Cyan Reed shares on her call to be Franciscan Sister of Christian Charity Postulant. Cyan is from the Diocese of Houston.
I would like to begin by expressing my gratitude to the Community for being so welcoming to me. I was born in Houston because Sugar Land, about 22 miles from Houston, did not have a hospital yet. When I was in kindergarten, my family moved to a suburb outside of Dallas and we attended St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Coppell, TX. Eventually, my family made our way back to Houston where I attended Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Laurence Parish. I have been a member of many parishes growing up, and when I moved out into my own apartment I registered as a parishioner of Holy Rosary in midtown Houston. My parents moved to North Carolina. I have one sister who lives in Wichita, Kansas with her husband and my dog-nephew named Clinquot.
My interest in becoming a Sister began when I was 13. The archdiocese was putting on an insight event for high school girls where they would tour us between different convents in the Houston area. I had to ask for special permission to come along since I was still in junior high. I loved seeing the different Sisters and Nuns and learning about their work.
Since I was taught in high school by Dominican Sisters, I felt drawn to their Community. When I was getting serious about my discernment, I reached out to one of the priests at my Dominican parish and told him about my plans to speak to the Dominicans about becoming a Dominican Sister. He looked surprised because he said that I seemed more like a Franciscan. That is when I looked online and found this Community. When I learned about the charisms of this Community, I fell in love.
I enjoy volunteering in my free time. Before arriving at the Motherhouse, I volunteered at the Guadalupe Basic Needs Center in downtown Houston in their self-select pantry. Self-select means it’s set up similar to a grocery store. It has the main benefit of giving the client dignity in choosing what food they want, but also it reduces food waste and guarantees the food taken will be eaten.
In my professional life I worked as a Volunteer Coordinator at a nonprofit focusing on housing and providing services to the homeless. Caring for the less fortunate has always been a priority for me.
I hope to continue giving back to the world, to grow in my faith, and to be the best postulant I can be.
