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Sister Colleen O’Toole makes profession of perpetual vows

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Sister Colleen O’Toole made her perpetual profession of vows on Saturday, May 28, in the Church of the Resurrection in Cincinnati, Ohio, her parish during her years in ministry in that city. Colleen’s parents, Liz and John, her sisters and brother, and extended family joined the ILT and Sisters of Mercy from Cincinnati, Buffalo, Rochester and a number of other places to witness the profession. The ceremony was also livestreamed, with viewers from across the United States, as well as in South America, the Philippines, Ireland, England and New Zealand.

During her Instruction on the Vows, Sister Cora Marie Billings referred to the first reading (1 Kings 19:11-13), telling Colleen that “sometimes God comes in the tornadoes; sometimes God comes in the hurricanes; sometimes God comes in fire; sometimes God comes in just a whisper. But God is always there and comes to us. What I find, and what I have to say to myself is ‘Am I ready and listening when God comes? Am I there and paying attention and listening to the whispers?’”

Cora Marie also credited Colleen’s parents for her commitment to the fourth vow of service: “A lot of that you got from John and Liz. They taught you and your siblings what the fourth vow was. It was almost as though they had a fourth vow too.”


Watch Sister Colleen’s Vow Ceremony below: