Is conversion the only way to becoming a nun? (Sorry about the length, its important)

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AngelFairy

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I did post another topic on the subject. I have been looking around and asking questions for a while and got a multitude of different anwsers.

I have never been a part or practised christianity or catholicism. I’m pantheist pagan and occultist.

When i was younger (age 9) had thought about being a catholic nun. This fascination lasted off and on. Im very intrested in the life they lead, what they do and their pure devotion.

However obviouly i wouldnt be able to join. In some way i wish they would make an exception for me to join. As im willing to sacrifice the practicing occult for just being a pantheist. Im naturally a person who helps people and volunteers. Im not a material person (i do own a mobile and laptop few cd and dvds though) Im completely celibate (including relationships).

Im willing to go further like cover over my hair or cut my hair very short (to avoid the large amount of money i spend on my long hair.) I would be happy to study catholicism, bible and theology in depth.

i have some of the qualites but just not the main religion.

Would a complete convertion be the only way?

Im dont value conversion as a general rule mostly when people marry and their spouse converts to their religion type of thing. I Think regardless i should be a personal choice and true to themselves.

I have only tried once to visit a catholic church but the worry of having to explain myself like this to someone face to face. I got looks from people and left. I didnt find any leaflets about convents there.

thankyou
 
First, I’ll state that I am not Catholic, though I am participating in the conversion process via RCIA.

I am really puzzled as to why you would want to be a nun if you don’t want to be Catholic. The entire point of entering a religious vocation is to dedicate your life to Jesus Christ. If you don’t believe in Jesus, why would you even want to?

You need to read more on vocations and on the different lifestyles Catholic nuns lead. At the center of their lives is Mass and partaking of the Eucharist, which is Christ’s body and blood, and if you are not a Catholic you cannot participate in that. There are no exceptions here - not even other Christians who are not Catholic can receive Communion at Mass!

Frankly, I have read a lot of interesting posts on this site but this is the first one that has truly stunned me.
 
Being a nun is not a picturesque, idyllic life but a rigorous one. A nun’s life, if lived properly is of self-abnegation, sacrifice, prayer, and total devotion to Jesus Christ. Without this devotion to Christ, this intense life is impossible. Indeed, often young women who are devout Christians find they are not suited to this life.

Perhaps you should visit your local Catholic church and ask a priest to give you instruction in the Faith.
 
If you’re really interested, learn how to be a Christian plain first, before you try to be a Christian fancy.
 
AngelFairy said:
I did post another topic on the subject. I have been looking around and asking questions for a while and got a multitude of different anwsers.

I have never been a part or practised christianity or catholicism. I’m pantheist pagan and occultist.

When i was younger (age 9) had thought about being a catholic nun. This fascination lasted off and on. Im very intrested in the life they lead, what they do and their pure devotion.

However obviouly i wouldnt be able to join. In some way i wish they would make an exception for me to join. As im willing to sacrifice the practicing occult for just being a pantheist. Im naturally a person who helps people and volunteers. Im not a material person (i do own a mobile and laptop few cd and dvds though) Im completely celibate (including relationships).

Im willing to go further like cover over my hair or cut my hair very short (to avoid the large amount of money i spend on my long hair.) I would be happy to study catholicism, bible and theology in depth.

i have some of the qualites but just not the main religion.

Would a complete convertion be the only way?

Im dont value conversion as a general rule mostly when people marry and their spouse converts to their religion type of thing. I Think regardless i should be a personal choice and true to themselves.

I have only tried once to visit a catholic church but the worry of having to explain myself like this to someone face to face. I got looks from people and left. I didnt find any leaflets about convents there.

thankyou
Click to expand...
A conversion to the Catholic Church must take place, but first, a conversion of your heart is necessary. No religious order would allow a pantheist to join, much less, someone who was never baptized and confirmed in the Catholic Church. They will ask for your baptism certificate when you apply for entrance.

It seems to me that you are interested in the way a nun lives, but from what you wrote, it doesn’t sound like you have been called. I could be wrong, so I would ask a priest in the Catholic Church about what you should do.

The Catholics are monotheists. We believe in One God (part of the Nicene Creed), the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. Of all that is seen and unseen. Pantheists believe in multiple gods which is not compatible with the Catholic faith.

Hope this helps.
 
The point about Christian Religious life (the lives of monks and nuns) is that they renounce the world in order to enter deeper into loving communion and relationship with Christ our Lord and God. It’s not about a lifestyle but about self-sacrifice and love.

If you don’t have that relationship, you’re giving up the world for nothing. I really don’t understand why you would do that.

It’s good that you would be willing to give up practicing the occult. I’d advise that anyway. Perhaps you would do well to replace that with the regular daily praying of the Divine Office of the Church, which is what all monks and nuns recite daily: amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=The+Divine+Office

Or you can read it online to begin with courtesy of Universalis: universalis.com/

Christian life is something we need to grow into, and only a mature Christian could begin to consider becoming a nun.

There is an old idea in the Church lex orandi lex credendi the way we pray is the way we believe. If you have got used to practicing the occult, your beliefs will reflect that. First, get used to praying like a Christian, and be open to exploring whatever questions that causes you to engage with. Find a good priest who is patient and willing to listen to your questions as you pursue this avenue. Who knows, maybe God put this calling into your heart to lead you to the place of His grace.
 
Hi AngelFairy and welcome to CAF.
This fascination lasted off and on. Im very intrested in the life they lead, what they do and their pure devotion.
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This fascination is a very interesting thing, it is like an invitation to step out of where you are right now and take the risk of probing and getting to know something else. Obviously the life of a nun totally committed to transcendent values is very apealing to you and is probably your own quest in life.

I would suggest that you read some conversion stories and see how they resonate with you.
The first one that comes to my mind is The Seven Storey Mountain, which is an autobiography of Thomas Merton, an American writer who became a Catholic Trappist monk and later a hermit. You can browse the web and find out about him. His book has been a best seller for a long time and I’m sure you’ll find it in any library. -His journals of later years as a monk have also been published-

There are other personal stories of conversion that might be a good reading for you, just to see that conversion is not an impossed thing but a deep movement of the soul towards greater freedom and truth; and it is never done once and for all but it is an on going process of a life time.

Another famous Catholic convert is Saint Agustin, a pagan African of the 5th century who wrote down his struggle in the book The Confessions. He is now not only a saint but even a Father of the Church -meaning that he contributed highly to the Christian Faith as a bishop and preacher.

I know the story of a Catholic person who lost faith and completely dropped out from Church. For years they were searching in other religions as well as in tons of reading of every kind. They couldn’t find the meaning that were looking for and with no faith fell into dispair to the point of seriously considering suicide. At this point the person also started to feel a powerful attraction and fascination with life in a monastery … which eventually proved to be the place for them.

You have a long way ahead of you. There are different ways of approaching the Catholic Faith. One is that of direct instruction on beliefs as such -as it has been suggested already. Another is to just attend Catholic worship with due respect (if there is any Catholic monastery in your area that would be a good place to try this) and see how do you feel about it. You may want to contact/speak with the monks/nuns there and start the conversation you need to have on this.

I would suggest that you follow your “gut feeling” at this time both in your attraction-fascination as well as what you probably sense that you should give up. And see how do you feel and what happens as you embark in this direction. There is a long journey ahead anyway but the important thing is to get into the road and start walking. You will get THERE -wherever “there” is- in due time.

Blessings and prayers from a fellow journeyer
 
AngelFairy said:
I did post another topic on the subject. I have been looking around and asking questions for a while and got a multitude of different anwsers.

I have never been a part or practised christianity or catholicism. I’m pantheist pagan and occultist.

When i was younger (age 9) had thought about being a catholic nun. This fascination lasted off and on. Im very intrested in the life they lead, what they do and their pure devotion.

However obviouly i wouldnt be able to join. In some way i wish they would make an exception for me to join. As im willing to sacrifice the practicing occult for just being a pantheist. Im naturally a person who helps people and volunteers. Im not a material person (i do own a mobile and laptop few cd and dvds though) Im completely celibate (including relationships).

Im willing to go further like cover over my hair or cut my hair very short (to avoid the large amount of money i spend on my long hair.) I would be happy to study catholicism, bible and theology in depth.

i have some of the qualites but just not the main religion.

Would a complete convertion be the only way?

Im dont value conversion as a general rule mostly when people marry and their spouse converts to their religion type of thing. I Think regardless i should be a personal choice and true to themselves.

I have only tried once to visit a catholic church but the worry of having to explain myself like this to someone face to face. I got looks from people and left. I didnt find any leaflets about convents there.

thankyou
Click to expand...
After reading my first reply, I think I should have worded things differently. I’m sorry if I came off a little rude or anything. That was not my intention.

I think the poster before me who talked about Thomas Merton and St. Augustine had some very good suggestions. I agree with all of them. I would suggest you take some time to ponder over your own internal calling and contemplate on whether God is calling you to the religious life. Just because you are a pagan and practicing occultist now does not mean that God isn’t trying to reach out to you. His Church is composed of many people with different backgrounds, all contributing in a unique way. Perhaps He wants you to help build up His Kingdom!

The religious life is not something to be taken lightly though. As I said in my previous post, you must be willing to give up pantheism and occultism and convert to the Catholic Church. Pretty much all religious orders require that you have been a convert for 3 years before applying to enter. Also, having a spiritual director (priest, nun, brother, or Catholic lay person) is a huge plus! Most religious orders require that you have a letter of recommendation from someone who knows you very well. A spiritual director is the best way to obtain this.

I hope you don’t think me harsh or rude. I apologize for my last statement. Please continue on your path to religious life if you believe that you may have a calling. Talk to a priest close by you and see what he says. You may find that this calling is genuine. 👍
 
Life in the convent is not about the hair or cloth…It’s all about love to Jesus, which becomes so overwhelming that you cannot longer live your life a previous way – any previous way. You just forget about yourself to live a life of Christ and become a member of his family – a community. Yes, some practical things go behind: a community has its rules to keep the strict order of life. However, the sense of the monastic life is not in those things, but in the strong personal relation with Jesus.
If you do not have it – you do not have it. What else can I say…
 
DL82 said:
The point about Christian Religious life (the lives of monks and nuns) is that they renounce the world in order to enter deeper into loving communion and relationship with Christ our Lord and God.
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And in community. Therefore, it’s necessary to have several common traces among the members, otherwise life in common would be prone to friction.

In Catholic religious communities being Catholic and in good standing would be essential traces, but not sufficient. For instance, personal situations are also important. For instance, a parent cannot leave the responsibility of raising a child behind in order to enter religious life, much less a married person, which goes without saying. It’s also important to asses if one’s spirituality is compatible with the charisms of the Order or Congregation.

Once all this is sorted out, one’s personality must also fit in the community, otherwise one would be getting in another’s hair all the time.

HTH

:blessyou:
 
AngelFairy said:
I did post another topic on the subject. I have been looking around and asking questions for a while and got a multitude of different anwsers.

I have never been a part or practised christianity or catholicism. I’m pantheist pagan and occultist.

When i was younger (age 9) had thought about being a catholic nun. This fascination lasted off and on. Im very intrested in the life they lead, what they do and their pure devotion.

However obviouly i wouldnt be able to join. In some way i wish they would make an exception for me to join. As im willing to sacrifice the practicing occult for just being a pantheist. Im naturally a person who helps people and volunteers. Im not a material person (i do own a mobile and laptop few cd and dvds though) Im completely celibate (including relationships).

Im willing to go further like cover over my hair or cut my hair very short (to avoid the large amount of money i spend on my long hair.) I would be happy to study catholicism, bible and theology in depth.

i have some of the qualites but just not the main religion.

Would a complete convertion be the only way?

Im dont value conversion as a general rule mostly when people marry and their spouse converts to their religion type of thing. I Think regardless i should be a personal choice and true to themselves.

I have only tried once to visit a catholic church but the worry of having to explain myself like this to someone face to face. I got looks from people and left. I didnt find any leaflets about convents there.

thankyou
Click to expand...
I have sent you a PM, outlining my suggestions.

Your attraction is the work of a part of our God called the Holy Ghost. Your good works are living our Jesus. You can’t do the latter without the former.

Our God wants a relationship with you. This is why you’re being attracted to our nuns.

As I said, I’ve sent you a PM. Please be looking for it.

Blessings,
Cloisters
 
Charbeau said:
First, I’ll state that I am not Catholic, though I am participating in the conversion process via RCIA.

I am really puzzled as to why you would want to be a nun if you don’t want to be Catholic. The entire point of entering a religious vocation is to dedicate your life to Jesus Christ. If you don’t believe in Jesus, why would you even want to?

You need to read more on vocations and on the different lifestyles Catholic nuns lead. At the center of their lives is Mass and partaking of the Eucharist, which is Christ’s body and blood, and if you are not a Catholic you cannot participate in that. There are no exceptions here - not even other Christians who are not Catholic can receive Communion at Mass!

Frankly, I have read a lot of interesting posts on this site but this is the first one that has truly stunned me.
Click to expand...
👍
 
There is a point that has been missed by almost eveyrone.

When you enter a religious community or a secular institute you make vows. The Superior of the community or the institute receives those vows in the name of the Church. He or she also promises you salavtion if you fulfill those vows. He makes that promise in the name of the Church.

If one is not a member of the Church, how can one make vows? Who receives them? Who validates them? What is the promise? If one is not a member of the Church one cannot make vows to the Church and the Church has no jurisdiction to receive those vows.

Fraternally,

JR 🙂
 
AngelFairy said:
I did post another topic on the subject. I have been looking around and asking questions for a while and got a multitude of different anwsers.

I have never been a part or practised christianity or catholicism. I’m pantheist pagan and occultist.

When i was younger (age 9) had thought about being a catholic nun. This fascination lasted off and on. Im very intrested in the life they lead, what they do and their pure devotion.

However obviouly i wouldnt be able to join. In some way i wish they would make an exception for me to join. As im willing to sacrifice the practicing occult for just being a pantheist. Im naturally a person who helps people and volunteers. Im not a material person (i do own a mobile and laptop few cd and dvds though) Im completely celibate (including relationships).

Im willing to go further like cover over my hair or cut my hair very short (to avoid the large amount of money i spend on my long hair.) I would be happy to study catholicism, bible and theology in depth.

i have some of the qualites but just not the main religion.

Would a complete convertion be the only way?

Im dont value conversion as a general rule mostly when people marry and their spouse converts to their religion type of thing. I Think regardless i should be a personal choice and true to themselves.

I have only tried once to visit a catholic church but the worry of having to explain myself like this to someone face to face. I got looks from people and left. I didnt find any leaflets about convents there.

thankyou
Click to expand...
Fr. Richard Butler, OP, in his book, “Religious Vocation: An Unnecessary Mystery” mentions the “mystery religions” of paganism in the first few pages. This book might be a good one for you to read, since it mentions why pagans do what they do.

Blessings,
Cloisters
 
I’m about to ask a very personal question, which you certainly don’t have to reply to in public. Is it something about the celibacy of a nun’s life…avoiding the whole realm of romantic love, sex, possible parenthood? You sound like a seeker who wants to do the right thing.
You are not the only non-Catholic woman who’s had this thought cross her mind. Best wishes.
 
You don’t have to be Catholic, or Christian, or even a theist to become a nun or a celibate religious.

Buddhists become nuns, including Zen Buddhists, who do not have a deity-centered religious faith. There are a lot of them world-wide, and a number of them in this country.

Most medium-sized cities have a collection of Buddhists who get together to meditate, have classes for the curious, and have visits by male and female celibate teachers. There is a great deal online. There are a number of publications and magazines which you can find at well-stocked libraries, large bookstores, health food stores and coffee shops which sell magazines.

I have no defined religious faith,but have been attracted to celibate religious life my entire life, even though I am happily married with a family. Go figure. It happens. Some have found happiness as celibate Buddhists.
 
1234 said:
You don’t have to be Catholic, or Christian, or even a theist to become a nun or a celibate religious.

Buddhists become nuns, including Zen Buddhists, who do not have a deity-centered religious faith. There are a lot of them world-wide, and a number of them in this country.

Most medium-sized cities have a collection of Buddhists who get together to meditate, have classes for the curious, and have visits by male and female celibate teachers. There is a great deal online. There are a number of publications and magazines which you can find at well-stocked libraries, large bookstores, health food stores and coffee shops which sell magazines.

I have no defined religious faith,but have been attracted to celibate religious life my entire life, even though I am happily married with a family. Go figure. It happens. Some have found happiness as celibate Buddhists.
Click to expand...
Buddhism is not a religion. It is more a philosophy of life. That being said, Buddhist nuns and monks do not consider themselves Religioius with upper case R.

A Religious is a man or woman who is consecrated to God through Baptism and who lives out his Baptismal consecration as member of a religious family that publicly vows to live according to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, obedient to the voice of God as it is expressed through the Church and the superiors of the community, withou owining personal property, and living bonded to a community of brothers or sisters by a vow of chastity.

Because Buddhists lack the Gospel, the Church, the Baptism, the vows that bind them to live their Baptism more closely united to Christ, they cannot be considered Religious, nor would they want to be.

They are certainly very good people and probably very holy people. They have a history that says they live in search of truth and peace. They are on the right track, but not on the same path as Religious.

Fraternally,

JR 🙂
 
Previous posters have said pretty much all that needs to be said about becoming a Catholic nun, but I think I have a good alternative for you if you are really determined and don’t want to become a Catholic.

I can offer you something with:

-Structure
-Community
-Service
-Rigid Discipline
-Denial of Self
-Severe Haircuts
-Strange Clothing

Join the military. Marines, if you can. Now that I look back, I think it was the life a religious, minus the devotion to Jesus, plus a few bad tattoos.

I’m mostly teasing you, if you can’t tell. Good luck on your quest!

Paul
 
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