Casa Guadalupe’s 10th anniversary

CLIFTON  Ten years ago, the Diocese of Paterson offered a house here on Valley Road that formerly served as the diocesan Offices for Clergy Personnel and Priestly Life allowing a group of eight young women to be the first residents of Casa Guadalupe, a house of discernment and prayer.

Since its opening on April 2, 2011, the house has offered young women in the very early stages of a vocation to religious life, marriage or lay consecrated life, a place to discern God’s plan for their lives, live in community and to pray in deep contemplation and communication with God.

These eight women were considered “pioneers” of a lifestyle that many would view in today’s world as a radical way of living. However, 10 years strong, Casa Guadalupe continues in its mission. In its first decade, 55 young women have lived in the house of discernment.

Of the eight original residents, many did find a path to their vocation. Some were called to married life, some are missionaries around the world, some currently serve the Church as laypersons, and one is currently a Carmelite nun. Other residents over the last decade discerned a vocation to religious life and entered the Salesians, the Sisters for Life, and the Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara. Those who married were also called to the vocation of motherhood. Those who are not on those vocational paths serve the Church in some capacity as missionaries, in pro-life and/or chastity ministry, at local Catholic Charities agencies around the country, and in parish settings.

Franciscan Friar of the Renewal Father Agustino Torres of St. Michael Friary in Paterson founded the home 10 years ago with the permission and encouragement of Bishop Emeritus Arthur Serratelli. Casa Guadalupe neighbors the Diocesan Pastoral Center and the John Paul II Center. While the Diocese owns the property, the residents help to pay the utility bills and maintain the house.

“The development of a vocation to the religious life or missionary life, I have learned, is a delicate mix of prayer, deepening one’s relationship with God, and a supportive environment,” said Father Agustino. “I am confident that God’s hand has moved in the hearts of these women as no one person could do the work on the human heart that is necessary to someone to ‘lay it all down’ and go follow God. I see God deepening their love for the poor, growth in missionary zeal, and deep inner healing. And of course, I see God’s hand working in a young woman when she is able to come to a decision that is clearly confirmed through the discernment process.”

The women who have lived in the house have come from all over the world including Peru, Switzerland, and the Philippines. While the reasons are all different, a common thread for moving to Casa Guadalupe is to be totally committed to the will of God. The home offers an organized prayer life with holy hours and the residents attend daily Mass at St. Philip the Apostle Church here. At the heart of the house of discernment, there is a chapel with the Blessed Sacrament always present.

Holly Wright, director of Casa Guadalupe since its creation, said, “Each young woman has a unique purpose. Every person is a mystery, and serving at Casa, I have been in a privileged place to witness what God has planned for these women and see that be revealed.”

Life at Casa Guadalupe is based on Franciscan tradition, with the women living very simply. Up to nine women have lived in the home at one time and currently, there are five women living in the residence. They are involved in several apostolates and they are associates of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. In the past, the young women have traveled on mission trips across the country and overseas; been involved with LifeNet NJ, the pro-life organization, and Corazon Puro, a chastity ministry. This June they will be traveling to South Texas to serve migrants at the border and in the summer, they will be headed to Costa Rica with Corazon Puro to form leaders.

Through the years, one of the notable things about the young women joining the home, according to Wright, is seeing more difficult family situations. “One young woman never ate meals around the table with her family. Some did not know things that would usually be taught in a home setting. Others simply have come from a very poor family and never even celebrated their birthday,” said Wright.

As a mentor to these young women, Wright is considered the “house mother.”

“It is definitely spiritual motherhood and that is really beautiful,” she told The Beacon. “However, it is Our Lady who is the real house mother. She is forming these women and teaching them to follow her Son.”

Grateful for the support of the community and of the young women who shared their lives at Casa Guadalupe, Wright also thanked its founder. “We are so blessed to have Father Agustino as the priest-protector of the house. His fatherhood and guidance are such gifts to us and an essential part of the women’s discernment, and is a tangible expression of God the Father’s love.”

As the residence marks its first decade, Father Agustino said, “I think Casa Guadalupe is an incredible work of God. There is the mission of assisting in discernment, but it ends up being more preparing women to respond to God’s love in their lives. When we give of the abundance of God’s love, it becomes a gift that transforms us and the world. I am very blessed to still be in contact with many of the women and I can see the work of God being made manifest in their marriages, their missionary lives, and yes, their religious consecration as well. It is amazing to see how prayer, intentional community, and service to the poor can transform one’s life. It is almost like a spiritual cleanse that clears out the toxins of our increasingly dehumanized culture. Holly Wright’s vocation to walk with these women is a testament to grace transforming what the world may see as just five loaves and two fish and end up feeding the multitudes.”