A Change of Habit: A Spiritual Journey From Sister Mary Kateri to Sister Mary Vodka - Revised Edition

by Patty Ptak Kogutek

"A Change of Habit" recounts a spiritual journey starting when a religious eddy hurled seventeen-year old Patty into a convent in the 1960s. Her deeply embedded guilt drives her to obey the Catholic Church, please her earthly father, and say "yes" to her heavenly Father. But in the convent, she fails to find happiness in religious rites, and rules. Her time in the convent parallels changes wrought in religious life by Vatican II, including changes of names and attire. After leaving the convent following seven years of service, she assumes she can pick up her life and move on. But once the religious habit comes off, long-practiced habits of poverty, chastity, and obedience dog her into married life. Finally facing the reality mirror, she breaks from the debilitating patterns learned in the convent. In finding true spirituality and finally listening to the God within, she shakes the destructive habit of guilt. Her story speaks to like-minded "guilt sponges," offering hope on their personal spiritual quests. Patty shares the "7 Secrets to Guilt-Free Living" learned on her journey, giving her the freedom and permission to follow her heart. "A Change of Habit" is not the story of a girl breaking from the convent to live happily ever after; the story's uniqueness hinges on how ingrained duty lodges. This story of personal reinvention and empowerment that takes place over forty years shows that it's never to late to change one's future.

222 pages, Paperback

First published December 8, 2011

About the author

Patty Kogutek, author of “A Change of Habit,” and “G-Vites: Everyday Invitations from God” has helped thousands cure their anxiety, living “guilt-free.” Living as a Catholic nun for 7 years, and working her way through a 12 year failed marriage, Patty gathered “7 Secrets to Guilt-Free Living” that gave her the courage and the permission to finally follow her heart putting the expectation of others aside. Patty’s newest book, "G-vites: Everyday Invitations from God", is a handbook for practical spirituality, that helps searching souls find God’s invitations in their lives and understand how to RSVP using these 27 life lessons.

Reviews

[Isabel Pietri · Rating 5 out of 5]

A CHANGE OF HABIT: A Spiritual Journey from Sister Mary Kateri to Sister Mary Vodka
By Patty Ptak Kogutek

A Change of Habit is a fast paced easy read. The author painstakingly takes the reader through her spiritual journey to find God and happiness.

Her descriptive writing drew me in immediately to experience her world, her life. One does not have to be Catholic to appreciate this book. In many instances, I identified with the author and her experiences.

The reader first meets Patty as a high school senior who has made the life altering decision to enter the convent in order to serve God. Through her, one experiences the shock of one minute living the life of a carefree teenager and next minute living a rigid religious life. I felt her stomach churning anguish each time she struggled to choose between listening to the voice within or continue the path of pleasing others.

Her journey is filled with life lessons that she cleverly calls secrets. These secrets, spaced throughout the book, are meant to provoke thought and inspire rather than lecture. This book is beautifully written with love and optimism. There are some lighthearted even funny moments, but keep a hankie close.

I loved this book and have gifted a copy and may gift more. Thank you Sister Mary Vodka for sharing your journey.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book at the San Francisco Book Festival in May 2013. I really enjoyed meeting the author. Since I've been into reading memoirs lately, I got the book. First of all, I found out that being a nun is not like the TV show, "The Flying Nun" or "The Sound of Music". This book gives a big insight to the Catholic church before and during the reformations of the 1960s.

It is a definite Baby Boomer perspective of growing up with the implied four areas for woman, mom, teacher, nun or secretary. Patti goes through overcoming her guilt to finally leave the nunnery, which wasn't fitting her inner happiness. Survives a failed marriage, to finally find happiness by finding her own path. The book is sprinkled with her kernels of wisdom. My favorite was secret number seven: "Happiness is not a gift, but a skill". pg 185

Overall, if you like the show "Mad Men", this might be a fit for you. That whole insane backward thinking of the early 60s is one of Patti's obstacles. Like most women of the time, she helped lead to a new way of thinking for woman. This is a great book for those that love a memoir with an inner message of freedom and finding your own happiness

[Leslie Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not Catholic but I LOVED this book.
An incredible journey and one of the finest books I've read.

[Sarah Gautam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. An unusually good companion to your spirituality as an elder. Inspired by this book, I have also written a blog on Spiritual Habits. You must also read my blog, it is very interesting Visit Here

[M.M. Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first saw this author's book being advertised somewhere, I knew I just had to read it. I did not want to read it because of the funky-sexy nun on the cover or for the title. I did not even want to read it because she lives here in my state. No, I wanted to read it because of this byline: "...Sister Mary Kateri to Sister Mary Vodka."

The truth is, I have known and seen many nuns/sisters in my life-time so, I thought this one had to be just absolutely crazy to write such a book or downright funny. I was a bit wrong on both accounts.

The author writes a heartfelt and sometimes heartbreaking account as her life as a nun. She does not hold anything back as far as her concerns before entering the convent, her concerns during her time there, and her time after. She makes it clear to the reader the things that took place behind closed doors, that only the sisters were privy and not privy to, and that being in love with God was a whole different ball game than working for Him.

She writes about her Mother and Father who were incredibly supportive, especially her Father. He supported the convent while she was interned there but ironically or maybe not so ironically, she was unaware of how much her Father actually supported until years later after she left. Again, no holds barred.

She shares photos of herself as a sister that were just incredible to see. In full habit, she looked quite a bit different than the photo she presents for this book. Wow! Check out page 133!)

Later, she tells about her first marriage that turned out disastrous as she could not shake the life she had lead. Eventually though, she will meet the love of her life, of whom, she is still with and traveling around today. She speaks of him with as much passion as she does of being in the convent. I loved that!

Throughout the book, and the overall purpose of her writing was to share her seven secrets of how to get through life guilt free. Her life is poured out as she moves through each step. It is easy for me to follow.

So, was there any humor in the book? Well, yes, at times there was, and I easily chuckled. I recall her mentioning the convent as the "nunnery" at one point. That made me laugh out loud!

I really enjoyed this memoir and although my initial reason for wanting read the book was false, I came away with an excellent read.

This book gets 5 stars from me.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my open and honest opinion. The views here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~M.M. aka Naila Moon

[Glen Stott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an autobiographical story of Ptak’s experiences struggling to find inner happiness through becoming a nun and then a wife all the while looking for her answers outside herself. After leaving the nunnery, and then a marriage, she finally finds her seven secrets to happiness. From there she was able to develop a full live and move into a success marriage – and then write a pretty good book. This book gives an interesting insight into what live as a Catholic nun is like.

[Patricia Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a heart wrenching journey of a young girl and her faith as she matures in to womanhood. I felt a kin to her although my experiences were very different.
The book is well written. And educated even this Catholic of about the same age , and so I suggest this as a book to help you free yourself of your past and be grateful for your life !

[Elisabeth Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked A Change of Habit. Patty takes the reader on a journey of her life, starting in adolescence, by joining the convent, to discovering happiness outside of being a nun.

[Pam M]

She should not have become a nun in the first place...

[Courtney Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just love lesson two and three! Whole book was a great read!