Her Value is the Inspiring Source of My Vocation

When I was younger, I never imagined becoming a nun. Religious life wasn’t part of my plan. But God’s ways are different from ours; He has a plan for each of us. Some He calls at a young age, like Samuel, David, or Mary; others He calls later, like Isaiah, Jeremiah, or Ezekiel.

He called me at a time I never expected, in a way I never imagined. And He used the inspiration of our foundress, Mother Ascension, to touch my heart.

More than ten years ago, I returned to my hometown to celebrate the Lunar New Year with my family, and a cousin, who is a nun, introduced me to a Dominican Sister of the Rosary who had come to Vietnam to found a new community. She gave me a brochure with a photo of three sisters in a small boat crossing a river in the Amazon rainforest.

I was deeply impressed by these missionary women. In my limited understanding, I thought the sisters only served in the church or only taught catechism. But these women were doing something extraordinary. They left everything to bring the Gospel to people in distant and difficult places. I realized that being a missionary sister means serving those in need, even people on the other side of the world. I felt inspired. Little by little, the desire to join this congregation grew in my heart.

Just hearing about these sisters filled me with admiration. As I learned more about the history of the congregation, especially about our foundress, Mother Ascension Nicol, I became more and more deeply moved. She stepped out of her comfort zone and went to places she had never visited, helping women in the jungle, giving them hope and dignity. Her love, rooted in the bonds of community with her sisters, extended beyond them to embrace the mission and those she served.

As we celebrate the feast day of our foundress, I thank God for her generous “yes.” Through her courage, many lives have been touched, including my own. Her story reminds me that God’s plans are greater than our own and that when we trust in Him, He guides us to places beyond our imagination.

Congregational Juniorate Community in Aldaia

February 2026

Ha Thi Uyen Phuong – (Annie)