By Jean Ann Miller
Summertime is now a memory, but during that time, Sisters Denise Glazik and Mary Jo Sobieck filled their days preaching the gospel with their lives. Sister Denise has been the vocation director for the sisters since 2019. Sister Mary Jo, who taught for many years at Marian Catholic High School, Chicago Heights, Ill., has filled the last few years with Spanish-language learning and intercultural immersion. She is joining Sister Denise in the vocation office, and they are taking new titles to indicate a new approach to vocation ministry for the congregation. Sister Mary Jo will be the minister of vocation animation, and Sister Denise, the minister of vocation accompaniment. We asked them to share how the events of the summer have touched their spirits.
Sister Mary Jo attended a celebration honoring Pope Leo XIV at Rate Field, home ballpark of the Chicago White Sox and the National Religious Vocation Conference vocation training in Leavenworth, Kansas.
“In this era of social media, with so much time spent consuming information on our devices, to choose the name Leo indicates to me a desire perhaps by the pope to redirect those energies toward helping us all, especially the youth, navigate what it means instead to live the truth only found in Jesus Christ,” wrote Sister Mary Jo.
“In his preaching at Rate Field, Pope Leo spoke directly to young people. He encouraged them to lean into their anxiety, confusion, and loneliness, to listen for the voice of God speak to their hearts, to ‘be not afraid’ to follow where God is calling them,” she continued.
“His invitation for the youth to risk going where God leads, made me feel I had a kindred spirit in my new ministry of vocation promotion. Considering he, served as vocation director for the Augustinians of the Midwest Province, who better for me to have as a partner? We, too, are going places.”
Sister Denise Glazik participated in the collaborative Dominican Sisters’ service immersion experience in Chicago, the Dominican High School Preaching Conference and Faith Camp.
“I was enlightened by these young adults who were so willing to serve others and their willingness to grow their faith,” Sister Denise said. “Their willingness to work with the poor, learn social justice and put their faith in action showed collaboration, part of our Dominican heritage,” she concluded.
“There’s no better time to be a Preacher of truth. We have a profound opportunity at this time in history to evangelize the world by cultivating honest living in a culture of prevalent lies,” wrote Sister Mary Jo.
“Particularly as Dominicans, ours is a clarion call to respond to the global hunger for credibility with a prophetic voice in our varied ministries and together as one Dominican Family. If we can do that, it will come to pass that we will produce thirty, sixty and a hundredfold long into the future.”
Sister Denise said she gained insight into a bright future.
“I saw that each of the four Dominican pillars (prayer, study, community and preaching) were present at these events. I loved seeing the pillars, lived out and valued by the youth and young adults. It gives me hope about the future and will make life better, truer and more beautiful,” said Sister Denise.
