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October 31, 2019Darby Heard put on a blessed habit and a white veil Aug. 1 in a ceremony that marked her transition from postulant to novice with the Sisters of Saint Francis of Perpetual Adoration. She also put on her new name, Sister Mary Consolata.
“That was the name the Lord put on my heart,” said Sister Consolata, whose namesake is Our Lady of Consolation. “Mary is the consoler of the afflicted. We’re called to abide with others in their afflictions.”
How did a schoolgirl from Yukon, Oklahoma, go from “skipping down the hallways” to pursuing a life dedicated to adoration and works of mercy in Mishawaka, Indiana?
It started her freshman year at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School when she read the autobiography of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, “The Story of a Soul.”
It sparked the thought, “Maybe I could do that – give myself to the Lord.”
Throughout high school “little moments would bring it back up,” until it eventually became a persistent question, Sister Consolata said.
But, college also was calling Darby Heard. She had been accepted to East Central University in Ada and she wanted to go. “That human nature, that really is the kicker,” she said.
During a summer internship at the University of Notre Dame, she discovered the nearby Sisters of Saint Francis of Perpetual Adoration. She visited the convent the following summer to experience what life with the sisters would be like and was moved by the intense joy and peace they shared.
After graduating with degrees in studio art and molecular biology, Darby Heard entered the order as a postulant in September 2018.
Following the call
Only a half dozen young women from the archdiocese currently are postulants or novices.
“It’s so contrary to our culture. It’s also a struggle in our archdiocese because no religious orders are based here,” said Father Brian Buettner, vocations director.
“We have very small number of religious sisters here and most of them are retired,” Father Buettner said. “Part of my job is to recruit religious orders to come here.”
In the meantime, the archdiocese works with the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious to help young women investigate their calling and get ready to take the next step. The council encompasses 120 communities of women religious in the United States.
“It can be hard living with a bunch of other women and figuring out who you are,” said Sister Consolata, who lives with two postulants and three novices who are one year ahead of her.
“We are in formation together to grow in what it means to be a bride of Christ and to live in communion together to learn how to be Christ to one another.”
The transition to religious life meant moving away from her parents, Don and Denise Heard, and her younger brothers, Dakota and Donovan.
“Initially, it was difficult leaving home and leaving the relationships behind,” Sister Consolata said. “My role is now to be a prayer warrior for them. That separation was a big challenge.”
Denise Heard said it is both exciting and challenging for the family.
“We’re on the journey with her,” she said. “I’m learning every day how to be the parent of a nun.”
Sister Consolata said she has found great beauty in the Liturgy of the Hours, the perpetual adoration the sisters have kept since their founding in 1863, and their ministries in education and health care.
“I’ve been really struck by the sisters, by what they’ve done in their lives,” she said. “The Holy Spirit is working through those vows and it will continue to happen as long as we’re faithful to him.”
Growing vocations
The archdiocese will host its first vocations retreat for young women in high school and college next year from Aug. 5-8.
“I’m so excited. I think it will be a great help,” said Father Buettner, pastor of Blessed Sacrament in Lawton. “I know that in my parish alone I have young men and women who are being called to be nuns and priests that might not follow it.”
It’s up to the parishioners in every church to encourage young people and ask them if they hear God’s call, he said.
“That’s how the culture of vocations is going to grow in Oklahoma.”
K.S. McNutt is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.
For information about vocations, go online to okcvocations.com, e-mail Fr. Brian Buettner at bbuettner@archokc.org or go to @okcvocations on Facebook or Instagram.
Photo above: Darby Heard carries her blessed habit and veil Aug. 1 during the ceremony that marked her transition from postulant to novice with the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration.
Photo top: Sr. Mary Consolata smiles when she puts on her veil as a new sister. Photos Sr. Benedicta.
