Many who chose the consecrated life have hailed the discovery of their calling as an act of providence. 

How suitable it is that the origin story of the new Unveiled podcast launched by the Arise Catholic Movement in Saskatoon, spotlighting women who have devoted their lives to religious vocations, could also be deemed providential.

Sharon Leyne and Karen Ewen, members of Arise, founded in 2018 by a group of 13 women seeking to grow closer with Jesus through fellowship, sought to organize a “nun run” with their older daughters and any interested Saskatoon-area Catholics. (A nun run is a sojourn to various religious sites with the intention of discernment). They wanted to witness their friend Sr. Maryam Josephine of the Child Jesus profess her final vows at the Queenship of Mary next year. 

Enthusiasm was so strong that it became evident organizing a journey throughout Canada and the northern U.S. with such a large group would be difficult.

“Our hearts were stretched as we thought of those who would miss out,” said Ewen. “We (brainstormed) ways to bring the nun run to everyone interested and that’s where the podcast idea came from: providing access and exposure to religious life and demystifying the discernment process.”

But this podcast came with a twist. The particularly inspiring idea was choosing 13-year-old Claire Ewen and 14-year-old Jacinta Leyne as co-hosts and 12-year-old Pax Ewen as producer of Unveiled. This creates the on-air dynamic of girls set to enter the years of serious life discernment receiving sage advice and helpful stories from women who navigated that same journey of discovery.

“It is just a really special opportunity,” said Claire. “I get to learn about the religious life and (lead) other young women to understand what most people probably don’t get to know. That’s exciting.”

Episode one of Unveiled was recorded at St. Anne’s Church on Jan. 26, with about 40 people watching Jacinta and Claire, with Pax monitoring the audio levels, interview five Sisters of the Presentation of Mary. 

“I just liked having the opportunity to get to know the sisters better,” said Jacinta. “I’d seen them around town, but I never really had a chance to sit down and talk about their stories and what brought them to their community.”

Among the sisters interviewed was one in her early 30s and another who is 70. All had an interesting and vibrant story to tell.

“I think a lot of people who (don’t encounter religious sisters) maybe believe that it’s like a very strict, a very stern type of life with not much excitement,” said Jacinta. “I feel like that’s not true. Every sister I’ve ever met has always had a smile on their face when I’ve seen them. I just want people to know that religious life is not boring.”

Pax hopes Unveiled delivers the impactful message that religious life is “not just a cloistered thing” as “there are so many amazing women out there who are nuns who just go out and help people.”

A standout moment for Claire during the interview was Sr. Zelie Dion chronicling a moment when God empowered her.

“God told her that it doesn’t matter what she chose as long as she chose the way she thinks she could love God best,” said Claire. “He said, ‘you would be a good sister. You would be a good wife and mother. It’s your choice. I leave it to you.’ I think that was inspiring.”

From the perspective of Sr. April Mireau, who professed her perpetual vows in 2021, the podcast “felt like a fun community meeting” providing a forum to hear stories from her fellow sisters that she had never heard.

Mireau praised the performance of her interviewers. 

“I am just impressed with how professional and well-prepared they were, and their questions were deep and original,” said Mireau. 

Claire, Jacinta and Pax are currently completing the post-production on episode one of Unveiled, which will air on arisecatholicmovement.ca early in March and, if all goes to plan, major podcasting platforms like iTunes and Spotify. 

They are also gearing up to interview members of the Saskatoon-based Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity in the coming days. Ultimately, the trio — and their mothers — hope to present thought-provoking and fun conversations with religious women from across North America. 

The trio embraces these interviews stimulating their discernment process. For Claire, who is home-schooled and is contemplating if she wants to attend high school next year, she has recently “been trying to think more about all the possibilities, marriage, being a nun, a religious sister.”

Jacinta’s situation echoes her friend: she is also wondering if she should attend high school and has explored the notion of joining a religious order. 

“I could be a sister,” said Jacinta. “I do think about it, but I have not decided because I am not sure where God is calling me yet. 

Twelve-year-old Pax has the most time to contemplate. She said, “if I do enough discerning, I will find the vocation that fits me best.”