By Angela E. Pometto
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 6/23/05)

When it comes to vocations, there are many things that might entice someone to offer their life in service of Christ. The Maguire family of Falls Church believes that living near a church may be one of those factors.

Betty Maguire Dvorscak, a member of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Falls Church, has a very "religious" family that reaches beyond Northern Virginia.

Of the six Maguire siblings, three of them entered religious life. The late Father Robert Maguire was a Jesuit; Brother Stephen Maguire is a Cistercian monk in Berryville, Va.; and Sister Rosemary Maguire is celebrating her 50th year as a Servant of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Along with the immediate family, two uncles, now both deceased, also chose religious life: Msgr. John A. Maguire, of the Harrisburg Diocese, and Vincentian Father John Gabriel Maguire. A cousin, Josephite Father Francis Hull, is currently pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Alexandria.

While growing up, the family lived a block away from St. James Church in Falls Church, Dvorscak said. They attended St. James School and were taught by Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart.

After school hours, the children would roller skate to the school yard to play. They often saw the nuns and priests living their day-to-day life outside the classroom.

"They were always inquiring if you were interested," she said, adding that vocations were promoted during school as well.

Both Brother Stephen and Sister Rosemary agree that their parents’ example was also an important part of their discernment. William and Martha Maguire were strong participants in the life of the church and school. They helped out and volunteered at the various events. Martha would wash and iron the holy vestments, and she prayed daily for vocations.

"They instilled in them faith, love and respect for the religious life," Dvorscak said.

Sister Rosemary was especially intent on entering a convent. She expressed interest as early as the eighth grade, but she was forced to wait until she finished high school.

"She was attracted to the nuns’ spirit of dedication, love, friendliness and joy," said Dvorscak. Sister Rosemary served at St. Thomas More Parish in Arlington during pre-Cathedral days, St. Michael Parish in Annandale and St. James Parish before being transferred to Philadelphia.

Sister Rosemary dedicated much of her life to teaching. Now, she is legally blind but still able to serve her community, Dvorscak said.

While Sister Rosemary knew at a young age, Brother Stephen waited a long time to find his calling.

"Discernement took nearly 15 years from graduation from high school," Dvorscak said of her brother. During this time, he worked for the Air Force, studied abroad and had many different jobs. When he discovered the Rule of St. Benedict, his heart began to soften to the idea of religious life.

While growing up, Brother Stephen felt pressure from the nuns who taught him at St. James School. While their encouragement was well-meaning, he feels they may have gone too far and pushed him away from that idea for a time.

"I finally came to the realization that I had to make up my own decision," he said, and in the end, their early support of vocations didn’t affect his decision.

While he did not feel called to the priesthood, the idea of becoming a religious brother appealed to him. He preferred the role of a workman as opposed to a cleric.

"I was not a great student," he said. Instead, he wanted to serve the community through work. Raking leaves, bailing hay and shoveling sidewalks became ways of serving his brothers and God.

"I don’t blame or credit my family," Brother Stephen said, adding that families have both positive and negative influence on one’s life choices. In the end, he admits that his family probably did influence his decision to become religious but not directly.

Brother Stephen had seen his sister enter the religious life and his brother ordained a Jesuit. They "seemed to find it fulfilling," he said. Being one of the youngest, he wasn’t worried about his religious relatives since they had already made their decisions.

"We didn’t pay attention to the ripples in each other’s lives," he said. Instead, each member of the family made an independent choice to follow God’s will, wherever the Holy Spirit led them.