Get to Know Megan Murray, the New Assistant Director of Religious Education at St. Mary

You may notice a new face around St. Mary’s. The parish recently named Megan Murray as its new Assistant Director of Religious Education.

From living out her faith abroad, to nearly taking her final vows as a religious sister, Megan brings a wealth of experiences to her new role that are sure to bring the youngest members of our parish closer to The Lord.

Get to know her story.

Tell Us About Your Family

I am from Peotone and am one of five children. I am the middle child, and there are three girls and two boys all together. My older sister is married and lives in Florida. My younger brother is married and has four young children. They are parishioners here at St. Mary, and their two eldest children attend St. Mary School. My younger sister lives in New York and my older brother lives near home.

What Role has the Catholic Faith Played in Your Life?

I attended Catholic schools my whole life. I went to St. Joseph School in Manhattan for grade school, Providence for high school, and the Franciscan University of Steubenville for college where I studied biology.

I grew up in a Catholic family, and my parents did a good job raising us with Christian morals and always emphasized the importance of family. I didn’t really do much beyond Sunday Mass, though, until a grade school friend of mine opened my eyes to the faith, teaching me various prayers and the Rosary. This growth continued to develop in high school when my entire family and I went to a Catholic summer camp called “Catholic Familyland.” This experience transformed our whole family, helping us form a personal relationship with God and guided my decision in choosing a Catholic university.”

How Did You Join a Religious Order?

I first started considering a religious vocation at age 16 or 17. In college, after breaking up with my then-boyfriend, I started discerning joining the Servant Sisters of the Home of the Mother. After graduation, I began a Master’s program in Theology with a concentration in Marriage and Family at the John Paul II Institute. At that time, I heard that the Sisters were hosting a pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Madrid and wanted to go. I had very little money at the time and couldn’t afford it, but a very generous individual decided to sponsor me. That’s when I felt that Our Lady had wanted me with that order of Sisters. After the trip, I joined the order as a candidate and moved to Jacksonville, FL.

What was Your Experience Like When You Were Becoming a Sister?

I was consecrated with the Servant Sisters of the Home of the Mother for a total of 11 years. There were various stages of formation. For the first two and a half years, I was a ‘candidate’ where I got used to living simply and learned to practice the virtues of poverty, chastity, and obedience. During this time, I was still living out in the world instead of in the convent.

In the second stage, which lasted two years, I became a ‘novitiate’ and learned how to live as a sister and what the vows mean. This is when I started wearing my habit and moved to a convent in Spain. I took Temporal Vows for the next six years as I got more and more involved in the order. During this time, our order had founded a new community in Ireland, and I went there in 2017 to help get it off the ground.

All of this formation culminates in a sister taking her final vows and becoming a permanent member of the order. As I got closer to those final vows, I realized that I wasn’t at peace with the permanence of it and, this past September, I discerned out of the order. I am so grateful for my experience as a Sister and see it all as a part of God’s plan for my life! I have no regrets of giving those years of my life to Him. He’s worth giving your life to.

What Brought You to St. Mary?

When I returned to the U.S. last Fall after leaving the religious order, it was a huge period of transitioning back to regular life. It took a lot of adjusting, and I was looking for the next step.

I had started going to Mass and Adoration at St. Mary because I found it to be really beautiful here. It kind of became a second home for me. I was even invited to give a women’s ministry talk on the Eucharist, which I did. After that talk, one of the women told me about the job opening for my current position. I had seen the position before and, after hearing about it again, decided to apply. Things moved fast, and I got the job!

I feel like the Lord wants me here because, as a Sister, I worked a lot with children and families, so I have a lot of experience in that area. I love working for the Church and want to contribute and give back. I know I can grow and be challenged at St. Mary’s.

What Do You Hope to Accomplish Here?

I hope to continue giving back and deepening the children in their faith. I want them to go beyond catechesis, or simply knowing about the faith, and learning to love the Lord more. One thing I’ve done in my first couple of weeks on the job is to design a Stations of the Cross booklet for the R.E. children. I’m also helping plan a Catholic summer camp for the kids at St. Mary.

What Are Your Favorite Hobbies & Spiritual Activities?

I enjoy cooking and like to make soups! As a Sister, we had the custom of eating soup every evening for supper. I guess I got used to making soup out of anything. I go to daily Mass, attend Eucharistic Adoration regularly, and pray the Rosary.