A Day in the Life of a Sister

Editor’s note: This is the first in a new series of articles focusing on “A Day in the Life of a Sister” that will feature a sister from each of the religious communities serving within the diocese.

Sister Litty is a member of the Congregation of Teresian Carmelites (CTC), based at Spirit of Life Carmel Convent in Mandan and originally from India. The CTC first came to the parish in 2015 to operate its food pantry mission and assist in other parish outreach where needed. For a new series in the Dakota Catholic Action entitled “A Day in the Life of a Sister,” Sister Litty took part in a Q&A to describe her journey that led to committing to the consecrated religious life and her daily experiences and sacrifices.

Sister Litty knew early on that she had a vocation to the religious life but had an extremely challenging start to her journey.

“The Carmelite Sisters taught us Catechism in Tamil Nādu in Southern India and Sister would narrate the life of the saints and their way of life and their hard way of living. She talked about the way she enjoyed the religious life. It attracted me. It touched my heart right away.”

Yet, Sister Litty’s calling faced immense obstacles as her family opposed her pursuing those vows. Culturally, it was shameful for her not to marry instead. At age 15, an older brother took her home on her way to talk to a priest about joining the Carmelites, so she shelved the idea until she obtained a college education to become a teacher.

She taught for a year, yet her thirst to join the Carmelites persisted. “The sister from high school put a seed in my heart.” Her prayers nourished that seed, she said.

“I kept asking my brother and parents, but they (didn’t) want to send me.” At age 24, she went to the convent anyway and was sent to another to shield her from her angry brother. The sisters there advised her to pray that her family members’ hearts would soften to the idea of her becoming a Carmelite. She was removed from the convent again by her family despite her protests.

The sisters at the convent assured her if she had a true calling, she would return.

“I was crying, crying. I wouldn’t eat. This went on for three weeks.”

After a series of incidents, battle of wills, and concerns for Sr. Litty’s health, most of her family relented, accepting that this was her calling and heart’s desire. On the day she departed for the convent, family and friends held a great party for her to send her off. “My prayers were answered,” she said. 

When did you take your final vows?

I joined in 1986. I took my first vows in 1990. I took my final vows in 1995.

What is a day in the life of a sister like?

I personally get up at 4:30 a.m. Our morning prayers start at 6 for 20 minutes. We had five sisters (in Mandan) at one point and now there are two. Soon after the morning prayer, there is adoration for 30 minutes at the convent. Then at 7, we come for the Mass here (at the church). Afterward, we will do a spiritual reading at the convent.

At 8, we have breakfast. Then, Sister Amal Grace will go to the nursing home at St. Vincent’s Care Center. She has a different apostolate as assistant chaplain. She will be there until 5 p.m.

At 9:30, I will come to the food pantry until 3 when the pantry is closed. People come here for the food. They come here and grab a sack lunch. Sometimes, they ask for spiritual direction like the Bible or rosary. They ask me to pray. They share their families’ problems, some difficulties. I just listen to them; give them some consolation and I tell them I will pray. I put their prayer requests in the adoration chapel, and I will pray for them.

After 3, I will pray for half an hour. Then, I go to the convent, take a little nap. Then I may need a shower and at 6, we have a prayer, the rosary and one hour of meditation. Then, supper is at 8.

Then it is a half-hour recreation time. Sometimes, we watch EWTN or watch the news. Then, at 9, it is 15 minutes of prayer individually. Then, 30 minutes of personal prayer. Then, it is complete silence. I can read or go to bed early if I am tired.

Saturdays are different. On Saturday, we will start the prayers at 7 a.m. Then the rosary. Then 11:30 to 2:30, we’ll have adoration. Then, we’ll have things like washing of clothes and cleaning the convent.

On Sundays, we go to the 9 a.m., 11 a.m. or the 6 p.m. Mass. We will be here for the hospitality or the collection. For hospitality, we just stand at the door and welcome them.

We take turns doing the cooking at the convent.

Why do you wear a habit?

It is external sign of being set apart for Christ for the consecrated life.

If you do, when are you allowed to go without it?

I am allowed to remove it when I rest and go to bed.

What is your application process like for joining your congregation?

Talk to your parish priest. The person must be 17 years old and finished high school. They must be Roman Catholic. They will look at the family background.

What are the stages of formation and commitment?

The first year is the candidacy program and the woman will stay with the sisters. They wear (decent) regular (layperson) clothes. We observe their regular way of life. She will work where we work or where she is needed.

The second year is called the postulancy and, according to our custom, she will wear white for church purposes, but no veil. She will get special religious classes from our Carmelite sisters and the Bible. One sister, the directress, will lead them in prayers. They do not go out.

After candidacy and postulancy, they are allowed a vacation. After pre-novitiate and novitiate, they are not allowed a vacation, but the parents can come and meet them, at Christmas or Easter time.

During the novitiate, the directress will be watching them all the time—how she prays, (whether) she is happy in the religious life or unhappy. We can make out how she sits in the church and prays and her meditation—is she sleepy or distracted, at work does she mingle or does she want to be alone and is not happy. They must write a spiritual diary of how they spent the day. The directress will meet with you once a month. We want to become like Jesus. When we read the Gospel and meditate, Jesus is speaking to me, and my mind is not wandering. After five years, we take the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience.

She will be a candidate one year, a postulant one year, and one year a pre-novitiate, we will teach them to work, and they will stay in the training and different spiritual classes to be strong and make the right decisions about staying. In the fourth year, they are a novitiate and will wear only the color saffron in India. 

In the fifth year, she will work with other convents for three months, go back to the novitiate, continue her studies for four months, she is sent out for two months for frontier ministries, experience poverty, work with the poor and share her experiences again. She returns to novitiate to share her experience and spend the remaining period in the intensive preparation for a temporary profession. After her fifth year, she will make her first profession vows. She will wear the black veil, brown scapular, and brown habit (main dress) with a white collar. Then, she will work at different convents. If I am a teacher, for example, I will go to school. If I am a nurse, I will be sent to the hospital. After five to nine more years, they take their final vows.

What is your apostolate?
I was teaching 25 years. Now my apostolate is here at the food pantry. She also worked in Sudan, Africa for five years. She knows five languages—Tamil, English, Malayalam, Hindi and Arabic.

What do you do for fun?
Sometimes, we play cards. Sometimes, we watch the news or EWTN. Sometimes, we sit and talk about something with the food pantry.

Some special Sundays, the Indian priest who is assigned as parochial administrator at the parishes in Flasher, Carson and Raleigh, Fr. Biju Antony, will meet with us. We talk the same language. Sometimes, we go visit the Fort Yates sisters, too. We just get together, enjoy lunch and play some games. And we will do the gardening when it is the season.

“I love Jesus. I want to save many souls for Jesus. My favorite saint is St. Therese, the Little Flower. I love her way of life. That is why my name is Sister Litty. I wanted to take her name—Little Flower.”

In addition to CTC Sisters, Sr. Litty and Sr. Amal Grace at Spirit of Life in Mandan, there are two CTC Sisters serving at St. Bernard Carmel Convent in Fort Yates. Serving in Fort Yates is Sr. Jeena and Sr. Pavanna whose primary duties are working in the daycare.