AutorSome sports stories are memorable not only because of achievements on the field, but also because of unexpected decisions that athletes make off it. Such a story is the life of Shelly Pennefather – an extremely talented basketball player who gave up her professional career to become a cloistered nun.
From College Star to Professional Player
Shelly Pennefather was born in 1966 and from a young age showed extraordinary athletic abilities. Basketball quickly became her passion, and her talent earned her an athletic scholarship at Villanova University, where from 1983 to 1987 she became a true star.
In times when women’s basketball was not yet as popular as it is today, Shelly achieved extraordinary things. She scored 2,408 points, making her the top scorer in the university’s history (this record was broken only after 36 years). In 1987, she received the prestigious Wade Trophy, awarded to the best college player in the USA.
After graduating, she couldn’t yet play in the WNBA (the league was founded only in 1996), so she went to Japan, where for several years she earned big money as a professional basketball player.
Extraordinary Decision
Although her sports future seemed promising, Shelly began to feel that the life she was leading was not what she was truly called to do. In 1991, after three years of playing in Japan, she made one of the most unexpected decisions in sports history – she ended her career and decided to join the cloistered order of the Poor Clares.
In 1994, after a preparatory period, she officially took her habit and the religious name Sister Rose Marie of the Queen of Angels. The order she joined is one of the strictest – its members take vows of poverty, silence, and separation from the outside world. They cannot use phones or the internet, and their contact with family is very limited.
Meeting After 25 Years
One of the most touching moments in Shelly Pennefather’s story was the event from 2019. Cloistered nuns have the opportunity to embrace their loved ones only once every 25 years – and that was when Shelly could touch her parents, siblings, and old friends for the first time in a quarter of a century.
Below is a hug with her mom.
The meeting was extremely emotional, and recordings of this moment spread across the internet, arousing admiration and astonishment. In times when most people can’t imagine life without social media and constant communication, Shelly Pennefather’s choice is proof of how deep faith and vocation can be.
I can imagine how painful that meeting was, how difficult the thought that it might be the last one.
Shelly certainly looked at it through the eyes of faith.
Why is this story so extraordinary?
Shelly Pennefather’s story is more than just a tale about sports. It is an example of dedication, courage, and complete devotion to higher values. Her decision shows that success is not always measured by medals and records – sometimes the greatest victory is finding one’s true calling.
If we wonder what is truly important in life, it’s worth looking at Shelly Pennefather’s story. It is a tale of how one can give up worldly fame and wealth to find true peace and meaning in spiritual life.
We are not able to understand someone’s vocation and decision to leave the world, because we simply do not have that kind of vocation ourselves. Let us not judge or speak on matters we certainly will not understand. To understand, one must experience the vocation oneself. So let us persevere in the vocation to which God has called us.
Every time I return to Shelly’s life story, I feel enormous respect and admiration for her, and at the same time a touch of envy that she had the strength to follow the voice of her heart.
[https://youtu.be/bGuOx5ob13c?si=cDvQkC_AUc4FrBjI](https://youtu.be/bGuOx5ob13c?si=cDvQkC_AUc4FrBjI)
Did you cry watching this extraordinary touching moment when a mother could finally hug her daughter after years, perhaps for the last time? I did very much…
How many of us do not appreciate parents who are within reach? How many of us do not appreciate the fact that we can hug them without restrictions and do not take the opportunity to tell them: I love you and thank you for everything.
I do it more often than before, because I realized that tomorrow might be too late.
One of the well-known priests said after his parents’ funeral that what he regrets most is that he didn’t spend more time with them, because he was always “on the run” and there was no time for them.
Let’s make sure we don’t have regrets.
Photos courtesy of Nieman Storyboard and National Catholic Register
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