Sister Adriane Torrisi, SDSH

I am the fifth child of the seven children of Mary and Arthur Torrisi.  My parents and older siblings all immigrated from Sicily; I and my two younger sisters were born in America. I was raised in this loving Catholic family in which my mom provided me with my first and continued lifelong catechetical and spiritual direction.  Her love for God was shown in both her words and actions.   She modeled for me what it meant to trust in God and how to be a good and loving follower of Christ no matter what the circumstance.

My mom had a deep devotion to the Sacred Heart and I learned to love the Sacred Heart because of her. While she was pregnant with me, she ordered a large statute of the Sacred Heart for our home.  The statue arrived on the day of my birth but my parents decided to pick up the statute on the way to the hospital to have me!  I do not believe in coincidences, my mom told me this story; I was amazed and realized that, already, even in my mother’s womb, God was drawing me to belong to Him, to His Heart!

In many ways my childhood was like all other children; I went to school, played, laughed, had friends and fought with my siblings.  One big difference however, was that after I finished Kindergarten, my parents decided to move back to Italy!  We all moved except my dad and one of my brothers who stayed to close down our home.  It was quite an adventure for my mom and the six children that went with her: three of us being 6, 5 and 3 months! We moved to Rome and into a house right next to my aunt, uncle and their three children.  Living in Rome was an incredible experience.

Two experiences during this time, made a deep impression on me and I believe planted the first seeds of vocation in my heart.  The first was the opportunity I was given to attend a Catholic school which was run by a community of Sisters devoted to the Holy Eucharist.  The Sisters were very kind and loving and that was helpful during this time of transition to a new country. The second was meeting many new family members.  One significant person I met was my uncle who was a priest, Monsignor Gaetano Calcerano.  He was the eldest brother in my mom’s family.  It was during this time that a love and desire for God began to be formed in my heart.  My uncle was so kind and gentle and over the years he had sent many children’s books on the life of Jesus and other bible stories.  I loved reading these books, learning about Jesus and wondering how I could know and love him like my uncle did.

When we returned to the United States, I returned to public school and the impressions from my Rome experience helped form me as I grew.  I desired to grow in my faith and yet, I was still learning what that really meant realizing that just reading about Jesus was not enough; I also had to be good and loving like Jesus.  I was a very energetic and enthusiastic child; so, this was not always easy for me.  In my teenage years I was very involved with school, music, working and my faith.  During this time of my life I struggled with both a desire to know and love God more as well as all the temptations that teenage life presented; but, the beauty of the Church and music drew me more and more towards God.  Some of my friends and I started attending a weekly Catholic charismatic prayer group which provided great support in my faith life during these years.

Throughout my college years I still had some struggles at which point I began attending daily Mass and would regularly go to Eucharistic Adoration.  This really strengthened my faith life and helped me as I studied, worked and pursued my dream to both teach and make music.  As a musician I had many incredible opportunities to perform some very beautiful music with very talented people.  I also had the enormous privilege of using my talents in service to the local Church wherever I was living at the time.

In 1990, I was in the final stages of my musical study and moved from my home in New Jersey to Los Angeles to complete my studies at the University of Southern California.  Just prior to moving to California, I took my Villanova men’s choir on a singing tour through Europe.  While on this trip I heard about Medjugorje and decided to go there after I sent the choir home.  It was a beautiful experience which renewed my love for Our Blessed Mother and the awareness that she is guiding me on this journey of faith.

Upon arriving to California, I immediately began school and working as the Director of Music Ministry at St. John Eudes Catholic Church in Chatsworth, California.  This is where I met Sister Ida Peterfy, our Foundress, as well as several other Sisters of the Society Devoted to the Sacred Heart.

Sister Ida attended daily Mass at St. John Eudes and her joyful and warm personality drew my attention immediately. In her kindness she would often come to the choir after Mass to thank me and compliment the choir on their singing.  I was so struck by how her whole person radiated the joy and love of the Lord.  I found this to be so beautiful and something that drew my heart to want to know the Lord more through the Sisters.  At one point I became a little afraid because I realized I really liked being with them, but I knew, my road was set in another direction and that I had worked so hard and long to  realize my life goals, I was not ready to give these up.

Throughout my life I had a relationship with God and as a young adult, I had decided I would not make a major decision about work, study and the direction of my life without praying about it and seeking God’s will.  I was very faithful to this practice and now I was wondering could it be possible God wanted something different, at this point?!  I was 33 years old and almost finished with my doctoral degree; ready to embark fulltime on my career as a musician but, I realized, I needed to find the answer to the question that had become very real in me:  Is God calling me to religious life?

As I was discerning, I also visited a few other communities to be sure that I was not attracted to religious life or the Sisters simply because I liked the life and them.  My discernment process was slated to take an entire year, but after a few months of experiencing being with the Sisters, praying with them, serving in our apostolate with them, enjoying community life with them, I knew, this is it!  God IS calling me here!  I knew deep in my heart, even though it was scary, I wanted to follow Him here with this community.

A few months after my decision I was visiting my family in New Jersey and working with my brothers and sisters to plan a party for my parents 50th anniversary.  It was during this time that I told them and they gave me the courage to tell my parents the next day.  My entire family was surprised but supportive in my decision and continues to be supportive to this day.

On May 10, 1996 I graduated from the University of Southern California! On September 15, 1996, I entered the Society Devoted to the Sacred Heart and on March 19, 2005 at St. John Eudes Catholic Church, I made my perpetual profession.

Some people say I gave up so much to become a religious Sister, but the truth is that I gained so much!  I am the Bride of Christ; He is mine and I am His FOREVER!  God has blessed me far beyond what I could have ever hoped for or imagined and He continues to bless me through my Sisters every day!  I am grateful He called me to be united to Him in His Sacred Heart, in this community, FOREVER! Deo Gratias!

I am the fifth child of the seven children of Mary and Arthur Torrisi.  My parents and older siblings all immigrated from Sicily; I and my two younger sisters were born in America. I was raised in this loving Catholic family in which my mom provided me with my first and continued lifelong catechetical and spiritual direction.  Her love for God was shown in both her words and actions.   She modeled for me what it meant to trust in God and how to be a good and loving follower of Christ no matter what the circumstance.

My mom had a deep devotion to the Sacred Heart and I learned to love the Sacred Heart because of her. While she was pregnant with me, she ordered a large statute of the Sacred Heart for our home.  The statue arrived on the day of my birth but my parents decided to pick up the statute on the way to the hospital to have me!  I do not believe in coincidences, my mom told me this story; I was amazed and realized that, already, even in my mother’s womb, God was drawing me to belong to Him, to His Heart!

In many ways my childhood was like all other children; I went to school, played, laughed, had friends and fought with my siblings.  One big difference however, was that after I finished Kindergarten, my parents decided to move back to Italy!  We all moved except my dad and one of my brothers who stayed to close down our home.  It was quite an adventure for my mom and the six children that went with her: three of us being 6, 5 and 3 months! We moved to Rome and into a house right next to my aunt, uncle and their three children.  Living in Rome was an incredible experience.

Two experiences during this time, made a deep impression on me and I believe planted the first seeds of vocation in my heart.  The first was the opportunity I was given to attend a Catholic school which was run by a community of Sisters devoted to the Holy Eucharist.  The Sisters were very kind and loving and that was helpful during this time of transition to a new country. The second was meeting many new family members.  One significant person I met was my uncle who was a priest, Monsignor Gaetano Calcerano.  He was the eldest brother in my mom’s family.  It was during this time that a love and desire for God began to be formed in my heart.  My uncle was so kind and gentle and over the years he had sent many children’s books on the life of Jesus and other bible stories.  I loved reading these books, learning about Jesus and wondering how I could know and love him like my uncle did.

When we returned to the United States, I returned to public school and the impressions from my Rome experience helped form me as I grew.  I desired to grow in my faith and yet, I was still learning what that really meant realizing that just reading about Jesus was not enough; I also had to be good and loving like Jesus.  I was a very energetic and enthusiastic child; so, this was not always easy for me.  In my teenage years I was very involved with school, music, working and my faith.  During this time of my life I struggled with both a desire to know and love God more as well as all the temptations that teenage life presented; but, the beauty of the Church and music drew me more and more towards God.  Some of my friends and I started attending a weekly Catholic charismatic prayer group which provided great support in my faith life during these years.

Throughout my college years I still had some struggles at which point I began attending daily Mass and would regularly go to Eucharistic Adoration.  This really strengthened my faith life and helped me as I studied, worked and pursued my dream to both teach and make music.  As a musician I had many incredible opportunities to perform some very beautiful music with very talented people.  I also had the enormous privilege of using my talents in service to the local Church wherever I was living at the time.

In 1990, I was in the final stages of my musical study and moved from my home in New Jersey to Los Angeles to complete my studies at the University of Southern California.  Just prior to moving to California, I took my Villanova men’s choir on a singing tour through Europe.  While on this trip I heard about Medjugorje and decided to go there after I sent the choir home.  It was a beautiful experience which renewed my love for Our Blessed Mother and the awareness that she is guiding me on this journey of faith.

Upon arriving to California, I immediately began school and working as the Director of Music Ministry at St. John Eudes Catholic Church in Chatsworth, California.  This is where I met Sister Ida Peterfy, our Foundress, as well as several other Sisters of the Society Devoted to the Sacred Heart.

Sister Ida attended daily Mass at St. John Eudes and her joyful and warm personality drew my attention immediately. In her kindness she would often come to the choir after Mass to thank me and compliment the choir on their singing.  I was so struck by how her whole person radiated the joy and love of the Lord.  I found this to be so beautiful and something that drew my heart to want to know the Lord more through the Sisters.  At one point I became a little afraid because I realized I really liked being with them, but I knew, my road was set in another direction and that I had worked so hard and long to  realize my life goals, I was not ready to give these up.

Throughout my life I had a relationship with God and as a young adult, I had decided I would not make a major decision about work, study and the direction of my life without praying about it and seeking God’s will.  I was very faithful to this practice and now I was wondering could it be possible God wanted something different, at this point?!  I was 33 years old and almost finished with my doctoral degree; ready to embark fulltime on my career as a musician but, I realized, I needed to find the answer to the question that had become very real in me:  Is God calling me to religious life?

As I was discerning, I also visited a few other communities to be sure that I was not attracted to religious life or the Sisters simply because I liked the life and them.  My discernment process was slated to take an entire year, but after a few months of experiencing being with the Sisters, praying with them, serving in our apostolate with them, enjoying community life with them, I knew, this is it!  God IS calling me here!  I knew deep in my heart, even though it was scary, I wanted to follow Him here with this community.

A few months after my decision I was visiting my family in New Jersey and working with my brothers and sisters to plan a party for my parents 50th anniversary.  It was during this time that I told them and they gave me the courage to tell my parents the next day.  My entire family was surprised but supportive in my decision and continues to be supportive to this day.

On May 10, 1996 I graduated from the University of Southern California! On September 15, 1996, I entered the Society Devoted to the Sacred Heart and on March 19, 2005 at St. John Eudes Catholic Church, I made my perpetual profession.

Some people say I gave up so much to become a religious Sister, but the truth is that I gained so much!  I am the Bride of Christ; He is mine and I am His FOREVER!  God has blessed me far beyond what I could have ever hoped for or imagined and He continues to bless me through my Sisters every day!  I am grateful He called me to be united to Him in His Sacred Heart, in this community, FOREVER! Deo Gratias!

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