Hospital Sisters of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis

Sr. M. Danuta


Sister Danuta tells her story:

Since my early youth, I prayed for a good husband. I never had any contact with nuns, nor had I ever considered life in a convent as part of my life plans. Neither was I one of those well-behaved, pious children or youngsters. Fortunately, my dear grandmother made sure I did not forget about my daily prayer. Also, God gave me a great Guardian Angel who was looking after me and warned me against evil. He must have had His hands full with me! I felt and still feel His presence and help.

Having finished a technical school, I started to work as a dressmaker and it might have seemed that nothing special would happen in my life. One morning, my grandmother woke me earlier than usual and asked me to get her a priest because she was feeling bad and wanted to receive the last rites. We all loved our grandmother very much and I could not imagine my life without her. On that day, I could not find any peace. My thoughts were always with my Grandmother. Before I started my work, I went to church and took part in the Mass. It was the beginning of Advent. During the Mass I asked Jesus to heal my grandmother, and I promised Him that in return I would attend early Mass every morning before work throughout Advent. My grandmother did recover.

God's call

After four weeks of Advent, I was free from my promise, but I could not imagine a day without a Mass any more. Jesus was already 'doing His own thing' in my heart. I still went to dances, had a lot of friends. However, none of them 'qualified' as my future husband.

When I turned 19, all of a sudden I felt a desire to enter a convent. It was not until then that I noticed that there were nuns in my parish! The desire in my heart was so strong that I quickly made contact and asked to be admitted to the convent very soon. My parents did not want to believe that I was serious about wanting to enter, because I still went to dances and to the Disco. I liked travelling, went to the opera, etc. It was not until my mother accidentally found some black clothes I had bought for the convent that she realized that I was not joking. She tried to make me give up the idea of entering the convent in many different ways, but I was stubborn. I was ready to run away from home if anyone wanted to stop me. Only after many years did my mother tell me she is happy I am a religious sister. At the beginning, she did not want to let me go because she did not believe in my vocation and she was afraid I would come home after a week or so in the convent. Similarly, many of my friends could not believe it I would enter a convent.

I cannot blame them. My behavior just a day before starting a life in the convent did not indicate I seriously wanted to become a Sister. In the morning, there was a Mass to ask for God's blessing for me in my new way of life. In the evening, I went to my last dance.

Since my early days, I prayed for a good husband. God heard my prayer, for could I have dreamed of a better husband than Jesus? I am very happy and grateful to my Lord for His precious gift of vocation.  Sister M. Danuta

Everyday life

Sr. M. Danuta lives in the Provincial House in Ullersdorf and serves the Sisters of the Polish Province as a seamstress. We also thank her that daily we find healthy vegetables, fruit, and tea on our table. She loves nature and working in the garden brings her joy. God gave her many talents. Many paintings and vestments for the Mass are the work of her industrious hands and big heart.