Nuns

[LeftHandBlack]

I was reading a manga entitled “One Pound Gospel” earlier today. One of the main characters was a novice nun named Sister Angela, and that made a few questions crop up…

What is day-to-day life like for novice nuns?
How do nuns choose their names?
Are there limitations on places that they can be assigned to? (I.E., certain schools or institutions?)
Do they wear white habits during their periods of training? What does their training consist of?
Can nuns (novice or otherwise) hear confession?
What happens if a nun decides to give up their life in the church and how would they go about doing it?

 

[Gearoidin]

Hi,
Do you mean nuns or sisters? Sisters work outside the convent (teachers nurses etc). Nuns, strictly speaking, live cloistered lives in enclosed convents and are rarely seen by the general public. Nuns typically spend their lives in seclusion, devoting themselves entirely to meditation and prayer.
Only a priest can hear confession.

This may help you.
( Source:blessings-catalog.com/storyofnuns.html)

The Stages of Becoming a Sister
There are three stages to becoming a nun or sister and take from 5 to 7 years…
Postulancy
The first stage, postulancy, lasts from six months to a year. This time is spent studying the spiritual life and becoming accustomed to the daily routine of a Nun.
At the end of postulancy, the candidate reconsiders whether she has been called to this holy way of life.

Novitiate
The second stage, novitiate, lasts one full year. The novitiate begins with the candidate dressed as a bride, coming into the convent chapel with her fellow postulants. The Novice now wears the complete habit of her Order, (with the exception of the white veil that distinguishes her as a novice.).

At this ceremony that the Nuns give up their previous name and adopt a new name in honor of a favorite saint (or perhaps their parents). Mary ‘M’. or Marie is always placed after the title ‘Sister’ in honor of Mary the Blessed Virgin.
Further, to identify the order that they belong to, the Sisters sign their names using initials that signify their community. For example, O.P. (Dominicus), O.S.F. (Franciscans), O.S.B. (Benedictines) and R.S.M. (Sisters of Mercy).

During the novitiate, candidates study the Rules and Constitutions of their community. They become deeply involved in the practice of mental prayer and in the teachings of the Church. No secular studies are allowed at this time. Learning Gregorian chant, church history and their community history is also highly stressed.
Novices, as a rule, do not go outside the convent and are allowed only four family visits: Christmas, Easter, Corpus Christi and Thanksgiving.

Profession of Vows
At the end of the candidate’s novitiate, she seeks the advice of her Spiritual Mother regarding whether she is ready to advance to her profession of vows. Temporary vows are taken so that the newly professed nun can experience the religious life in its full sense for three to five years (before taking her final vows). During this time, she resumes her college work to prepare for whatever apostolate her Order is involved in.

The vows of a religious order are taken so that the candidates can follow Christ in His poverty, His chastity and His obedience, and also to follow up His invitation to “go sell what thou hast, and come follow me.”

The Vow of Poverty means giving up all ownership, and sharing with her Sisters all that is needed to sustain themselves. Permission is needed to buy anything or accept any gift.

The Vow of Chastity means remaining a virgin, or (in the case of a widow), to remain pure, for the love of God, for the remainder of their lives.

The Vow of Obedience means sacrificing their will. In other words, they will accept any assignment for work given to them, and they will ask permission to come and go from the Convent.

These three vows require a total commitment to Almighty God as a way of life. A newly professed Nun or Sister receives a profession crucifix to be worn around her neck and suspended over her breast. Some orders also wear a wedding band, to symbolize their marriage to Christ.

The following is a general formula of vows taken by Nuns/Sisters at final profession.

Gearoidin

 

[netmilsmom]

LeftHandBlack:

I was reading a manga entitled “One Pound Gospel” earlier today. One of the main characters was a novice nun named Sister Angela, and that made a few questions crop up…

What is day-to-day life like for novice nuns?
How do nuns choose their names?
Are there limitations on places that they can be assigned to? (I.E., certain schools or institutions?)
Do they wear white habits during their periods of training? What does their training consist of?
Can nuns (novice or otherwise) hear confession?
What happens if a nun decides to give up their life in the church and how would they go about doing it?

I thought all manga was based on Japanese anime. Learn something new everyday!.

 

[LeftHandBlack]

I guess I’m referring to Sisters, then.

 

[LeftHandBlack]

netmil(name removed by moderator):

I thought all manga was based on Japanese anime. Learn something new everyday!.

For the most part, it’s the other way around. The Anime (or animated series) are usually based on the manga comics.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

There are two out-of-print books you might someplace that are helpful in this explanation.

One is called Bernie Becomes a Nun. It was written for school-age girls to find out what it was like to become a sister or nun. It has loads of photos, and is still available second-hand. I always liked the pre-convent shower, where Bernie received such useful gifts as black gloves and white handkerchiefs without any lace.

The second is a Nun’s Story. While a novel, it is based on some fact, and has at the end a nun who “goes out” of the convent.

If you are looking for a more modern sister, be-a-nun.org/conventfiles.htm. Young Sister Joy is a convert, and decided to give her whole life over to God through joining the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Another good site is sistersofmary.org/.

And I like scceast.org/ and home.mindspring.com/~mjg2/sisters.html because these were the sisters who taught e when I was a child.

What happens depends on the order and how that order has evolved over the the centuries. And not all sisters adopt “Mary” or “Marie” in religious life. A lot of the keep their names, first and last. I know Joy does not wear a habit, because her order does not wear a habit. Others do.

But sisters and nuns NEVER have faculties, as they are not priests, and therefore never dispense absolution in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (confession).