Sister Barbara Croom wanted to be a Sister since third grade. "I wasintrigued by the simplicity of the Sisters in our North Carolinaparish. They could be so joyful about the simplest things in life," shesays.

One particular Sister at the parochial school she attended in NorthCarolina prayed to God that one of her pupils would be drawn to avocation as an Adorer. And upon choosing Sister Barbara, she took herunder her wing, taking her places, having her help in the classroomafter school, even introducing her to unfamiliar convent food. She knewshe was being physically and spiritually nourished, but it wasn't untilher final profession day, years later, when they were out walking andtalking together, that she learned the Sister had long ago prayed forher vocation as an Adorer of the Blood of Christ.

Between third grade and when she joined the Sisters at age 19, shegrew up like everyone else. "I had friends and boyfriends, went dancingand enjoyed myself, but I had no doubts that I was going to be aSister," she says. She had decided to be an Adorer. The Adorers wereone of the religious communities who were open to an African Americanjoining them.

A moment which helped confirm her decision to enter the conventoccurred on a street corner as she was walking home on her 16thbirthday. "I wanted to have a big 16th birthday but my mother washospitalized out of town and my father was with her," she says. "And Ifound myself on that corner feeling very alone. I knew no matter howmuch I hoped and wished, there would be no party. At that moment, thefeeling in my mind was that I don't want anybody else to feel as I wasfeeling. At that moment I had a strong desire to give my life to help,whomever I could, not to feel as I felt at that moment."

She professed her vowed commitment 38 years ago and finds thesimplicity and challenges of Sisterhood as fulfilling as she did then.After teaching in North Carolina, Ohio, Georgia, and Pennsylvania, inboth black, white and mixed schools, mostly primary grades, she workedin child care with deprived, dependent and neglected children. Sheworked with adolescent girls, ages 13 to 18, in Harrisburg, PA.

Recently she enjoyed her service ministering as ProvincialCouncillor at the former province in Columbia, PA. Before she waselected to this position, she was a pastoral associate in the Bronx. "Ireally got to like it," she says. "It was a wonderful mixture ofpeople, like a mini-United Nations. The people were wonderful to workwith and we were like a big family."

Bringing people together through a reconciling, forgiving presenceis important to the Adorers' mission. "The suffering, dying and risingof Christ was Jesus giving His love for us as reconciliation andforgiveness for our sins," Sister Barbara says. "As Adorers of theBlood of Christ, reconciliation is a strong charism for us. We striveto direct our energies toward helping people get along with each other,possibly helping them to see some aspect of their life that could bedone differently. And that calls for learning how to be reconciling andforgiving.

"For me and for African Americans in general, the charism of thesuffering Christ, the death and resurrection is close to who we are andthe life we live, redeemed suffering," she says. "That is why slavery,prejudice and so on couldn't keep us down and how people can still goon and be joyful because they trusted, found strength and believed inJesus who suffered like them and overcame it all. They couldn't keepJesus down either."

Sister Barbara believes and experiences the spirit of the Adorers asvery strong in her life and the lives of African Americans. "Thespirituality that we Adorers have is the same that I grew up with."

Being black in a predominantly white religious community comes withsome of the same challenges as elsewhere, she says, mostly fromattitudes and prejudices that others sometimes simply don't realizethey are conveying. "But hopefully there is truly enough spirit thatyou can say, 'Let
me tell you how that sounds and let's get toanother level,'" she said. "If you have your own personal strength andbelieve in who you are, then you can meet anyone on an equal basis."

How does someone, whether African American or not, know if religiouslife is right for them "I would suggest they come and see," she says."They should come and spend some time in one of our houses. They shouldcome a couple of times to meet some of the Sisters and talk with themabout who and what we are all about, what our charism is, what ourspirituality is and receive as much information as possible to helpthem make a decision."

Knowing about the charism of other congregations of religious isimportant, too, she says, as it helps provide a broader base forknowing where your gifts fit best. And most importantly, pray andlisten for your calling. Then consider joining the congregation andtake the first step as a candidate. "I would like to sit with them andpray with them," Sister Barbara said. "Listen to them and help them todiscern."