At 24 years old, Paloma Altonaga—now Sister Paloma de Jesús María—decided to dedicate her entire life to Christ in a cloistered monastery. From the silence and daily prayer of Carmel, she says she has found fulfillment in a greater love.
Paloma was born in La Plata, Argentina, into a family rooted in faith. As a baby, her mother consecrated her to the Virgin Mary during a difficult time marked by serious illness and strained family relationships.
“My mother had a complicated health problem, and her relationship with my father was also complicated. So she consecrated her baby, me, to the Virgin Mary. The aura of faith always followed me,” she told El Diario Sur.
Paloma was very active in different apostolates, enthusiastically devoting herself to evangelization. Yet during the COVID-19 quarantine, she realized something was missing.
“During quarantine, during that mandatory break, I realized that in that active apostolate I was everywhere, but at the same time, my heart wasn't anywhere. I was happy, but I didn't feel fulfilled. So I decided to enter Carmel, but I wasn't convinced it would be in La Plata,” she explained.
With the guidance of a priest, she began discerning religious life while studying philosophy and theology. It was then that she met the Discalced Carmelites of the Monastery of Our Lady of Peace in Luis Guillón, Buenos Aires.
“I started getting to know them and later began the aspirancy, which can last from one to two years. It's a stage where you live with the sisters, but you’re required to go out at least once. When it was time for me to leave for a few days, I started crying because I didn’t want to go out,” she said.
After four years of formation as an aspirant and novice, she made her Simple Profession on July 23, becoming a bride of Christ through her first temporary vows.
“They consist of a covenant one makes with the Lord, moving toward a definitive consecration of one’s entire person to His service, to the service of the Church, and of humanity,” she explained.
At Carmel, Sister Paloma devotes her days to prayer and simple work, convinced that the Church’s mission is also sustained within the cloister.
“I entered Carmel because I feel that, through prayer and the hidden apostolate we have, I can be present on all fronts of service, both existing and future, for the Church and for humanity. As Saint Thérèse said: ‘From the heart of the Church, my Mother, I will be love.’ And it is thanks to that love that all apostolates are possible.”
She affirms with certainty:
“God is my everything: my Father, my mother, my friend, my husband.”
A Carmelite Nun’s Message for Young People
Far from seeing her choice as a renunciation, Sister Paloma lives her vocation as a path to fulfillment.
“While talking to a priest, he asked me if there was anything in my life that prevented me from responding to God’s call. When I realized there wasn’t, I knew I didn’t want to wait any longer,” she said.
She now encourages young people who feel a vocational calling not to be afraid.
“I want to tell young people that we often hear: ‘Christ is worth it.’ No: Christ is worth life! When you feel that freedom within you, that ‘yes, this is the moment, I feel this in my heart,’ do it. Go for it. It’s a matter of taking the step, of seeking good friendships and good company that will help you in your discernment. Whatever gives you peace, whatever gives you joy, whatever fulfills you: that is your vocation.”