visited for a few days every year. It was a special treat whenever they came! These sisters are the most joy-filled people you will ever meet. You can't help but be changed by their love of God in every human being. Over the years I have had more encounters with them especially through FOCUS. I went on one of their Women's retreats this past March, talk about LIFE CHANGING!

The order does so much for the good of the Church. Like all religious orders they take vows of poverty, obedience and chastity, but they take a fourth as well, a vow to protect and enhance the sacredness of human life. They have a retreat center and do all kinds of retreats (go on one! best deal out there, they are run on donations and have a beautiful retreat center in CT). They also invite pregnant women to live in their convents and give them they care and love that they need. A sister once told me that, once these women decide to keep their child they feel so lost and alone because no one is there to help them. That's where the sisters come in, they hold the women's hand and are a support system for them.

So my dear friend Angel is now a postulant! I am beyond excited for her and she is going to impact so many lives in NYC. This past year, was a total gift from God, she made such an impact on my life and will forever be on of my best friends. This past year I was able to watch her enter her vocation after many months of praying and visiting different orders. It was an honor to meet her family this weekend and to be there for her as she made this huge leap of faith for Our Lord and His Church. She will be living at the formation house in the Bronx for the next year. Please pray for her and the other 7 women who entered postulancy.

To learn more about the order visit their site here