Serra Club Vocations Essay

Mother Theodore Guérin inspires student to follow vocation in everyday life

By Patrick Egan (Special to The Criterion)

Last summer, I went to Mother Theodore Guérin’s shrine in St. Mary-of-the-Woods. I was there to do service with other young men from a Bishop Bruté Days retreat where we were discerning the call to the priesthood.

What really inspired me about Mother Theodore was her resilience and determination. I heard the story of how Mother Theodore got locked in a room, had her title as mother superior taken away and was threatened with excommunication by the bishop of Vincennes.

To me, that would be enough to make me give up, but not Mother Theodore. The bishop resigned soon thereafter and Mother Theodore was able to return to her community as its superior.

This is the fire that young people seeking their vocation should strive for. To truly live out our vocations, we have to have a fire in our hearts to follow the will of God and change the world.

Many people have told me that becoming a priest, learning theology, Latin, prayers and how to celebrate the sacraments is a very difficult thing. Many have told me about the difficulties of seminary life.

But I have also been told that becoming a priest and being the person to whom people come to receive the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and the sacrament of penance, is one of the most rewarding vocations in the world.

I struggle with school, learning and reading. I sit in fear, wondering if I could possibly hope to pass any of these classes. In these moments, I think about Mother Theodore when she was my age. Both her brothers died in a fire and her father was murdered by bandits. She had to care for her extremely ill mother and small sister all by herself.

If she can do that, surely I can pass a class. The fire and resilience she brought to every situation in her life is something I want to imitate. Mother Theodore’s perseverance empowers me to take on the priesthood. Her example makes me want to be the saint I’m called to be because that’s the goal of every vocation.

Right now, God is calling me to contribute to the Church in a special way. Pope Leo XIV gave us excellent insight on this at the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis last November. The pope said to us, “Attend Sunday Mass. Join youth activities and say yes to opportunities … where your faith can grow.”

We need to take advantage of these opportunities. Every day at your parish there are many chances for you to serve others and the Church. I believe that for many of us, including me, still in high school, it feels like we are waiting to graduate so we can pursue our vocation.

But in reality, God is calling to us every day. So, when I feel called to help with the Bright Lights Christmas Show at my parish, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross in Bright, that’s me living out my vocation. When I feel called to bring my friends to church or adoration, that’s me living out my vocation.

Be like Mother Theodore. Be bold and get involved in your parish. Start living your vocation today.
 

(Patrick and his parents, Justin and Katherine Egan, are members of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross Parish in Bright. He recently completed the 10th grade as a homeschooled student and is the 10th-grade division winner in the Indianapolis Serra Club’s 2026 John D. Kelley Vocations Essay Contest.) †