Laboure Society
“This is what I believe God is calling me to − a life of service and ministry not from the pulpit, but among the community, using my actions more than my words.”
Meet the rest of my class
My name is Kyle Hudson. I am called to serve God and live by the example of St. Francis as a friar with the Conventual Franciscan Friars (Province of Our Lady of Consolation). This is my story.
I grew up in Texas, within a loving Catholic family. Though we attended Mass weekly, we didn’t discuss the Faith much at home. When my grandparents needed hands-on care, they moved in with us. This not only provided me with an appreciation for the sick and aged, but also an up-close understanding of the importance of serving others.
The COVID-19 pandemic struck during my senior year of high school, and I spent many weeks quarantined at home. Isolated from my peers and society, I spent my days in empty pursuits such as TV and video games. Through time, I fell away from the Church due to a lack of Mass attendance.
As I was about to start my freshman year of college, I thought seriously about what I wanted to do with my life. One night on the internet, I found a discussion of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Learning about Our Lady set a fire within my heart that grew into a devotion to Mary, which in turn led me back to the Church.
Following my return to the Church, parishioners often asked me if I’d thought about the priesthood. After dating a few great girls in college, they, too, asked me, one after another, following the end of our relationships, if I’d considered being a priest. I began to realize that God was telling me something.
I looked into the diocesan priesthood as well as a few different religious orders, but nothing seemed like a fit. I began to think perhaps I was not cut out for a religious vocation after all.
Then I heard a talk on the difference between joy and happiness. Happiness is like a bowl of ice cream: enjoyable in the moment, but after an hour, the feeling dissipates. Joy, on the other hand, is the ever-lasting peace one feels in a loving relationship with God. I realized that this joy was what I longed to attain, and decided to give discernment of a religious vocation another try.
In prayer, I turned to my confirmation saint: Maximilian Kolbe. I thought, “Perhaps if I follow the path this great saint took…” which led me to the Franciscan Order to which he belonged: the Franciscan Friars Conventual.
I attended the ordination of a Franciscan Friar. During the Eucharistic prayer, all of the friar priests went up to the altar, while the friar brothers remained in the pews, sitting among the people. It struck me: THIS is what I believe God is calling me to – a life of service and ministry not from the pulpit, but among the community, using my actions more than my words. I had found where I belong.
The Franciscans bring people to Christ primarily through prayer and their work in nursing homes, schools, soup kitchens, and retreat centers. Their dedication to helping the poor, homeless, sick, dying, and marginalized strikes a chord within me. My experience with my grandparents growing up enabled me to see the beauty of serving others; I now wish to dedicate my life to serving those in need.
I look forward to becoming a friar and pouring out my love to those who are struggling and oppressed. I want to show them that God truly loves them, and that their lives are unique and beautiful.
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: kylehudson@rescuevocations.org
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