Raised in a loving family, Sr. Angela was led to join the Catholic Church through the influence of a young man she was dating. Through prayer, the Lord led her to Consecrate her life to Him.
Heidi Wagner was born in New York and raised in a loving family, although they did not practice the Christian faith or believe in a personal God. In college she dated a Catholic whose family was strong in faith. Learning the rosary, she had a hunger to learn more about Jesus. The mother of this family was always ready to answer her questions.
As a youth, Heidi wanted a belief system to help her make sense of the world, and learning about the Catholic faith gave her joy. She learned about good and evil and about making choices. Soon this spiritual mother contacted a priest for Heidi’s instruction. On opening her heart to God, all the aspects of her life began to fall into place. At 18, she was baptized, confirmed, and received first communion.
Soon after baptism, Heidi felt drawn to daily prayer time and mass. Her motherâs sudden death from a cerebral hemorrhage called for an active trust on Heidiâs part. This trial helped her have a more eternal perspective, that life on earth is passing.
In college, Heidi got involved in Newman Center retreats and made private retreats. She wanted to give her whole life to God, to draw as close to Him as possible. She found fulfillment in bringing others to a close relationship with God and eagerly read books on religious life and prayer.
After graduating from college at age 25, Heidi did volunteer work with Covenant House in New York and Panama. On a retreat in Panama, the Lord confirmed his vocational call to her as she heard His words to her, ”Heidi, will you consecrate your life to me?” Although she sensed that God would give her the freedom to marry, Heidi knew that the religious life would make her the happiest. She sees her consecration as a prayer for her family to come to know God.
Through some American friends living in Panama, Heidi heard about the Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, and she entered the community in 1988. As a novice, she received the name Sr. Angela, and her gifts in music match her name. Her prayer for her family began to be answered when her older half-brother, who was put up for adoption at birth, was able to locate his sisters a month before Sr. Angela’s final profession day. Sr. Angela and her three sisters met their brother for the first time at that ceremony, with much joy and tears.
