Long road of faith leads Texan to Holy Angels Convent

While growing up, novice sister kept crossing paths with Olivetan Benedictine order

By Aprille Hanson
Little Rock Correspondent

When Jessica Luttmer was about 18 years old, she had an hour to spare between working two jobs and said she felt that God was telling her to use that time to pray at adoration. It was this simple sacrifice to his will that changed her life.

“It was on a Friday about 2 p.m., and I was praying my rosary and it felt like someone was there with me. And I was alone,” the 21-year-old said. “Everyone kept asking me what do you want to do when you grow up, what do you want to be, and I never knew. I had this feeling in my heart that God was calling me to religious life.”

Luttmer — now known as Novice Catherine after St. Catherine of Siena — moved into Holy Angels Convent in Jonesboro on July 30, 2012, in hopes of taking her final vows as an Olivetan Benedictine sister in six years.

“She has a dedication to the Blessed Sacrament and love for being in his presence,” said Sister Ann Marie Ferricher, the formation director for Holy Angels Convent. “This relationship makes her stand out spiritually.”

Luttmer will take her first vows in 2014.

“It’s been great. I’ve been taking classes to learn about the Benedictine ways, I’m learning from St. Benedict about how he wants us to be,” Luttmer said. “I’m learning also about the ways of the nuns and why do we say the prayers that we say.”

The youngest of five children growing up in Lindsay, Texas, Luttmer said the Catholic faith was always a big part of her life at St. Peter Church.

“As a child I was raised to always go to my religion classes and never miss church on Sundays,” Luttmer said.

In eighth grade, Luttmer first visited Holy Angels. Nuns from Holy Angels were once stationed at St. Peter Church in Lindsey, and many young women from that community joined the Jonesboro convent.

“My eighth-grade year I came to visit with a bunch of other eighth-graders, and I just thought, ‘Here I’m visiting and whatever,’ not thinking too much about the trip,” Luttmer said. “I started actually visiting in 2008, I kind of liked the sisters then. I never had my calling or knew anything about it though. I liked coming here and it really felt nice, it was calming and relaxing. I would never imagine living here (at the time).”

After graduating from high school, Luttmer hoped for a career in teaching, studying at North Central Texas College in Gainesville.

However, God always came first. She began attending 8 a.m. Mass each day before classes.

“I felt like I was supposed to and like I was closer to God then too,” Luttmer said. “My week was more spiritual.”

While Luttmer received her calling a few years ago, the people closest to her already had predicted her destiny.

“My sisters, they saw it in me, they knew I’d be a sister, they just never told me,” Luttmer laughed.

Luttmer said her grandmother was crying and revealed something Luttmer never knew — she had a great-aunt who was a nun at Holy Angels. Sister Mary Anselma Haverkamp, who professed in 1922 at about 24 years old, died Feb. 7, 2003, at 105 years old, according Mt. Olivet Cemetery records.

“Her aunt Sister Anselma was very jolly and always ready to serve our Lord in many menial and ordinary tasks each day,” formation director Sister Ann Marie said. “Novice Catherine possesses these child-like qualities too and is always willing to help out wherever she can and do what is asked of her.”

Though Luttmer admitted she was shy and not much of a public speaker, she said she would still like to teach elementary school students in the future.

When Luttmer was called to religious life, she said she researched various orders and visited Holy Angels Convent for a week, something she advises other young people to do if they have a calling.

“If they heard God’s call, just pray about it and probably visit other convents and see if God is really calling you,” Luttmer said. “See how the retreats are during the weekend … it really helped me.”

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