Sister Alicia Torres serves Chicago’s west side. Her order is the Franciscans of the Eucharist of Chicago. In 2015, she won “Chopped” and donated the winnings to Mission of Our Lady of the Angels.
Q: Where did you grow up and go to school?
A: My family was a military family. My family traveled quite a bit. I was born in Portugal. We came to the States when I was a little older than 2. I was home-schooled until seventh grade, and then I went to a small, Catholic high school in Massachusetts.
Q: Where did you go to college?
A: I attended Loyola University Chicago in 2003 and graduated in 2007.
Q: Why did you want to join the Franciscan sisters?
A: During my junior year of college, I prayed a lot. I felt this call to religious life. During this time, I met Father Bob Lombardo, which is our superior at the Franciscans of the Eucharist of Chicago. I always took my Catholic faith seriously. I wanted to live for the Lord.
Q: How did it make you feel?
A: I remember when I came to Mission of Our Lady of the Angels, it felt like home. It felt like that’s where God wanted me to serve, to love and to care for his people.
Q: What’s a typical day for you?
A: We want to meet the needs of those who are very poor, so we are very flexible. Every day, we gather at 6:30 a.m. in our chapel to pray our morning prayer. We have Mass after that. After Mass, some of us start setting up for our food pantry, start preparing meals, speaking at a parish or working with college students who volunteer. We get thousands of pounds of food every week that we distribute throughout the neighborhood. I pray the rosary each day. There are so many different things we do!
Q: How did you become interested in “Chopped?”
A: They were looking for religious sisters to participate in the competition. I applied, and they were interested. I thought it would be really fun, and I love to cook.
Q: Did you win?
A: I did win. … I did tell a few prayer warriors that I won before the episode aired. The moment I stepped on set, I wasn’t afraid. I was covered in prayer, and I knew the Lord was with me.
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Q: Did you donate your winnings to charity?
A: Yes. I won $10,000, and that was donated to the mission where I serve. That was used to purchase food for the neighborhood.
Q: Tell me about the event at Il Poveretto Café in Melrose Park on Jan.8.
A: It was our third annual Epiphany fundraiser. We raised money for the Map of Hope Foundation. We all have something to offer to the needy, whether it be time, talent or treasure.
Q: What does the future hold for you?
A: The future is in God’s hands! In religious life, we take an oath of poverty, chastity and obedience. If in the future, if we continue to grow, there’s a possibility of going to other areas in the city. However, the future doesn’t exist yet. Our society focuses so much on the future or the past.
Q: Do you have any hobbies?
A: I love my life. My life is so beautiful. I really do love cooking. I enjoy visiting friends. I love reading. I enjoy music and singing. I am running the marathon in October! Anybody is invited to run the marathon with us — we have some open spots!
Maryann Pisano is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.