On May 13, the Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima, Sister Miryam of the Holy Family (Cecelia Rose Vandal) pronounced her solemn vows as a Poor Clare Nun at the Monastery of Our Lady of Mercy in Belleville, Ill. Her proud parents, Mark and Shelia Vandal, along with her five brothers, sister-in-law and 3-month-old nephew, were all present to witness her solemn consecration as she promised to observe the Rule of St. Clare “during the whole time” of her life.
Approximately 35 other family members and invited guests from the Fargo and Crookston Dioceses joined friends and benefactors of the Poor Clare community at the Mass enfolding the solemn profession, which was offered by Bishop Michael G. McGovern, Bishop of Belleville. Joining the Bishop at the altar were six other priests including Father Matthew Kraemer of the Diocese of Fargo, a long-time friend of the Vandal family. Three seminarians, whose families are members of the St. Joseph, Pillar of Families, Home School Group, were also in attendance.
Sister Miryam (Cecelia) had sensed the call to religious life from an early age, but intensified her discernment in high school while living in Langdon where she and her family were members of St. Alphonsus Church. Her parents and younger brothers have since relocated to Warsaw where they attend St. Stanislaus Church.
It was during her first semester at the University of Mary, in the fall of 2013, that our Lord began to point Cecelia toward a contemplative vocation, and more specifically to the Poor Clare Colettine community in Belleville, Ill. She entered the Monastery of Our Lady of Mercy on March 25, 2014, as a postulant. The following March, she was clothed in the holy habit and received her religious name: Sister Miryam of the Holy Family. After completing a two-year novitiate, she pronounced her simple vows on May 13, 2017. Sister Miryam’s spiritual formation as a Poor Clare continued through six years of temporary profession, during which time she also served her community as organist and refectorian. This period of initial formation culminated in the total gift of herself to Christ and his Church through her profession of solemn vows of obedience, poverty, chastity, and enclosure.
As a Poor Clare Nun, Sister Miryam’s life is especially dedicated to the praise and worship of God. Her vocation is fulfilled through her participation in the Church’s Liturgy, the seven-fold offering of the Divine Office and daily times of Eucharistic adoration. As a Bride of Christ and spiritual mother of souls, all the needs of the world are held close to her heart in prayer. Sister Miryam recalled, “My mom said that when I was young, I always had big intentions at our daily family prayers such as peace throughout the world, an end to abortion, or for all who have no one to pray for them. God gave me a missionary heart and a strong desire to be a spiritual mother of souls. I pray that my whole life may truly be ‘for the praise of His glory!’”