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One Laywoman’s Story: Journey To Witnessby Rachelle C. Giuliani DOES GOD CALL laypeople for His work?Today’s Catholics often read about what the Pope and different cardinals, bishops, sisters and priests are doing, but seldom do they hear about the things lay people are doing for Christ.And some lay Catholics wonder if there is work for those who don’t feel called to the religious life. If you are one of the wondering lay Catholics, you may be interested in my story.I DONT know the exactmoment that the Lord called my name, but it was probably at my Baptism. All I know is that from earliest childhood I wanted to serve God in some special way, and I always assumed that this meant I should become a nun.So, after finishing high school I entered a convent, only to find (after almost two years of study) that God’scall to me wasn’t to the sisterhood. It took me a long time to accept this fact, but I left, returned to my home in Marquette, got a job at St. Luke’s hospital, and began mycollege studies.During that time I pondered the question. I still feel God’s call, but it doesn’t seem to be to the religious life. So, what does it mean ?I STRUGGLED with this,and decided that if I could leave God far away and out of my life ... if I could be rid of Him ... life would be much simpler than all this wondering and questioning. So I tried to put God out of my mind and concentrate on my studies and student — teaching.And I got myself accepted for graduate school at WesternMichigan university, and began hunting for a teaching job nearby. I had plans, but, I soon discovered, God had other plans. I wasn’t thinking about God then.JUST BEFORE I was scheduled to graduate, I went to the Red Cross in Kalamazoo, to see what kind of work they had for persons interested in helping the needy. I didn’t find exactly what I was looking for (a job as a teacher or paramedic) but I did get a job ... as a Red Cross recreation worker among our able bodied troops in Vietnam!And five weeks after graduation, I left family and friends and began my two week journey to Vietnam, viaWashington, D.C., where I was prepared, along with 42 otheryoung women, for the job we were about to begin.THUS BEGAN a 27 monthventure into the unknown, the “Third World’’. And I had no preparation for what was to come: the intense heat, the poor conditions, the low morale and morality of many of our fighting men.As a recreation worker I felt helpless amidst the drug,alcohol and other problems, but I knew our programs lightened the burdensof many of the men, if only for a shorttime.I LEARNED a lot inVietnam. I slowly began to really listen, to be more patient, more understanding, to be my super crazy self, because theguys loved it. We got to know each other. And many are the people I got to know in person, via letter, telephone and even radio (I learned to run a short wave radio and was a disc jockey for several(Continued on page 3)*
Newspaper Details
Marquette Upper Peninsula Catholic
Marquette, Michigan, US
Fri, Apr 25, 1975
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
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GB 01 May 2021
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Marquette Upper Peninsula Catholic
