“This was the Lord’s idea”

Sister Maria Faulkner fully credits God for a remarkable story that has led to the creation of the Saint John Paul II Dwelling for the Dying in Moore.
 
For many, the home is an answer to special prayers for a place to lovingly care for those near death.
 
Since 2013, Sister Maria has operated the Gospel of Life Dwelling or GOLD near Saint James the Greater in south Oklahoma City. GOLD is home to elderly residents who face homelessness or have no one to care for them.  
 
Over the years, the story of the Gospel of Life Dwelling has been chronicled in the Sooner Catholic, The Oklahoman and even in national news. A recent story that appeared in The Oklahoma over the summer featured Sister Maria’s work with GOLD’s expansion into the Norman area.
 
One of the readers of that article was Sherry Gottschalk of The Gottschalk Realty office in Norman. As she read about the mission, she realized she knew just the place for this new dwelling. It was a special home their office was trying to sell near the border of Moore and Norman.
 
The property was called the "Home of Love & Dreams," and had been the residence of a large Catholic family who was so inspired by their faith, they built a beautiful chapel.
 
Since 2002, the house had been home for the Babb Family and their 12 children, including seven children with special needs adopted by Dirk and Anne Babb. 
 
The property includes a nearly 8,000-square-foot two-story farmhouse with seven bedrooms, a large kitchen, a barn, a guesthouse and a chapel that seats about 20 people. The chapel was a special request by Anne Babb, who said she always felt God was there.
 
"As devoted Christians we wanted a visible sign of our faith," she said. 
 
Years ago, when her husband passed, and most of the children had grown, Anne Babb began to think about selling the home. She put it on the market in April 2017. She kept praying for a special ministry to further her mission of Christian love on the property.  
 
Knowing of the desire to find a mission worthy of the home, Sherry Gottschalk called Sister Maria, whose love of the elderly and dying impressed her.  
 
"I believe it was the Holy Spirit that moved me," Gottschalk said. "This idea just kept popping into my heart."
 
But, Sister Maria was resistant. Initially, she didn’t agree to see the property, but finally set a time to meet.
 
"The home was so big and beautiful, I figured it was too much for what we were trying to do," Sister Maria recalled.
 
The very day Sister Maria viewed the site, Anne Babb had an offer on the table from someone else who planned to remove any faith items in the home and demolish the chapel. She had begun to pray that the property would go to someone who would use it to serve others. 
 
After viewing the site, Sister Maria began a novena to prayerfully consider what God desired.
 
After receiving many signs and confirmations during the novena, she opened up to the idea. She consulted with Archbishop Coakley and with the help of a generous donor, the Gospel of Life Association closed on the property in September.
 
On Sept. 18, Archbishop Coakley blessed the new Saint John Paul II Dwelling for the Dying and celebrated Mass in the newly named Good Shepherd Chapel.
 
On Oct. 16, the dwelling will receive her first three residents – a 97-year-old man, a 91-year-old woman and a 56-year-old man with cancer. On Oct. 21 and 22, there will be an open house at 4113 S. Eastern Ave. On Oct. 21, it will be from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. On Oct. 22, it will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
 
Sister Maria said she hopes others will embrace this mission to accompany the dying with life-affirming care and become "lifeguards" who volunteer to help. 
 
"The timing of this and the circumstances were such that I know God is fulfilling what He wants," she said. "Everyone should know this was the Lord's idea."
 
Steve Gust is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.