by: Sr. Cathy Buchanan, OP

Some of my college students at Albertus Magnus College ask me how it feels to "move around" a lot as I live out the vocation of a religious sister. I explain to them that this "moving around" is called itinerancy, and it is how the Gospel message continues to be spread around the world. I tell them that itinerancy is about "moving around" to meet the needs of the people of God and to advance the Gospel mission, as Jesus did. 

I like to tell students the stories of women in scripture who followed Jesus and helped spread the Gospel back then, such as: 

• In Matthew 27, we learn that "there were many women there looking on from a distance who had followed Jesus from Galilee."  Travelling this distance to Jerusalem would have been a long, probably dangerous, and not very easy journey for these women.

• In Mark 15: 40-41, we read that there were "many other women who came up with Jesus to Jerusalem."
  
  
• In Luke's Gospel, we know that there were women who accompanied Jesus in his itinerant preaching and healing ministries. In Luke 8:2, it says, "And some women who had been cured and many others who provided for them out of their resources."

I tell my students that many women were dedicated followers during Jesus' earthly ministry. It seems that many of these women were independent and had an itinerant spirit. I sense that these women left everything behind and traveled in rough conditions to faithfully follow and minister with Jesus. There is little doubt in my mind that Jesus welcomed these women and valued their willingness to "move around."

In my conversations with students, I share that Jesus didn't just roam the land of Israel with his 12 disciples; much of the time, faithful women followers also joined him. Even if we don't always know these women's names, they still contributed greatly to Jesus' mission. One thing is certain -- over the past 2,000 years, many more women have remained faithful itinerant followers of Jesus and have served him unconditionally, even if their work calls them to be ready to "move around" to where they are needed. I tell my students that Jesus continues to call people to vocations in religious life, and there is value in an itinerant ministry.

Religious Sisters are one example within the Church of those who "move around" and minister within the beautiful mosaic that is the Body of Christ. Let us pray for many more people to follow Jesus who are willing to "move around" for the sake of the Gospel mission.

If you feel moved by the Holy Spirit to explore a call to religious life as a Sister, consider contacting one of our Vocation Ministers for a conversation and attending one of our many discernment events.