The Sisterhood Campaign // Becky

Well, hello there. My name is Siobhan, and I am a lifestyle and wedding photographer who has a heart for people and their stories.

These days, in the midst of so much communication, I feel like many of us can feel oh-so-isolated.

This is why the Blessed is She community is so amazing–it’s a place where strong Catholic women can come together and share each other’s prayers, successes, sufferings, and joys. We can build each other up and continually remember that we are not doing this alone.

That is why I decided to make it my mission to share the stories of YOU–the women who make up the kingdom of God. I am going to be sharing little peeks into the lives of Catholic women, who just like you, are trying to do their best.

This is the Sisterhood Campaign. This is a reminder to you that we can do it together.Click to tweet

sisterhood campaign becky

Becky Callaway // College Student // New Orleans, LA

Could you describe your faith?

I have always been Catholic, but I really started developing my faith after going to college. I think something I learned is that faith is hard, and it takes effort. You have to find where you can worship God in your daily life. I had to start learning how to see Him and the beauty of His creation in everything.

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How would you define beauty?

I think that beauty itself is something that is felt more than seen. I think it is when you can look at something and feel God’s presence. Really anything that brings you closer to Him. It is when you feel joy or happiness in anything. One thing I love is being able to look for it every single day. I love sunrises and stars because there are similarities in the beauty God creates, but it is also so very different. I can look at a perfect sunrise and see God’s glory, but every one is completely unique. Just like people.

Three reasons why you think you’re beautiful:

1. I'm a joyful person. I am very optimistic and try to find happiness in everything.

2. I’ve become a more caring and loving person. I've learned a lot about being compassionate.

3. I’ve been teaching and coaching about music. Being able to teach your gifts makes you beautiful.

Can you speak a little bit about your faith in college?

I run track, and being an athlete in college can sometimes make it difficult to pursue my faith. It is hard to be in an environment of the world where everything is considered acceptable and there is no moral grounding. It can be easy for you to stand up for your faith at the beginning, but when you do not have a community that supports you in your beliefs, it is really easy to fall away. It was hard for me to find people that understood and supported me in my decisions so living out my faith to the fullest was less of a priority for me at times.

What about your biggest struggle?

I think for me it was not going out of my way to find a sisterhood in Christ. I thought that I could do it all on my own, and I learned quickly that I could not.

I became so weak in my faith because my heart was not in it, and it was so important for me to find other people, especially women, that I could talk about it with. I think that not keeping everything bottled up inside, talking about issues, and then making corrections based on good conversations has really helped me become stronger in my faith.

I think that the concept that “I am not as bad as they are” can really hurt people of faith. I know that I struggled with that at times and I needed to really dig deep to find the humility to ask for help.

How do you combat those struggles or continue to try to pursue your faith?

Well, because I am a distance runner, I have a lot of time in my head while training long miles. Track is definitely a mental sport, and so when I am in those times of intense training, I pray rosaries or talk to God as I run. It’s a great way to work on physical perseverance as well as mental and spiritual training. Being able to connect my faith to my physical sport has allowed me to try to train my heart as a I do my body.

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What do you admire most in a friendship?

People that keep you honest. It is so hard to try and be a faithful person on your own without community. You need people who are able to encourage you positively without tearing you down.

What do you think it means to be in a sisterhood and why is it important?

I preferred to hang out with guys over girls because I didn’t pursue Catholic women friendships. But now I think that being able to find women who are helping you grow in your femininity is so important. Realizing that you can still be strong in the gentle beauty. Having other women who are there to help you support that. Having women who are gentle, kind, loving and not judgmental.

What advice do you think other women need to hear today?

There is strength in femininity. We can change the world through other women and men. We must embrace those unique features God gave us, because we make the world a more beautiful place.

What do 20somethings need to hear?

A lot of girls in their 20’s are longing for a relationship. As women and people in general, we need to start to grow more as God made us. God’s going to point us in that direction when we start to focus on just Him. Focus your whole life on Christ, and your goals as an individual will fall into place.

5 random facts:

1. I'm a dog person over a cat person.

2. I love sunsets and sunrises and start SKY.

3. I’ve always wanted to be a scientist on Shark Week.

4. Playing music has always been a pastime.

5. I love going for long drives.