A Vocation Story: Sr. Maruca's Journey to Joy-Filled Service

My name is Sr. Maruca Ramírez López. I am from Santa Ana Huista, Huehuetenango, Guatemala. Since I was a teenager, I was involved with youth ministry at my parish in Santa Ana. I helped the youth committee plan activities like retreats and vocational fairs. We would go visit families for a week or for a weekend. One day, my friend, Fr. Efraín Mérida Alva, told me he noticed that I liked to talk about vocation themes with the youth. Then, he asked, “What about you?” That question resonated in my mind for a while. 

 The Diocese of Huehuetenango has vocation fairs three times a year. I had never been interested in attending them. However, my friends invited me to attend and discover my vocation. In 2016, I finally decided to go. In the first meeting, I met several religious Sisters from different congregations, but I was shy in approaching them. In the second meeting, I saw a Sister who was not dressed in a habit. I thought that all Sisters dressed in habits, so I was curious about her. I approached and asked her if she was a religious. She answered “Yes”. I continued asking her why she did not wear a habit. She responded that wearing a habit was optional in her congregation. That was something new for me. That sister was Sr. Marisol Cruz. She was the first CCVI Sister I met. In the third meeting, each congregation shared their charism and spirituality, and we also got the opportunity to talk personally with them and ask as many questions as we wanted. After those events, Sr. Marisol and I kept in touch for two years. Even though I did not give her an answer, she did not give up on me. 

 Later, Sr. María Ubalda became the vocation director, and in December 2018, she and Sr. Magdalena Rodríguez, without even having met me, invited me to a workshop in Pachalí, San Lucas Sacatepequez, where our retreat house is. I decided to go only out of curiosity. When I met them, I was amazed by their joy. They were always smiling, and it attracted me. I was wondering what made them so joyful.  After my experience of sharing with them, the question of Fr. Efraín resonated in my mind again: “What about you?” In 2019, I decided to take time to learn more about the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word by visiting them frequently. Sr. María Ubalda and Sr. Magdalena proposed a live-in experience for me for one month at El Amparo in Huehuetenango. I accepted and enjoyed it so much that I asked to stay for two more weeks. El Amparo taught me a lot about love and serving with gladness. Since that time, I felt called by God to serve his people with a smile like our Sisters. After discerning and praying, on January 3rd 2020, I left my grandparents’ house. On January 5th, I joined the congregation as an affiliate, and my adventure with God started. I thanked God for my parents and friends, who always supported me. Every day, I feel called by God. I ask for the grace to continually respond to him with a joyful “Yes!” I also thank our CCVI sisters for their love and prayers toward me. Praised be the Incarnate Word. Forever, Amen.