Florida Catholic | God's Housewife

Sister Anita receives a crown of flowers from Archbishop John Favalora.

ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FC
Archbishop John C. Favalora prepares to place a crown of flowers on Sister Anita's head, symbolizing her espousal, or her bond of love, to Christ.

God’s ‘housewife’

If her vocation is rare, it seems even more so considering her background.

ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FLORIDA CATHOLIC

Published: 12.21.07

Sister Anita is the youngest of three children, and the only girl. She came to the United States at age 9 and graduated from Coral Gables Senior High School before earning a psychology degree from Florida International University.

While in college, she began attending prayer groups and taking courses with the Siervos de Cristo Vivo (Servants of the Living Christ), a lay association founded by the late Father Emiliano Tardif. Little by little, she became more and more involved in the life of the church.

“I was very attracted to the Blessed Sacrament, to the Eucharist,” Sister Anita said.

Then she found out about the existence of the cloistered Carmelites and stopped by for a visit. She said she did not think much of them at first, but “a restlessness inside me urged me to return.”

She started attending classes they offered every Saturday and “felt God calling me more.”

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God’s ‘housewife’

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