(LifeSiteNews) — We often will not know where and when God will plant seeds for drawing us closer to Him, but there can be signs. Sometimes it is our family playing a hand in this coming to fruition.

Adrienne had been the secretary for Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Littleton, Colorado, for nearly 10 years, and a parishioner for longer.

Now a novice with the Daughters of Mary, Mother of Israel’s Hope in Winnsboro, Texas, Adrienne, now Sister Veronica, had a poignant return to Our Lady of Mount Carmel recently when she came back to the parish with her religious community’s founder for the women’s Return to Tradition Conference.

The fourth Return to Tradition Conference brought well over 200 women from numerous states in life to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, a parish of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, for presentations on restoring the family and living life authentically as a Catholic woman.

Mother Miriam of the Lamb of God, O.S.B., founder of the Daughters of Mary, Mother of Israel’s Hope religious community and a well-known podcast host, gave the keynote address for the 2025 women’s conference. She and Sister Veronica came back to Sister Veronica’s former parish home for the event, where Sister Veronica’s faith journey came full circle.

Sister Veronica had always felt she was meant to be in a convent and had also been a Secular Discalced Carmelite for 12 years. She began the process of discernment with a convent some years ago, but later determined the time was not right for her to enter.

“I knew I was meant to be there, but I knew I was meant to leave,” she said.

It was after this first dabbling with religious life that she came to Our Lady of Mount Carmel and found the Latin Mass. She was “enveloped in the culture of tradition” at the parish, she said.

Sister Veronica later began working in the office at Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Attending Mass and working there served to deepen her faith.

“There were so many things about the faith that I did not know,” Sister Veronica said. “There’s just so much we don’t know until you’re taught.”

She remarked on the beauty of the Traditional Latin Mass.

“It’s beautiful to go back to what our grandparents learned,” she added.

After her first Latin Mass she went out to breakfast with friends, and they asked her what she thought. She was particularly struck by the depth and beauty of the words at the Consecration.

More seeds were planted in her journey toward religious life while at the beach with friends over Labor Day in 2023. One friend asked about her experience in the first convent, and she replied that she knew she was meant to be there – but also meant to leave.

Another friend asked whether she had ever considered returning.

“And everything inside of me just went, ‘YES,’ Sister Veronica said. “It was like God instantly gave me this inspiration that ‘this is what I want you to do.’”

“And I didn’t expect that,” she said. “I was just on vacation at the beach. But I just instantly knew … I was just so happy and so elated.”

Sister Vernonica didn’t say anything about this to her friends, however, responding instead, “Well, whatever God wants.”

“But I knew from that moment, you need to look into convents and find one that accepts older vocations that prefer the Latin Mass,” she said.

This is a very narrow field.

Someone told her about Daughters of Mary, Mother of Israel’s Hope. Seven ladies are there now, ages 18 to 81, with an eighth planning to enter.

Sister Veronica took the next six or so months to go through her personal things, give things away, and get organized.

“I just knew that I was going into a convent because of that certitude with that moment,” she said.

She said she also knew that once she started looking at convents, it would be quick.

When she felt ready in July 2024 she began the inquiry process with the Daughters of Mary, Mother of Israel’s Hope, and then went for a two-week visit.

During the two weeks those inquiring stay as a retreatant, observing what the nuns do and joining in their activities as appropriate.

At the end of the two weeks, both she and the convent were ready for her to take the next steps.

“So, I came home after my retreat knowing, this is it, I’m moving, this is it,” she said.

She tied up more loose ends in her lay life over the next two months.

In the next phase as an aspirant one stays in secular clothes for a month, accompanying the nuns throughout their regular schedule, eating, helping, working. At the end of the month, if Mother thinks the aspirant is ready, she becomes a postulant.

At that time there is a ceremony where the postulant is clothed in the postulant outfit, which has a black head scarf, black skirt, and white blouse, with a scapular over the blouse. This stage lasts six months to a year.

“There are so many things to undo from the world,” Sister Veronica said. “You’re used to making your own decisions, conversation becomes more formal … modesty … how one carries themselves.”

The novice stage lasts two years and brings the full habit, which is blessed. At the end of the two years are the first, or simple, vows. This includes wearing a longer scapular and lasts three years.

Final vows come three years later, for six years in total. Then one has a black veil and becomes a Mother in the old Benedictine Rite.

In the weeks leading up to the Return to Tradition Conference at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Sister Veronica was clothed as a novice, her official entrance into the religious order. She cut her hair and took the habit and was given the religious name of Sister Veronica.

Fifteen Our Lady of Mount Carmel parishioners traveled to Texas for her clothing, some by plane and others making the 14-hour drive. Two were her goddaughters.

Sister Veronica has no biological family; Our Lady of Mount Carmel parishioners are her family.

“Since I worked there for 10 years,” she said. “It’s such a blessing to get to know people, you knew them when their husband died, family things, because they need a priest and so they call you and you really get to know people better.”

How did she feel having this group from Our Lady of Mount Carmel travel to be there for her for that moment?

“Just loved, really loved,” Sister Veronica said. “It’s beautiful, I’m so grateful, and honored that they would consider coming down.”

Conference founder Jane Brennan was part of the group from Our Lady of Mount Carmel that attended her clothing ceremony.

“It was so good to see Sister Veronica at the conference,” Brennan said. “She always was a volunteer each year when she was Adrienne.”

“We are all so happy for her,” said Brennan. “She’s found her place, and she’s settled and at peace.”

With this year’s Return to Tradition conference theme being on the family, and the family being a central theme of the Daughters of Mary, Mother of Israel’s Hope community, it all came together, she said.

“Like a homecoming,” Sister Veronica said.

She said she has learned a lot in the last two years. When she felt the call this time, she was a lot more ready, more spiritually mature, so she had more discipline.

“We really have to work hard towards God and cooperate with the graces we’re given, and then we’re given more grace,” Sister Veronica said. “Because only according to how much you cooperate determines how much more grace you’re given.”

She stressed the importance of continuing to speak the truth of the family and the Catholic faith, because even if someone doesn’t seem like they are receptive, they are still listening – and one may plant a seed, like the seeds she had.

“Just keep speaking the truth and bringing glory and honor to God and doing everything for the greater glory of God,” said Sister Veronica, “and God will take care of the rest.”

The 2026 Return to Tradition Women’s Conference is scheduled for September 25-26, 2026.