Picture this: Profile of Sister Desiré Anne-Marie Findlay, C.S.S.F

Have you always wanted to be a sister?
I pondered becoming an astronaut or a veterinarian, but I did wonder about religious life. After I graduated from college I decided to become a part of the life I had often pictured myself in.

How did you meet your community?
On a pilgrimage to a Marian shrine in Chimayó, New Mexico. I signed up for the walk at the urging of my Spanish college professor. She said it would be “fun and cultural.” I had no idea that it was 100 miles or that it was a pilgrimage for vocations.

What drew you to religious life?
It was initially because the relationships were very profound and genuine.

Best ministry experience?
I got to spend a month with our sisters who manage the Blessed Angela Spirituality Center Among the Poor. It’s “centered” in the streets of Pomona, California, where addiction, homelessness, and human trafficking are rampant.

What’s your favorite food?
I try to eat healthy, but I could probably eat pizza and pancakes every day—burritos, too.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?
When I was a novice, after a rain earthworms would be squirming about on the sidewalk, sometimes by the hundreds. So I started plucking them off the sidewalk and throwing them onto the grass. Later I found out that Saint Francis of Assisi used to do the same!

Any words of wisdom for those considering religious life?
All I can offer is the reminder I often receive from my mentor: Stay close to Jesus.