sisters
MELISSA
takes her
final bow
as Bradley-Bourbonnais
Community
High School
orchestra
conductor before
becoming a
candidate in
religious life.
Sister Melissa takes
the plunge
Jesus’ invitation to Peter to step out of a boat inspires a music teacher
to enter religious life.
TEXT AND HAT DOES it feel like when PHOTOS BY God calls you? KRISTEN W For Melissa Blankestyn,
SCHMID it was a surprising and yet absolutely
SCHURTER “right” idea that she should become a
religious sister. On Pentecost she felt
compelled to pick up a vocations flier.
This small decision led to a much bigger
one two years later.
At age 30 Melissa began a new life as
a Springfield Dominican candidate at the
order’s motherhouse in Springfield, Illinois. The rest of the world may see what
Kristen Schmid Schurter is a
freelance journalist based in
Springfield, Illinois. She especially enjoys working on stories
about women, faith, and culture. Her website is
www.kris-
tenschmidphotography.com.
she left behind in August 2006: her bank
account, her car, a job she loved, and the
chance for marriage and children. But
Melissa knew what she was embracing: a
joyful life of prayer, service, and community, with enough time and space to feel
God’s presence. She would truly belong.
Melissa was excited to live, work,
and pray with a group of women who
have similar calls in life. “Any time I’m
with any members of the community, I
feel like I’m just where I’m supposed to
be,” Melissa says. She was sad to leave her
orchestra students at Bradley-Bourbonnais
High School in Bradley, Illinois. But once
you hear God’s voice and recognize its
truth, it is hard to turn back.
Melissa feels God gave her an
invitation, one that she accepted. She
describes her candidate year and discern-
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VISION 2009
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