Interview with Anna Budinick, our Little Flower

Anna moved into the Lisieux House in October 2020. She is originally from Issaquah, WA and works as a youth minister at St. Matthew’s Parish in Seattle. Anna enjoys drinking bubble tea, rock climbing, and learning to play piano in her free time.

Who is your favorite saint?

My favorite saint is Blessed Chiara Badano. She was a super out-going, energetic teenager from Italy. She played tennis and enjoyed hiking. My favorite quote from her is “For you, Jesus, if you want it, I want it too.” She said that when her hair was falling out due to bone cancer. She had a great joy that she spread to those who were suffering around her, even in her own suffering. I picked her as my patron when I was once experiencing some health problems of my own.

Tell us about your vocation story

I’m discerning religious life. The call started in high school when a SOLT sister visited our youth group. That was the first time I really heard about religious life and the first time I saw a sister. I was interested; the sister noticed and invited me to come visit her to find out more. So I went to the convent in Seattle and visited with the sisters, and was still drawn to it. Later, I brought a few of my friends with me and we hung out with the sisters and asked them those questions you are really curious about, like why do you wear a habit? What’s with the veil? Simultaneously, I was also going to adoration regularly. I felt Jesus calling me closer and closer to Himself in the Eucharist. I felt an attraction. Jesus was wooing me hardcore in my prayer. After high school, I prayerfully discerned going to college at Franciscan University, instead of immediately figuring out a community to join. In college, because of the debt being incurred, I didn’t expect that call to religious life to continue. And so I was open to dating. Yet the call just kept coming back. At the core of the call was an attraction to Jesus Himself, but lived out in religious life. God made it clear to me, after two years at Franciscan, that I should leave and discern religious life more actively. I graduated with my associate’s degree, went back home to Washington, got a spiritual director, made prayer life a priority, started to pay down my debt, and began to visit many religious communities.

*SOLT stands for Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, a missionary religious order of sisters, priests, and laity. SOLT serves at St. Alphonsus Parish and School based in Seattle, WA.

What brought you to Lisieux House?

Lisieux House for me is a place of rest from the difficulties of discernment. Discerning religious life is a much longer process than I expected it to be. Even though Lisieux House is not a religious community itself, it is very helpful to begin practicing living in community with other faithful young women.

Best part about living in the house

The girls! The girls, I don’t know, are like everything. You guys are awesome. I don’t know if I can put words to it. AND living with Jesus - my beloved. Also, having Fr. Parrish to talk things through with has allowed God to reveal areas of my life that I could grow in or that need healing.

*Fr. Colin Parrish, pastor at St. Anne Parish in Queen Anne, is the Lisieux House spiritual director.

For what prayer intentions would you like to ask?

For the virtue of hope and trust in God.