God Calling: Vocation Vibes

God is calling – but so is your student loan officer. Who wins?

Good news: Educational debt doesn’t get the final say!!! Inthis episode Sr. Carolyn from the Little Sisters of the Poor and Annie Ryland from the Fund for Vocations unpack the challenge of student loans limiting young people’s ability to discern in full freedom God’s amazing plan for their lives. But it doesn’t end there: Thay have an amazing solution to propose…a true gift for discerners who are facing this dilemma.

Check out this episode to hear fascinating stories of youngmen and women who never imagined what their life’s call might be—but who were enabled to discern it through the gratuitous assistance of the Fund for Vocations.

As Annie says, no matter where one’s vocational searchleads, every discernment story is a success story—so why not give God the chance?

Questions? Wish to be connected with resources? Desirevocation accompaniment? Contact us at [email protected]. We Little Sisters of the Poor are here for you!

Have you heard the buzz? There’s a surge in religiosity among young adult Catholic men—sometimes manifesting in response to a priestly vocation--and we know that Jesus is also proposing to young Catholic women all across this country! The question is: Will they say “yes”?

Today’s episode invites women on college campuses to actually ask the question: Lord, are You proposing to me? Join Sr. Regina and Sr. Carolyn from the Little Sisters of the Poor as they visit the Newman Center at UMass Amherst for a candid conversation with the students on young women’s vocational discernment in the campus setting. Gain first-hand insights from the young ladies themselves and listen as they share their thoughts on the compelling beauty and authenticity of religious Sisterhood (which they wish they could witness more often!) and on the importance of encouraging and supporting one another in discerning this call. And don’t miss the practical tips they give…

In this milieu where so many young women are abuzz in hopes of a proposal, what an exciting and totally amazing gift…to be chosen by the ultimate Bridegroom!

Questions? Wish to be connected with resources? Desire vocation accompaniment? Contact us at [email protected]. We Little Sisters of the Poor are here for you!

Vocation discerners might wonder: What does silence actually “sound like” in real life behind the convent or monastery door or beyond the enclosure grill?

In this episode, we get practical about the “sounds of silence” as lived out by both active and contemplative religious. Sr. Carolyn and Sr. Marie Cecilia of the Little Sisters of the Poor are joined by Sr. Dominic Mary of Mercy, a young cloistered Dominican nun, in discussing this intriguing topic.

Think you’re “not the type” for the silence of religious life? Maybe you’ll want to think again! You might just find it to be the sacred fountain of peace, joy, and deeply meaningful spiritual and human connection that your heart has beencraving all along.

As it turns out, silence has a lot to say!

Questions? Wish to be connected with resources? Desire vocation accompaniment? Contact us at [email protected]. We Little Sisters of the Poor are here for you!

In the lives of Gen Zers, what happens when the noisefinally stops and the silence begins?

In this episode, Sr. Raymond Marie and Sr. Carolyn from theLittle Sisters of the Poor dive into why a generation that’s grown up in a digitally saturated world is surprisingly hungry for something radically different (and even flocking to convents to find it!): silence.

So is silence awkward for Gen Z… or is it the doorway toencounter? Is this generation afraid of quiet—or secretly craving it? And what does the consecrated religious life offer to the young people of a society that never powers down?

Click on this episode to find out!

Questions? Wish to be connected with resources? Desirevocation accompaniment? Contact us at [email protected]. We Little Sisters of the Poor are here for you!

Just across the aisle from the Catholic Speed Dating booth at the SEEK 2026 conference, the Little Sisters of the Poor were offering something even more life-changing: “speed dating with Jesus.” With joyful enthusiasm, they shared the beauty oftheir vocation as brides of Christ and invited young women to consider the One who will never stop pursuing their hearts.

Join Sr. Jessica Marie and Sr. Carolyn from the Little Sisters of the Poor as they recount the grace-filled moments, candid conversations, and heartfelt encounters they experienced with these vibrant Catholic college students. Hear directly from the young people themselves as they share the hopes stirring in their hearts—and be inspired by the testimonies of what God is doing in this generation!

Questions? Wish to be connected with resources? Desire vocation accompaniment? Contact us at [email protected]. We Little Sisters of the Poor are here for you!

From the vibrancy of a venue packed with 16,000 college students to quiet conversations taking place at the booth of the Little Sisters of the Poor--as if in a sacred bubble amidst all the noise and excitement–the SEEK26 conference was full of holy gifts. Join the Little Sisters and hear from some of the amazing college students they met—students who inspired the Sisters by their passion for Jesus and by their sincerity in seeking the Lord’s plan for their lives.

And not only was SEEK26 full of holy gifts! It was also full of holy surprises—among them a video message from Pope Leo XIV addressed to all those in attendance…much to everyone’s delight. Don’t miss it!

Questions? Wish to be connected with resources? Desire vocation accompaniment? Contact us at [email protected]. We Little Sisters of the Poor are here for you!

Sister Madeline Marie, l.s.p., a young professed Little Sister of the Poor, joins us from France, the birthplace of her religious family, where she is currently in formation. But before she entered religious life, Sr. Madeline was a missionary. She gave nine months of her life sharing the Gospel with young Catholics across the state of Wisconsin as a member of SPIRITUS Ministries, a missionary organization based in the Diocese of Green Bay.
In this very special episode, Sr. Madeline reunites with some of her former SPIRITUS teammates who have all discerned God’s will for their lives in different vocations. She’s joined by Fr. Zachery Feldker, CPM, who was recently ordained to the priesthood with the Fathers of Mercy and is currently assigned to the Shrine of Our Lady of Champion; Wesley and Martina Beyer, who met as SPIRITUS missionaries and entered into marriage and family life in 2022; and Alexa Harbor, who expertly organized and hosted this beautiful reunion and iscurrently discerning consecrated virginity. You’ll hear stories of discernment, learn how each has found a rhythm of prayer within his or her chosen vocation, and share in the joy of the deep friendship that continues long after those missionary years that first brought them together.  

Questions? Wish to be connected with resources? Desire vocation accompaniment? Contact us at [email protected]. We Little Sisters of the Poor are here for you!

In this episode Sister Carolyn of the Little Sisters of the Poor welcomes Katie Prejean McGrady—Catholic radio host, author, wife, mother, and moderator of the historic Q&A between Pope Leo and 16,000 young people at the National Catholic Youth Conference.

Katie shares behind-the-scenes moments from this once-in-a-lifetime encounter, her reflections on Pope Leo’s warmth and relatability, and the Holy Father’s conviction that friendship with Jesus is the foundation of every vocation.

Together, Sr. Carolyn and Katie explore how a vocation is often first awakened through community or through the comments of others who see its signs in us. They also discuss how young people can continue growing after major faith events and why taking concrete steps—prayer, sacraments, retreats, and reaching out to religious communities and actually visiting them—matters in discernment.  

Click on this episode and enjoy a hopeful, practical conversation that can be truly helpful for anyone who is sensing God’s gentle nudge and wondering what to do next.  

Questions? Wish to be connected with resources? Desire vocation accompaniment? Contact us at [email protected]. We Little Sisters of the Poor are here for you!

WHEN GOD STARTS TO NUDGE YOU from “just browsing” to “okay… maybe I’m actually called to this,” that’s His invitation for you to take your vocational discernment to the next level.

In this episode Sr. Therese Marie and Sr. Carolyn from the Little Sisters of the Poor discuss:

-Recognizing that invitation/knowing when “it’s time”;

-What “taking it to the next level” actually looks like;

-Tools for going deeper;

-The role of trust vs. certainty.

There’s no need for fear when it starts to get real! When you take your vocational discernment to the next level, you’ll discover a surprising freedom—and you’ll experience theenergizing confidence that comes from knowing you’re finally walking in the direction your heart has been leaning toward all along. 

Questions? Wish to be connected with resources? Desire vocation accompaniment? Contact us at [email protected] - and thanks in advance to those who kindly like/share/follow our podcast and leave us a comment; we Little Sisters of the Poor are so grateful!

In this episode, we sit down with the parents of a young religious and their daughter, Sr. Bernadette Rose from the Little Sisters of the Poor. Sister’s mother and father share the deeply personal journey of walking with their daughter as she discerned God’s call—from childhood observations to the first conversations to the joy of seeing her flourish as she followed her calling.

Listen as Sister’s parents relate how they dealt with questions and uncertainties, how they navigated other people’s reactions, and what they’ve experienced in trusting God with their daughter’s future. Their story offers encouragement and a reminder that a vocation is never lived alone—it unfolds in the heart of a family.

If you’re a parent accompanying a daughter in discernment, or a young person wondering how your own family might respond to your calling, this episode is for you!

Questions? Wish to be connected with resources? Desirevocation accompaniment? Contact us at [email protected] - and thanks in advance to those who kindly like/share/follow our podcast and leave us a comment; we Little Sisters of the Poor are so grateful!