Karlie Platz is a recent Hope College graduate and a frequent participant in SBI programming. She will soon begin her postulancy with the Religious Sisters of Mercy. She recently gave her testimony at a Saint Benedict Institute event. Read her remarks below, and please pray for Karlie as she prepares to begin her postulancy!
Good evening. My name is Karlie Platz and it’s a pleasure to be with you tonight. I majored in biochemistry and religion and graduated from Hope College in 2024. During my four years here, I benefited immensely from the spiritual, intellectual, and human formation provided by the Saint Benedict Institute, and I’m happy to share a bit of my story with you.
I grew up in a loving, Catholic home in the village of Sand Lake, Michigan. My father converted to Catholicism during his time serving in the United States Marine Corps, and my mother converted after they were married. In fact, she went through RCIA and received the Sacrament of Confirmation while pregnant with me. Sometimes, I like to think that I got a double dose of the Holy Spirit because of this.
Growing up, my family attended Sunday Mass and prayed together before meals, but, outside of that, we didn’t talk much about our faith or personal prayer lives. However, after I received the Sacrament of Confirmation in eighth grade, I desired more. I wanted my faith to be the foundation of every aspect of my life, and I wanted to know, serve, and love the Lord. Upon graduating high school, I decided the best way to do this was by combining my interest in science and service as a physician, so I headed to Hope College on the pre-med track. I was vaguely aware that there was a Catholic presence on Hope’s campus, and I considered that a convenient bonus.
However, as much as I enjoyed and excelled in my science-focused pre-med classes during my first semester at Hope, I found that the most meaningful experiences happened outside the classroom through my involvement with SBI. For the first time in my life, attending daily Mass became a part of my weekly routine. I loved anchoring my day in this way. I found extraordinary peace and nearness to the Lord in Eucharistic adoration, which I had only experienced a handful of times before. I also had the opportunity to begin spiritual direction, which was pivotal as I began growing in my personal relationship with the Lord. In addition to the sacraments and opportunities for prayer, SBI provided a community where I made life-changing friendships. We attended Mass together, learned to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, and traveled to Catholic conferences and retreats. I was blessed to participate in Genesis 90, a Lenten small-group rooted in sacrifice, prayer, and community, for four years, which helped me establish good habits that made it easier to make space to be quiet and listen to God. I was captivated by the traditions of the Church introduced to me by SBI, and I wanted to continue to seek deeper truth and meaning in my pursuits.
All of these experiences, combined with the prompting of the Holy Spirit, have changed the trajectory of my life forever. Towards the end of my freshman year, the deep desire I had to live a life centered around prayer and give myself totally to the Lord made it clear that God was asking me to consider a vocation to religious life. I began seriously discerning that summer, during which time I first met the Religious Sisters of Mercy, a religious institute of pontifical right with their motherhouse located in Alma, Michigan. In addition to the three vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, the RSM take a fourth vow of service to the sick, poor, and ignorant and engage in formal studies so they may be more available to serve the Church in a professional capacity as doctors, canon lawyers, and professors. As I visited the sisters over the years, I resonated deeply with their charism and the joyful, family-like atmosphere of their common life. Thanks to spiritual direction provided by SBI, which included walking through the spiritual exercises of Saint Ignatius, I had the opportunity to discern this call with ample guidance and support. With Fr. Nick on campus, I was able to frequent the sacraments, which was essential for me during the difficult seasons of my discernment. Having daily access to the presence of the Lord in the tabernacle in the Saint Anne Oratory, constructed at the end of my sophomore year, certainly helped as well. As my senior year drew to a close and the thought of religious life was still upon my heart, it became clear that it was time to act.
I began the process of applying to postulancy with the RSM last April during the octave of Easter, and it is with great joy that I share that I received my letter of acceptance two weeks ago on Pentecost. This joy is not without some uncertainty on my part. To quote Thomas Merton’s famous prayer of discernment, “I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end.” Yet, I have come to understand that entering postulancy is a reasonable next step, and I believe that the Lord is asking me to take this step. The time I spent praying with the spiritual exercises thanks to SBI has helped me grow in trust of the Lord. I know he is a loving Father and that all I have has been received as a gift from him. The plan he has for me, whatever it may be, is better than any I could think up for myself, and placing my life in his hands in this way gives me peace and joy that surpasses understanding.
Undoubtedly, the Saint Benedict Institute has played a pivotal role in my time at Hope College and my discernment. I will forever be grateful for the formation they provided. Wherever God leads me in life, I will carry this gratitude with me. Thank you.