From Byers to Christ the King: Sr. Mary Vianney Professes First Vows

Pictured with her family and Bishop Conley of Lincoln, Nebraska, Sr. Mary Vianney Benz made her first vows with the School Sisters of Christ the King. (Photo provided)

On August 3, joy filled the motherhouse of the School Sisters of Christ the King in Lincoln, Nebraska, as Sr. Mary Vianney (Olivia) Benz, a native of Our Lady of the Plains Parish in Byers, professed her first vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.

In a moving ceremony, she received a blue veil in place of the white veil of the novitiate and a ring symbolizing her espousal to Christ.

A seed planted in college

Sister Mary Vianney shared that her journey to religious life began during her time at Benedictine College in Kansas.

“I met the CKs [School Sisters of Christ the King] during my time studying at Benedictine College. My parish priest, Father Jeff Wilborn, had invited me to discern a vocation to religious life, and so even though my journey with the Lord to religious life took several years, the seed was laid, and I felt an attraction to our community from the first day I met them,” she recalled.

That initial encounter eventually grew into a wholehearted response.

“Two years after I graduated college, I applied to live at our community's discernment house, and then I entered,” she said. “I love Colorado, but the love I have received from the Lord has stolen my heart and led me to Nebraska, to the School Sisters of Christ the King.”

A wedding day with the Eternal King

Though she professed temporary vows, which will be renewed periodically until final profession, Sister Mary Vianney described the day as nothing less than a wedding.

“When a sister professes the vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience, she is giving all that she is, all that she has and all that she ever hopes to become to the Lord, as an offering of her whole self out of love for him, but as a response to God, who loved first,” she explained.

“Even though my profession was of temporary vows, which means I will renew them periodically for five years, when, God willing, I will make final profession, for all my life, it was still my ‘wedding day,’ the day I gave my whole self to the Lord. I received a wedding ring, which the bishop put on my finger with the words: ‘Receive this ring, for you are betrothed to the Eternal King.’”

Advice for discerners

Having walked the path of both hesitation and surrender, Sr. Mary Vianney offered heartfelt encouragement to those discerning — or avoiding — their own vocations.

“For those discerning and those avoiding (of which I did both), I would say: stay close to the Lord. He is one who waits, and taking time to sit in prayer and receive his love, especially through the Scriptures, was a powerful way that he showed me I could trust him with my life and my happiness,” she said.

“No matter what your vocation, Jesus is calling you into an intimate and exclusive relationship with himself. Also, I asked the Lord often (and still do) for the grace to want what he wants, when he wants it. Stay close to him!”

Gratitude for home

Though she has followed God’s call to Nebraska, Sr. Mary Vianney expressed deep gratitude for her roots in Colorado.

“I feel so blessed to have grown up in the Archdiocese of Denver — my family and parish, but also our archdiocese was a beautiful place to grow in my love for the Lord and my vocation!” she said.

As she begins this new chapter, Sr. Mary Vianney carries with her the love of her family, parish and home archdiocese. The Archdiocese of Denver now has another spiritual daughter who has given her life fully to Christ, a witness of hope and joy for all the faithful.