November 6-12, 2022, is National Vocations Awareness Week. We're sharing stories where TEC helped people find their vocation. Today, we hear from Sr. Mary Clementia Toalson, FSGM, in Springfield, IL.
My name is Sr. Mary Clementia Toalson, FSGM. I have been a member of Great River TEC in Quincy, IL; Northwest TEC in Moline, IL; and Peterstown TEC in Peterstown, IL, though I currently reside in Springfield, IL. My community is the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George in Alton, IL. As a teenager entering the 21st century, a realization struck me that I was living a life of mediocrity. I was only living for myself and was unhappy. My heart was set on fire with the possibility of living a life of magnanimity after the (now) Pope Saint John Paul II came for a visit to St. Louis. There he said, “Christ is calling you. The Church needs you. The pope believes in you, and he expects great things for you.” It was this experience that sent me on a journey searching for truth, beauty, and goodness— ultimately leading to a deep and abiding relationship with Jesus Christ and His bride, the Church. Soon after JPII’s visit to the USA, I went on my first TEC weekend. It was here that I entered deeply into the Paschal Mystery and found in this encounter the God who loves me uniquely and calls me His own. Through TEC, I discovered a family of faith who became not only inspiring witnesses to the Gospel, but also a guidance and encouragement as I began to listen to the still-small voice speaking in the recesses of my heart. Now as a Sister— and nearly 25 years after my first TEC— I return to TEC often to thank God for His goodness and faithfulness and to hopefully inspire others to be open to the Lord’s invitation to leave all and be His forever!
