Sheila Stroup

Alison McCrary starts her mornings with prayer and meditation.

Sometimes she writes in her journal, other times she draws geometric mandalas. It's a way of silencing her mind.

She thinks about what grace she wants to ask for that day. Patience? Gratitude? Understanding?
   
"Humility is a big one," she says. "I ask, 'How can I increase God and decrease me?'"
   
McCrary graduated from law school in May and is in formation to become a nun in the Congregation of St. Joseph. She lives with a group of sisters in a house, and every night they sit down to eat together and share after-dinner prayers.
   
McCrary tries to strike a balance between prayer and ministry. The young lawyer, who turns 30 in February, spends her days as an advocate and organizer working with a grassroots group, Safe Streets/Strong Communities.
   
"People are always asking me, 'Why don't you get burned out?' But I feel like the more you give, the more you get back," she says.
   
Often, her ministry takes her to the streets of the city, monitoring second-line parades for any police misconduct, or sitting in a bar talking to Mardi Gras groups about noise ordinances or curfews that threaten native traditions.