God Calling: Vocation Vibes

One community stands with life in its earliest moments; the other walks with people during their final days. Different ages served; one radical YES given to the sacredness of every human life.  While the Sisters of Life and the Little Sisters of the Poor devote themselves to the cause of life at opposite ends of the age spectrum, the Sisters reveal in this conversation how their respective apostol...

Some people think that religious Sisters who are in active congregations--by that very fact—cannot possibly be contemplatives. Let’s think again! In a world that prizes speed, the Little Sisters of the Poor keep time differently. Their busy days of joyful service and vibrant community living are not only punctuated by prayer, but also sustained by the Sisters’ union with Jesus whom they care forin...

It was up in the air. Yes, literally - That’s where it happened! Catch the soundbite as a journalist disarms the swarm of eager reporters by asking Pope Leo XIV—during a press gathering on his flight to Algeria—a question that no one saw coming: “Holy Father, can you give me some tips on how topray?” And just like that, everything shifted. In the midst of a maelstrom of news coverage on war, strai...

Beyond the headlines: What happens when the Pope walks through your front door? Mother Margaret recounts her personal experience of those blest moments when Pope Leo visited the Little Sisters of the Poor Home in Istanbul, where the needy elderly of all faith backgrounds are welcomed and cared for with dignity and respect. Mother relates how this encounter was marked by humility, hospitality, and...

She’s been a Little Sister of the Poor for one year now. Sr. Amanda returns as a podcast guest and shares with us what has surprised and delighted her during this first year of her vowed religious life. Join us as she tells about the deepening of her prayer life in the midst of apostolic activity, as well as the joys, challenges, and graces of community life, and someof the “Jesus moments” through...

Called, chosen, missing…. Why do so many vocation discerners ghost God—not because they don’t love and desire Him, but out of fear? In this episode, the Little Sisters of the Poor get real about vocation anxiety, overthinking, FOMO, and learning to trust God one step at a time. “What if I’m not good enough?” “What if I fail?” “What if I choose wrong?” “What if I miss out?” If these thoughts are pa...

The USA had recently been founded and these young religious Sisters sailing from Europe had no certainty about the future of their mission in this new land. They had no money, no possessions, no knowledge of the English language—and there was no turning back. They were leaving family, homeland, and all that was familiar in order to fulfill their God-given calling. Yet who could ever have imagined...

In a world starving for authentic love, religious Sisters are called to be living reminders of the Heart that never stops beating with love for us all. In this episode, we explore how religious Sisters reflect Christ’s compassionate Heart to a wounded and restlessworld—and why that witness matters now more than ever. Expect depth, joy, candor, and tenderness as Sr. Colleen, A.S.C.J. and Sr. Caroly...

You’ve heard the rumors. You’ve seen the stereotypes. But what’s actually true about religious life?  In this episode, Myths about Religious Life – Busted! , we’re calling out the most common misconceptions that keep women from discerning a vocation—and replacing them with the truth. From “I’ll lose my freedom” to “You have to be perfect to enter” to “Religious life is boring”--We’re diving into a...

What does the “feminine genius” actually look like in the life of a religious Sister?  Sr. Gabrielle, a seasoned hospitaller Little Sister of the Poor, joins us from many years on the front lines of nursing and pastoral care with the elderly poor. With warmth, wisdom, and touching stories, she brings to life the vision Pope St. John Paul II described in his Letter to Women —not as an idea, but as...

God is calling – but so is your student loan officer. Who wins? Good news: Educational debt doesn’t get the final say!!! Inthis episode Sr. Carolyn from the Little Sisters of the Poor and Annie Ryland from the Fund for Vocations unpack the challenge of student loans limiting young people’s ability to discern in full freedom God’s amazing plan for their lives. But it doesn’t end there: Thay have an...

Have you heard the buzz? There’s a surge in religiosity among young adult Catholic men—sometimes manifesting in response to a priestly vocation--and we know that Jesus is also proposing to young Catholic women all across this country! The question is: Will they say “yes”? Today’s episode invites women on college campuses to actually ask the question: Lord, are You proposing to me? Join Sr. Regina...

Vocation discerners might wonder: What does silence actually “sound like” in real life behind the convent or monastery door or beyond the enclosure grill? In this episode, we get practical about the “sounds of silence” as lived out by both active and contemplative religious. Sr. Carolyn and Sr. Marie Cecilia of the Little Sisters of the Poor are joined by Sr. Dominic Mary of Mercy, a young cloiste...

In the lives of Gen Zers, what happens when the noisefinally stops and the silence begins? In this episode, Sr. Raymond Marie and Sr. Carolyn from theLittle Sisters of the Poor dive into why a generation that’s grown up in a digitally saturated world is surprisingly hungry for something radically different (and even flocking to convents to find it!): silence . So is silence awkward for Gen Z… or i...

Just across the aisle from the Catholic Speed Dating booth at the SEEK 2026 conference, the Little Sisters of the Poor were offering something even more life-changing: “speed dating with Jesus.” With joyful enthusiasm, they shared the beauty oftheir vocation as brides of Christ and invited young women to consider the One who will never stop pursuing their hearts. Join Sr. Jessica Marie and Sr. Car...

From the vibrancy of a venue packed with 16,000 college students to quiet conversations taking place at the booth of the Little Sisters of the Poor--as if in a sacred bubble amidst all the noise and excitement–the SEEK26 conference was full of holy gifts. Join the Little Sisters and hear from some of the amazing college students they met—students who inspired the Sisters by their passion for Jesus...

Sister Madeline Marie, l.s.p., a young professed Little Sister of the Poor, joins us from France, the birthplace of her religious family, where she is currently in formation. But before she entered religious life, Sr. Madeline was a missionary. She gave nine months of her life sharing the Gospel with young Catholics across the state of Wisconsin as a member of SPIRITUS Ministries, a missionary org...

In this episode Sister Carolyn of the Little Sisters of the Poor welcomes Katie Prejean McGrady—Catholic radio host, author, wife, mother, and moderator of the historic Q&A between Pope Leo and 16,000 young people at the National Catholic Youth Conference. Katie shares behind-the-scenes moments from this once-in-a-lifetime encounter, her reflections on Pope Leo’s warmth and relatability, and t...

WHEN GOD STARTS TO NUDGE YOU from “just browsing” to “okay… maybe I’m actually called to this,” that’s His invitation for you to take your vocational discernment to the next level. In this episode Sr. Therese Marie and Sr. Carolyn from the Little Sisters of the Poor discuss: -Recognizing that invitation/knowing when “it’s time”; -What “taking it to the next level” actually looks like; -Tools for g...

In this episode, we sit down with the parents of a young religious and their daughter, Sr. Bernadette Rose from the Little Sisters of the Poor. Sister’s mother and father share the deeply personal journey of walking with their daughter as she discerned God’s call—from childhood observations to the first conversations to the joy of seeing her flourish as she followed her calling. Listen as Sister’s...

In this episode, we explore with Montse Alvarado from the Eternal Word Television Network the beauty and richness of Latina and Hispanic religious vocations. We talk about how the cultural values of family, community, and a special reverence for motherhood might at first glance seem like deterrents to a young Latina or Hispanic woman’s discernment of consecrated life, but how these values—in their...

Ever wondered about the role of Mary in the consecrated religious life? In this episode, we explore how the French school of spirituality—and particularly that of St. John Eudes, with which St. Jeanne Jugan (foundress of the Little Sisters of the Poor) was deeply imbued—invites us to see Mary not only as the Mother of Jesus, but also as the formator of Christ’s life within each of us. As Mary gave...

What happens when the call to serve one’s country converges with a special call to the Lord’s service? In this episode we dive into what vocational discernment looks like in the military--where duty, discipline, and divine calling can sometimes surprisingly intersect! Our guides in this exploration are Fr. Paul-Anthony Halladay, Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of the Military Services and Sr...

In this episode we’ll hear from an eyewitness of the Jubilee of Consecrated Life in Rome who is also uniquely positioned toshare with us some behind-the-scenes insights on the event. Sr. Rosemary, a Little Sister of the Poor who joins us from the Eternal City, cares for needy older persons there and also serves the Church at the Vatican. Sister relates how she was privileged to help with the plann...

Taking the next step in your vocational discernment can feel intimidating—but it doesn’t have to be! In this episode we sit down with real vocation directors who share about their mission to support you and to journey with you—not pressure you. Whether you’re curious, nervous, or somewhere in between, this is your chance to: ·        Get to know vocation directors as real people who are in your co...