Sister M. Damaris Dorobisz OSF

When I look at the path of my vocation I see that it was a process. When I was a teenager my grandfather, whom I loved and who was close to me, died. At the time I did not understand the meaning of the loss; rebellion arose and I stopped going to Church. This lasted for two years. On my path of life appeared a boy. I was delighted with his family, their authenticity and mutual love, which flowed from living participation in the life of the Church. One day he suggested that I go with him to a formation meeting of the World-Life Movement (Oasis), I resisted this internally, but after some time I agreed. I remember to this day from that meeting the radiant faces of those people and the incredible joy on their faces. Then I thought “I want to do that too…”. I went to my parish and in front of the image of Jesus the Merciful I said: “If you exist – prove it to me!” I was invited by the Oasis to a five day retreat, where I experienced the immense grace of hugging Jesus with love in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.

I undertook formation in Oasis, which influenced the development of my spiritual life. I began to participate daily in the Eucharist, to study the Word of God, to enter more deeply into a friendly relationship with Jesus. At one of the Oasis retreats there was a passage from the Gospel according to St. Mark to ponder, in which the words “Follow me…” stopped me hard and struck me these words worked very much in me and thoughts of joining a Congregation arose.

But I diligently rejected these thoughts, explaining to Jesus that, after all, I had a boyfriend. Another year passed, and this desire intensified to be exclusively there for Jesus. I was at another retreat, where in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament I heard in my heart “It is I who loves you…”, a stream of tears flowed from my eyes. But I continued to tell myself that I only imagined this vocation.

Over the next year, Jesus admonished gently in various ways. I felt in my heart that I wanted immensely to be there all for Him, but I didn’t know for sure if this came from Him. And so I decided to part ways with my boyfriend to discern the vocation for yet another year. During this time I found our congregation on the Internet. I went to Oldrzychowice Klodzkie, and being there I felt that this was it…

After many internal battles, I left a world in which I had close friends, family and Oasis with which I was strongly connected. I entrusted them all to the Lord and on October 4, 2017 I entered the pre-novitiate. It was difficult to leave my loved ones seeing their crying and despair, but the Lord gave me the strength and grace to go through it. Since the day I entered, my heart has been permeated with peace and happiness from experiencing a living relationship with the Lord Jesus and His Loving Heart. I am grateful to God for calling me and giving me the strength to answer His call.