Partner in Mission: A Vocation Story

This month, we will continue exploring the unique calling and vocation of an associate, rooted in a particular congregation and often nourished through a close relationship with a religious sister, allowing the charism to shape our conscience and reorient our priorities with the shared spiritual depth. Today, Tammy Townsend Denny, as a partner in mission and a Leadership  Collaborative Associate Director, shares her vocation story with us. 

by Tammy Townsend Denny, Associate Director

Tammy, 2nd from right with CSFN Sisters Edyta Krawczyk, Kathleen Maciej, and Magdalena Rybak.

The first time I met a Catholic sister was in 2016 when I interviewed for the director of communications position with the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth (CSFN). The job interview was unlike any I had ever experienced. I quickly sensed that what was on my resume and in my portfolio was not as important as listening with my whole heart to the sister who spoke with me that day. She wanted to share the congregation's charism and mission with me. She wanted to impart to me, even if I was never hired, the mission of Jesus lived out through the tradition of the sisters.  

A shift began within me that day. I was changed from a professional looking for a job to a seeker discerning a ministry.  

Over the last decade, I have worked with and among Catholic sisters in various professional roles, deepening my vocation as a partner in mission. As a married person, I am not called to be a sister. However, I can walk alongside sisters, learning and growing with them as we listen for the Spirit's movement in our work.  

As we begin this Lent, I pray that the Spirit reveals for you the wonder of the mission of Jesus lived out through the charisms of the many Catholic sisters around the world and that you have the opportunity to listen with your whole heart.