Laboure Society
“I prayed with a heart full of gratitude, asking the Lord how I could ever thank Him enough. He responded with the invitation to give Him everything.”
Meet the rest of my class
My name is Brooke Dircks. I am called to radiate the light of the Gospel to everyone as a sister with the Daughters of St. Paul. This is my story.
I was raised Catholic, attending Catholic school through high school, and Mass most Sundays with my family. I had the simple faith of a child. However, when I was eleven years old, I experienced some challenging events that shattered my faith. During my adolescence, I strayed far from God.
Throughout high school, I struggled, but things began to improve during college. I found a passion for classical music and poured myself into my studies and performances. Despite the happiness that came from this pursuit, I was not at peace. I craved stability and relationship.
When live music ceased during the COVID-19 pandemic, I moved home. A close friend, the music director at my childhood parish, invited me to serve as a cantor. I accepted the position with no intention of returning to the Faith; however, God had different plans. After about a year, I found myself listening to the readings and homilies with genuine interest.
The priests preached often about the need for confession. Each week I resolved to go, only to end up putting it off for another week. Finally, at a friend’s invitation, I went. It was my first confession in sixteen years, and the graces I received surpassed anything I could have imagined.
The following week, I attended Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Kneeling, I prayed, “Come, Holy Spirit.” At first my mind wandered, but eventually, I fixed my gaze upon the monstrance, and suddenly I knew that Jesus was truly there. I was moved to tears as I recognized Jesus’ presence and love in a deeper way than I ever had before. In the silence of Adoration, God revealed Himself to me and began to transform me.
I began attending daily Mass, prayed often, and became involved in my parish. For the first time in a very long time, I found peace. Shortly after this, while on a family trip to Greece, I experienced a profound encounter with God. Surrounded by the beauty of the natural world, I prayed with a heart full of gratitude, asking the Lord how I could ever thank Him enough. He responded with the invitation to give Him everything. I desired to do so and began thinking about religious life.
Though I questioned why God would call me when I had been away from Him for so long, I could not stop thinking about religious life. I spoke with a priest about this desire and he advised that I focus on my relationship with Jesus. In response, I began going to Adoration as often as I could. I was intentional in prayer, bringing everything to Jesus. Months went by, and I realized that I had fallen totally in love with Jesus – and that He was totally in love with me!
I began researching religious communities, and when I discovered the Daughters of St. Paul, I was intrigued. As I spent time with them, I was moved by their warmth, welcome, and contagious joy. I love that despite being very active, the sisters are completely rooted in the Eucharistic Lord. Everything begins with Jesus.
I desire to join them in sharing the love of Jesus with others, especially those who, like me, wandered away for a while. There is nothing greater than the Lord’s love, and I am confident that, with His grace, I can and will spread it.
Please pray for me and for my fellow Labouré classmates on our vocation journeys. Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have at: brookedircks@rescuevocations.org
Download a PDF of my story
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