By DIANE SCHLINDWEIN
Managing Editor 

Sister M. Lucy Gantt, FSGM, says even as a young girl, she always felt drawn to science. Now with her roles as a Sister of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George and a college chemistry teacher, she feels fulfilled in all parts of her life.

“Having grown up in Eastern Washington near the Hanford nuclear site, science was always part of my life, and I was fascinated by it in all its forms,” Sister Lucy said. “I think that one of the things that drew me to science was the amazing way that everything fit together and made sense. My dad is an engineer, so I definitely got the science bug from him, as well as from many amazing teachers.”

After high school Sister Lucy earned her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry at Washington State University.  From there she went to the University of Michigan and earned her Ph.D. in chemistry, where she studied enzyme mechanisms. “So, the chemistry behind how the amazing enzymes in our body work to keep us alive,” she said. After completing her Ph.D., she performed postdoctoral research at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign from 2007 to 2009. 

Although she was initially more interested in research “and discovering new things that would hopefully be able to help others” Sister Lucy still wanted to teach. “When I was an undergrad, I had the opportunity to teach chemistry labs as a TA (teaching assistant) and I discovered that I really loved teaching science,” she said.

However, she also yearned for something more in life.  “It was after about 11 years in college and then doing some post-doctoral research that I finally became more open to asking God what His plan was for my life,” Sister Lucy said. “While I loved science, as I was getting closer to my goals for my life, it just felt like something was missing. It turns out though that it was actually someone who was missing.

“Around this same time, in part through an amazing young adult group and fabulous priest at the parish I was at, I started going to daily Mass, adoration, and regular confession.  I was truly encountering God’s love and realizing His plan for my life will always be good,” she said. Sister Lucy says that on her 30^th birthday, prayers from a seminarian friend helped her seriously consider a religious vocation. 

“I felt more certain than I had about anything in a very long time, that yes, that was it,” she said. “However, to enter the convent would be a huge change, and it was rather scary to risk showing that I wasn’t so thoroughly serious about science. Yet, that longing to follow Christ unconditionally and to be totally His, returning His love, grew in my heart to the point I was able to take the leap and ask to enter our congregation, the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George.  I really didn’t think that I would be able to teach science at the college level as a sister, so I just placed that in God’s hands.” 

However, God was very generous, Sister Lucy said. “When I was preparing for first profession, I was asked to apply for a position as a chemistry professor at Franciscan University in Steubenville, where I was blessed to teach for eight years. Now, after some time in Germany, I’m blessed to be (part-time) teaching chemistry at Benedictine College (in Atchison, Kan.). My other part-time ‘hat’ is translating German for our congregation. Since our motherhouse is in Germany, all of our official communications from Reverend Mother are written in German and then translated to various provinces.  Both of these pieces are very much part of me.” 

Sister Lucy currently lives with two other sisters from her congregation who are college students at Benedictine College. The three sisters travel to Alton about once a month and for special events. “It’s great to remain connected to the rest of the sisters, as well as jump in and help with things at the provincial house,” she said. 

Currently Sister Lucy teaches some general chemistry and organic chemistry labs at Benedictine College.  “I have also been given the flexibility to start Chemistry in Slow Motion to fulfill a need that I saw, offering some extra support to students taking general chemistry. It is a real blessing to walk with the students, helping them, celebrating those ‘light bulb’ moments with them.

“As a sister, I receive my life from Christ, and I give Him life, living it with and for Him, and part of that is my presence here in the classrooms and the labs, the chapels, and the cafeteria,” she said. “In earlier decades, the classes here at Benedictine College were mostly taught by monks and sisters. While that’s not the case here today, I am not the only sister working here at Benedictine College, with one of the Benedictine sisters serving as Vice-Provost of the college and another one as Co-Director of the library.” 

Sister Lucy sees no real boundaries in the STEM fields. “From what I have seen, both men and women are equally capable of excelling in STEM fields, and each person brings different gifts and perspectives, which fit together and complement each other,” she said. “While the work-life balance can be a challenge for anyone in academia, I have seen families come up with creative solutions. God has a plan for each person, and in time it will unfold if we are open to the Holy Spirit and to the deepest desires in our hearts.”