December 4, 2003

From party girl to religious life

By Terry McGuire

Upon leaving her home parish of St. Philip's in Woodland nine years ago on a volleyball scholarship to the University of Nevada-Reno, the future Sister Miriam James Heidland of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity knew for certain that "church" was not going to be on her list of priorities.

Back then she was Sharon Heidland, a communications major whose goal was to work on the ESPN (sports network) someday. And partying, boyfriends, and volleyball were going to be part of her college experience, while Mass was not.

"I didn't know my faith very well, I didn't know the beauty of the Eucharist," the 27-year-old Sister Heidland recalled last week, "so consequently when I went to college, it was, 'See you later, I'm not going to church anymore,' because I thought it was boring."

What wasn't boring to her was the stereotypical fun side of college life. She dated the school's star football player. She got drank a lot at parties. She enjoyed living with her friends, hundreds of miles away from her watchful parents.

With all that, and a full scholarship to boot, "I had everything in the world," she said, but "in my heart, I was really unhappy.

"It was then I realized that when I died, God wasn't going to ask me if my Mom and Dad went to church on Sunday. His question was going to be: What did you do with your life?"

That was the start of a "slow conversion" process for Heidland. She began going to Mass — at first periodically, then weekly, then daily. After graduating with her communications degree, with plans to start her climb up the broadcaster ladder in the Portland area, she was invited by a priest friend of the family's to experience a retreat at a priests' formation house in New Mexico where he was novice master.

The peaceful and quiet setting — coupled with the opportunity to meet young men her own age who were both "cool and wanted to be holy — just blew me away," she said. She returned home, packed her bags, and headed back to New Mexico, where she soon "realized that the hunger in her heart was "God calling me to marry his son, Jesus for all eternity" as a woman religious.

After formation in Rome and New Mexico, Sister Heidland professed final vows last Dec. 8.

Since then, she has ministered in her community's formation house in Dunseith, N.D., a town of approximately 1,000 people in the north central part of the state.

She also coached the local high school girls' volleyball team through a season that ended Oct. 28th, finishing with a 3-13 record while drawing attention to the uncommon sight of a public school coach plying the sidelines in dark gray habit and light gray veil, crucifix around her neck.

Her story made the front page of the Minot Daily News sports section.

At first, "I think it was just the novelty" of it all, "like, 'A nun coaching volleyball! Ha, ha!'" Sister Heidland said. "But then when (the reporter) sat down and talked to me…and realized that I went to college, I have a degree, I went through all that stuff, so I know what it's like…they knew that I just didn't fall off a turnip truck."

The article, published in late August, reached a much wider audience than Sister Heidland had ever anticipated. People began stopping her in grocery stores, on the street, and during the games to thank her, talk about God and share their own religious experiences.

"If God can use me in that way — outside the box of what we say is traditional ministry for a nun — (then) good," says Sister Heidland, who also writes a weekly column on faith for the local Turtle Mountain Times.

But she believes the way to inspire others — particularly young people — is by example rather than by preaching to them. A nun with a scowl can have just as much of an impact on perceptions as a nun who is happy in her ministry, she notes.

The sister's "call is to be married to Jesus," Sister Heidland said. "That's first and foremost who she is. Her work flows from that, it's not the other way around."

Music man

As a professional musician specializing in woodwinds, Doug Ostgard has backed up an impressive list of showbiz greats, from Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Johnny Mathis to Rosemary Clooney, Lena Horne and Ann-Margaret. He accompanied the band, Heart, on its 1980 world tour, and has performed at big time hotels, shows and theaters in Las Vegas and Seattle.

Now the graduate of Kent-Meridian High School has recently returned to his Western Washington stomping grounds and is still blowing the woods — only this time at Sunday Masses at his new parish, St. Barbara in Black Diamond.

Ostgard, who is in private instruction and plans to do more writing and performing, regularly shares his musical gifts at St. Barbara's Sunday morning liturgies. He plays mostly flute and clarinet, though he also is skilled with the saxophone, bassoon, oboe, recorder, Indian flute and Irish whistle.

Entertainers whom he remembers well include Bennett, who "liked to hang out with the band and always talked to everybody," and Clooney, a "really cool" woman who would give everyone a 'Thank You' card.

Noteworthy

Father Phillip Bloo and Father James Dalton have blessed sheep before, among other critters, but never camels. Now they can add the desert ships to their list.

The two pastors of Holy Family Parish in Seattle and St. Thomas More Parish in Lynnwood, respectively, were called to Seattle's Paramount Theater earlier this month to bless the animals in the "Living Nativity" scene, a traditional part of the "Radio City Christmas Spectacular" playing at the Paramount.

The menagerie included a pair of camels, along with four sheep and a pair of donkeys.