Growing up as a practical agnostic, Sr. Maria Theotokos thought that nuns were some artifact of medieval Christianity – a fascinating idea, but an idea that had largely died out centuries ago. However, when she went on something of a spiritual pilgrimage to Europe and encountered young, vibrant sisters who shattered all of her preconceptions about religious life, she found their witness so compelling that she ended up entering the Catholic Church, and eventually took vows with the Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara.