A Call Through Relationship and Community — with Sr. John Mary, FSE
Season 2, Episode 13 | Originally aired on July 27, 2020
About the episode
"Over time, I realized that the love that I saw within my parents' relationship and the goodness and the joy, I was starting to experience through the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist, who became my sisters."
Sr. John Mary, FSE, is a Franciscan Sister of the Eucharist missioned to the Archdiocese of Vancouver. With a background as a Marriage and Family Therapist, a lot of Sr. John Mary's work focuses on helping others and sharing God's love with all she meets. It's no wonder, then, that she is part of a vibrant community of sisters who work and serve in all facets of society. In this episode, we talk to Sr. John Mary about the impact her parents' marriage had on her upbringing, her vocation story, and how she and her fellow sisters strive to bring the sacred into the secular.
Listen to the episode
Meet Sr. John Mary, FSE
Sr. John Mary Sullivan, a Franciscan Sister of the Eucharist, holds a Masters in Theological Studies from the John Paul II Institute at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She earned her Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy at Central Connecticut State University and did clinical work for eight years at the Franciscan Life Center, a psychiatric outpatient clinic in Connecticut. Sr. John Mary currently works for the Archdiocese of Vancouver as an associate director in Ministries and Outreach and is the coordinator for Marriage and Family Ministries.
Sr. John Mary was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona and brought up within a very close parish community. Her parents modelled for her and her sibling the beauty, joy and goodness of sacramental marriage. She is one of 10 children and was the first girl after six brothers. Coming after six older brothers she has always loved playing sports and is an avid sports fan. She is an aunt to 49 nieces and nephews, who are a great joy to her.
In addition to the strong relationships she has known within her own family, Sr. John Mary has been blessed with strong friendships throughout her life, including friendships with her coworkers and so many others within the Archdiocese of Vancouver.
One of Sr. John Mary’s greatest blessing in her life is her Community, the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist. The Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist were founded in 1973 by Mother Rosemae Pender and Mother Shaun Vergauwen. Within her Community, Sr. John Mary has come to know the love of God and the great privilege to be called into serves of God and His people. Through her vowed commitment to God, the Church and her Community, Sr. John Mary has experienced a fullness of life that is a great source of missionary fervour and joy.