Sister Carolyn Martin, L.S.P.

Sister Carolyn Martin, L.S.P. was a carefree teenager when she first met her community, the Little Sisters of the Poor, by happenstance. "They were happy,  genuinely happy," she recounts on a 2016 Moth Radio Hour segment, "I remember thinking, I see people racing all around frantically looking for happiness and these women in their poverty and simplicity, they have it!"  That hooked her, and she has now been with her community for 50+ years.

What roles do you play in vocation ministry?

I have had a passion for vocation ministry throughout my religious life and have done it concurrently with my assigned nursing and administrative duties. Right now I am on our national Vocation Team. For the NRVC, I've been a Talk it up Tuesday presenter, and I'll be on the board starting in September 2025.

Within my community I do a bimonthly vocation newsletter, and I maintain the discerner database. However, we work very collaboratively on almost everything—new initiatives, event planning, follow-up, etc.

Has being a member of the NRVC been helpful?

Yes! The educational programs are excellent. Talk it Up Tuesdays have been a wonderful perk to get us through the winter months each year with topics of real interest and value. The camaraderie between members and among communities has been awesome.

What's an approach that you've found useful?

While face-to-face contact with discerners is always preferable, the virtual skills we gained during the pandemic have an ongoing usefulness. They let us reach out to more people with the good news about the joy and fulfillment in consecrated life. 

Tell us about one of your favorite aspects of vocation ministry.

I love doing our “God Calling: Vocation Vibes” podcast.