The central theme of the 2026 Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is “The Pastoral Care of Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life.” Continuing our series on priestly and religious vocations, we invite you to discover the story of Sister Ann Laszok, OSBM, of the Sisters of the Order of Saint Basil the Great.
Her vocation did not begin with a dramatic revelation. It grew within a life that, as she puts it, was “woven in with the Church.” She attended a Ukrainian Catholic school, her family was actively involved in parish life, priests were frequent guests in their home, and on Saturdays she helped the sisters clean the church.Then, during an exit interview in high school, one of the sisters asked her a simple question: “Have you ever thought of entering monastic life?” Sister Ann had already applied to Seton Hall and had not seriously considered religious life. But the question stayed with her and eventually led her to ask herself whether God might truly be calling her.
When did you first begin to think that God might be calling you to religious life?
One of the sisters, who was the principal of my high school, asked me during an exit interview what I would like to do in the future. I said, “I think I want to teach children, but teach religion also.” And she turned around and said to me, “Have you ever thought of entering monastic life?” I really had not, because I had already applied to college, to Seton Hall. But then I received a letter from the novice mistress in Fox Chase. She said, “I hear that you’re thinking of entering.” And her last sentence was, “If I don’t hear from you, I know you don’t have a vocation.” That line also struck me. I thought, “What if I do have a vocation? Am I answering the call if God wants me to enter?” So, sitting with that question and praying over it, that is when I decided to apply and enter the Sisters of Saint Basil.
You have said that your life was “woven in with the Church” throughout your childhood and high school years. What did that look like?
I went to a Ukrainian Catholic school, St. John’s in Newark, New Jersey. My family was always involved in church. We went to church regularly, to all the services. Besides that, we had a close relationship with the Redemptorist Fathers there. We were like the “pre-computer” family that put the parish envelopes in order so someone could record how much each person had donated. So we had priests in our family home many times. I also used to help the sisters clean the church on Saturdays. So my life really was woven in with the Church throughout my elementary and high school years.
The priests were very active in the school as well as beyond the school. They used to drive us to school in a school bus. Some of the priests even repaired the buses. One of them was very mechanically inclined, and even as a pastor, he repaired the school buses. The priests were very hands-on, always with the children and the families. Our relationship was very friendly on a personal level as well as on an official level. I really admired our priests because they worked with people through various organizations, but they also worked very closely with people personally. The Redemptorist Fathers were very influential in my life.
When you entered the convent, were you afraid?
I can honestly say that I did not have any fears. I am probably a character who goes where angels dare not tread (she said, smiling).I guess there were questions. But I really felt confident, perhaps because of my love of God and my love of the Church, so I did not have any fears as such. Or maybe I did not want to admit to myself that I had fears. That could be true, too.I knew the people - the persons behind the habit. So I guess maybe that is why I was not afraid. I knew the sisters, but I had no idea what it would be like.
Coming to the convent, it was a time of almost total seclusion in the beginning. I was learning how to pray at the Divine Office, how to meditate, and how to live in community without a telephone. Well, we did not have cell phones at that time. But we were even without newspapers. So yes, it was almost total seclusion.
