Posing in front of the Habitat House in Phoenix, left to right: Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Noreen Joyce, Dottie Deger, Carmen Silva and Jan Bohn (circa 2000).
While many Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur joined the Congregation after being taught by the Sisters, there are exceptions. Keep reading to learn more about Sister Carmen Silva, SNDdeN, and her experiences with the ministry in Phoenix.
Before you became a Sister, you had a career in law enforcement. What changed?
I was born and raised in Springerville, Arizona, and got my bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Northern Arizona University. I went straight to work as a deputy sheriff and then as a probation officer. While I was still in college, I became involved in the Cursillo Movement. It sent my life in a whole new direction.
What is the Cursillo Movement, and how did it impact you?
Cursillo is a weekend retreat that encourages people to deepen their Catholic faith. I was part of the formation teams at the Mount Claret Cursillo Center for 20 years, and that was when I met the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. Sister Jan Bohn, SNDdeN, was one of the spiritual directors at the Center. She formed a prayer group and from that group evolved the first Associates in Phoenix. Sister Meg Walsh was in that group too.
How did you first recognize the call to religious life?
Sister Jan asked me, “Have you ever considered religious life?” I told her, “Not really.” I was very satisfied in my professional life at the time. Then I began to see religious life as a way to use my gifts and talents for a bigger purpose. I really loved how the Sisters were very welcoming to me, my family and my culture, and I loved St. Julie’s call to embrace diversity.
You celebrated your final vows at the Cursillo Center chapel in 1999. Then what?
The Sisters were invited to build a house in the country’s first planned community designed by Habitat for Humanity, and I was the point person for the Sisters’ house during construction. There were around 200 homes, and we lived among the people we were serving there in south Phoenix. We later purchased another house in the neighborhood, and it allowed us to open a Notre Dame Ministry Center. I was the first director of Notre Dame Mission Volunteers-AmeriCorps in Phoenix for 12 years.
What aspect of that ministry are you most proud of when you look back?
I loved working with young people to help them become leaders, learn job skills, get their GED certificates and see them become employed. Every day, we demonstrated our charism without ever speaking of it directly.
What are you most grateful for?
I look back at the blessing of the Sisters who I journeyed with in Arizona. In my culture, the extended family is very important, and the Sisters became part of my extended family. My entire family embraced them. It’s a unique story, and I’m proud of the special connections I have made.