Sr. Renée: God spoke to my heart to help me figure out my true calling in life

Above: Marianite Sister Renée Daigle holds Millie, her rescue dog. (Photo courtesy of Sister Renée Daigle, M.S.C.)

By SISTER RENÉE DAIGLE, M.S.C.
Guest columnist

I knew in third grade that I wanted to be a teacher. I thought I would be a wife, mother and teacher, as most of my teachers and several of my aunts were. But God had other plans!

I grew up in New Orleans and Houma, attending schools staffed by the Marianites of Holy Cross in elementary and high school. I loved the sisters, and they seemed happy being together and serving God’s people, but for some reason I never saw myself as being one of them.

In high school, the thought came to me, during a vocation talk, that being a sister would be a great way to live. But I talked myself out of it and said, “No, I am going to be a wife and a mother.” I guess I thought my plan was better than God’s!

In college I majored in education – never changing my mind about being a teacher. Every now and then, the thought of being a sister would pop into my mind and heart (not when I was in church, but at random times). Finally, on a retreat in my third year of college, I heard God saying to me, “Say YES. Say YES to religious life and the adventure I am calling you to.”

Of course, I didn’t hear those words with my ears, but they were so real that I had to answer back, “OK!”

After university, I joined the Marianites of Holy Cross, thinking I would teach for the rest of my life. I taught at four different schools for 10 years. From there, I spent a year in San Antonio, Texas, learning Spanish, then in Nicaragua starting a center for street kids. I was called to vocation ministry, which meant helping people reflect on God’s call and discerning with young women interested in joining our congregation.

I earned two master’s degrees, then spent 14 years in Hammond as a campus minister. I was elected to the Leadership Team of the Marianites and am now completing five years in that ministry.

In the last 36 years, I have lived in groups of sisters ranging in size from two to eight, and have lived alone for the last few years. I have loved sharing community with my sisters and look forward to moving soon to live with my sisters once again.

Prayer, community and service are the three main parts of a sister’s life. I consider myself a lifelong learner and teacher (though no longer in a classroom), and I love sharing what I’ve learned, ideas, how God is present in my life and hearing from others so I can continue to grow in prayer, community and service.

When COVID started I planted a vegetable garden, as I had much more time to stay home. That helped me to truly appreciate Christ’s presence in all of nature. Later that year I “heard” the invitation to experience God’s love through animals, too. I became a first-time “dog mom” to a precious rescue I named Millie. She has taught me so much about love, patience, loyalty, trust, wonder, excitement and acceptance, and I know I will keep learning from her. Many of the sisters love her, too, so she is really our dog.

Some people think sisters lead boring lives. Every life has its ups, downs, joys, struggles, chaos and quiet – no one gets to skip that – but I promise that if God is indeed calling you to live your life consecrated to the service of God’s people in a religious congregation, you will be in for the adventure of a lifetime!

Marianite Sister Renée Daigle, a native of Houma, professed her final vows as a religious sister in 1993. She taught at St. Cletus, St. Andrew the Apostle and St. Mary of the Angels elementary schools (in the Archdiocese of New Orleans) and at Holy Family Elementary in Port Allen (in the Diocese of Baton Rouge). Sister Renée, congregational assistant for the Marianites of Holy Cross, is nearing the end of her assignment as director of campus ministry at St. Albert Catholic Student Center at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond. Her hobbies include listening to music, knitting and spending time with friends and family.