"Maybe the article could be titled 'How Lovely is Your Dwelling Place, O Lord'. That line was often my prayer during my live-in."

So began Olivia's email in which she shared about her Passionist monastery visit. I thought you all would enjoy hearing from a young woman who spent a week living in the monastery with us, discerning Passionist life.

Hello. I am Olivia, and I am seventeen years old. I am from a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. In the summer of 2014, I went on a nun run, and we visited the Passionist nuns. During this first visit to the Passionists I felt such immense peace, but I was also frightened that I liked a cloistered order so much. The peace greatly outweighed my fears, and I left with tears in my eyes and a sense that the monastic Passionist life was for me.

Over the following year, I e-mailed with Sr. John Mary. I also started going to spiritual direction, and I grew in understanding that my heart’s desire was for Passionist life.

A little over a month ago, I went for a week-long live-in at the monastery. I got to participate in the community’s daily schedule. During Liturgy of the Hours and community prayer, especially, I felt greater senses of  heaven, the Communion of Saints, and Jesus and Mary’s aching Hearts. Recreation was always joyous; I was always amazed at the end when the bell would ring and we would enter back into silence. I also really enjoyed doing simple work around the monastery. Altogether, it was probably the best week ever.

Now, I am beginning the sixth week of my senior year of high school, and I am trying to do God’s will and be close to his Son. So please keep me in your prayers, and you all will be in mine.

A bullet list of Olivia's Passionist favorites!

• Divine Office and the way you pray it

• Brides of Christ

• With Mary at the Foot of the Cross

• Daily Mass

• The habit

• Fasting and Abstaining

• Penitential

• JOY!

• Time spent outdoors

• Sandals

• Sense of community

• Recreation

• Silence

• Eucharistic Adoration

• Divine Mercy Chaplet