"One in a million"

Dolores Hart was reminded that she was "one in a million," as family members tried to talk her out of leaving a successful acting career to enter the convent, but perhaps that's the very reason that she felt called to the cloister. It was a singular calling, and and at its heart, she knew it provided the stability that her broken family and Hollywood career did not. Those two things had provided her with great heartache--both being the source of constant good-bye's and disjointed relationships, which were shredding her.

She is in the news once again because of her upcoming visit to the Oscars, during which a short film about her vocation will be nominated for an award. This recent 20/20 interview probes her decision to enter the Regina Laudis Benedictine community in Connecticut.

It also brings back my own fond memories of a visit there. While I thought I'd have a quiet relaxing retreat, I worked harder than I'd ever done in my life, as I happened to visit at the time when they were removing an ingrown fence on one of their pastures, which meant uprooting the surrounding trees, hauling the stumps and clearing out years of brush. I was exhausted, but priviledged to work side by side with extraordinary women from all walks of life. My souvenirs were an opportunity for profound spiritual direction and a very sore back. The former, praise God, outlasted the latter!