My Story

Sister Marie of the Incarnation, O.C.D.

Gifted with intelligence, humility, and a heart of gold, Sr. Marie of the Incarnation led an intriguing life as an Army Corps nurse during World War II before entering the convent.

A quiet sister whose death on March 25 at the age of 88 brought our community more feelings of gratefulness than sorrow, Sr. Marie continued her admirable life after entering our Carmel.

Read our Press release of Sr. Marie.

Read the entire story on our Biography and photo feature of Sr. Marie (1 MB PDF).

Sister Jacinta Cormier, O.C.D.

My religious vocation began when, while awaiting my library card, I came across "The Secret of the Rosary" by St. Louis de Montfort on a bookrack. I read it and started to pray the Rosary. My life began to change. All my ambitions to join the military fell away as I spent more time in prayer and reflection, frequent confession, reception of the Eucharist, visits to the Blessed Sacrament and seeking advice from our parish priest. When he suggested religious life, I realized I had been thinking of this.

The next step was what kind of religious and where. I wrote to different Orders. One of the communities that answered sent a vocation booklet. What struck me very deeply was a picture of the reception of the ring on the day of Profession, with the words "I espouse you to Jesus Christ, the Son of the Most High." For me that was it! To belong completely to God as His Spouse was what I was looking for. For this I was prepared to go to the other side of the world.

But God did not ask this. He had his home for me very close to home. My director recommended the Carmelite Monastery of Mary, Mother of Grace. I visited and began to wait and hope until I finished high school. The Mother Superior kept in contact with me and I visited when I could.

Then, a little more than a month before my entrance into Carmel, my younger brother died in an accident. Everyone thought I would want to delay my entrance, but my own good mother encouraged me and said my entrance should not be delayed. I trusted in the Lord and responded to his grace as best I could. He Himself removed all obstacles to my search for union with Him . . . which continues to this day.