The tech-savvy Torres shows a guest at the Kelly Hall YMCA on Chicago’s West Side how to take a photo with his phone.
prayers before meals to reading the Bible with her mother. Even then, she recalls, something about religious life piqued her curiosity. “When I was little there was kind of this mystique about sisters,” Torres says. “I didn’t even know if they went to the bathroom!” Some of the mystique faded when Torres at-
tended a Catholic high school in Massachusetts, where she got to know several religious sisters and brothers. Looking back, she says they were an inspiration. At the time, however, Torres had no intention of following in their footsteps. After plans to pursue a naval career didn’t
work out, Torres decided to major in English when at Loyola. She also sought out opportuni- ties to practice her faith on campus, from joining a pro-life club to participating in small faith-shar- ing groups. Many of the Catholic friends she met through campus ministry were theology majors, and seeing how much they enjoyed their studies inspired Torres to pursue a theology degree. It wasn’t until her junior year that Torres
started to feel God was calling her to be a sister. At first she resisted, not convinced that religious life was right for her. “I fought with it for a while,” she says. “But eventually I realized the peace and joy that I was looking for came when I was moving in the direction of saying yes to God and saying yes to being a sister.” Following that path led Torres to Father Bob
Lombardo, a Franciscan priest who told her about a small group of men and women discerning
religious life at the mission where he served. They were the beginnings of the Franciscans of the Eu- charist of Chicago, and Torres found their simple life of prayer and service suited her well. Last October the journey came full circle, as Torres professed her final vows with the religious order.
The Franciscans have become a part of daily life in West Humboldt Park. They host block parties and share in community meals, where Torres uses her now-famous culinary skills to cook for crowds large and small. Every Tuesday morn- ing, neighbors can find her at the Mission’s food pantry handing out groceries. And she’s willing to lend an ear whenever someone just needs to talk. “We’re here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,”
Torres says. “Anything that affects our neighbors, it affects us too, so there’s a real solidarity there with the people we live with.” Two summers ago, a fatal shooting took place
on a corner near the church. Torres was quickly on the scene, navigating her way around the police tape to see how she could help. The next morning she noticed that children in her Bible camp weren’t their usual rambunctious selves, and a parent told Torres that the children had witnessed the shooting firsthand. Knowing the families had no resources to deal
with such trauma, Torres reached out to Catholic Charities to arrange for grief counselors to meet with the children. It is because of the bonds she’s formed in the community that Torres is able to
identify such needs and find ways to address them. “If those relationships weren’t there,” she says, “then I wouldn’t be able to connect people to the resources they need to live a healthy life.” She’s also able to look more deeply at the
root causes of problems in the community—why young people get involved in gangs, why people turn to drugs. The solutions aren’t easy, but the Franciscans are in it for the long haul. “You have to be at peace with the fact that this is going to be inch by inch, step by step,” Torres says. Still, she prefers to focus on the positives of
life in West Humboldt Park. The neighborhood is filled with wonderful people, and she’s proud to call them friends. The feeling, it seems, is mutual. As Torres walks down the front steps of the
church on a weekday afternoon, children on the sidewalk smile and wave. Her face lights up with a smile as she makes her way to greet them. Months removed from her brief TV fame, she’s still the same sister who has been their neighbor for six years. And beneath the habit, she says she’s still just a regular person, not much different from the people she’s devoted her life to serving. “If I thought I was super great and totally sin-
less, I’d be a terrible sister,” she says. “I realize I can make a mistake just like everyone else. That helps me stay grounded, and it helps me share the love I’ve been given.” L
SEE A VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH SISTER ALICIA
LUC.edu/cookingnun
14 LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO
JEFFERY AUSTIN PHOTO COURTESY NBC
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