We need more nuns!

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I think we underestimate the greatness of America’s nuns, who took the most despised and impoverished immigrants and brought out their greatness and shaped their character. Now these children of Catholic immigrants constitute one of the richest demographics in America, though only one measure of success. The Irish were disdained–“No Irish Need Apply”-- and were so poor they sparked a protest among African slaves by offering to take less than slave wages of a dollar a day. Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger’s racist policy of elimination of all brown-eyed people as genetically unfit was aimed in no small part at Italian Catholics. And a generalized policy of “no particular friendships” meant getting swapped back and forth in an emotional abyss that would try any soul. God bless them and may we one day deserve ministrations by a flourishing milieu of good, holy, happy nuns. And I couldn’t have spelled “milieu” without them. My thanks.
 
Yes, if a child didn’t have any learning problems (and back then so many were thought of as stupid or lazy) they had a way of bringing out the best (as did other secular teachers)

I think and hope we learned from past mistakes. Nuns weren’t treated very well and although priests could live and be friends with other people and priests, nuns were very protected. It wasn’t good for their mental health. I read a book by an ex-nun, she wasn’t angry with the church in general, but they way many orders were set up and how they were treated as if they had no feelings at all. That is not the way it is with the newer, reverent orders.

I laughed years ago when a great Irish priest, who got so much liquor every Chirstmas, told me when I commented on why he was boxing some up, " Oh I take it to the convents, they never get anything, people think they don’t drink, eat…" I realized he was right, no one commented about bringing sisters anything, only “Father”. At least he was conscience of it.
 
LilyM said:
Did anyone notice the (probably Episcopalian/Anglican) nuns who were quite prominently front and centre in the footage of Prince William and Kate’s wedding?

Hopefully this will inspire Catholic and non-Catholic Christians alike to not be so dismissive of the idea of the religious life.
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*This may be a little off topic but won’t do any harm. I only saw a little of the wedding and arrived home in the middle of the ceremony. I noticed the altar did not have candles or a cross but looked more like an open display cabinet with beautiful gold ornate plates. That coupled with it not being a Mass struck me. On the other hand it was beautiful to see how the couple appear dedicated to each other. It celebrated the family and I wish them well.

I thought the Anglican Church were close to the Catholic Church. Of course as I looked at the beautiful church I remembered that it was once Catholic.

May God bless them
Cinette:) *
 
PENR said:
I’m curious… how does one even become a nun?

I’ve been playing with the idea the last few weeks but I honestly don’t know what it means to be ‘called’ and I certainly don’t know where I’d start to examine this path. I suppose the obvious answer would be to ask the parish priest, however, he has left. Our parish is in a state of transition. We’ve lost our nun and our priest and I’m left not quite sure who I can bother with these kind of questions… except, I suppose, the internet. 😛
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*Contact the Dominicans - they are vibrant and dedicated!🙂
 
re: disciplinarian teachers.

I had a number of them, in public school.

I think the older the person you’re talking to, the more likely you’ll run into anecdotes and remembrances of teachers who used paddles, humiliated students, etc.

Today’s classroom is largely conditioned by the increase of legal regulation and oversight, fears of parent-initiated litigation, etc.
 
I think that’s true, re the older memories, but I knew someone who’s son is 18 and he had some experiences she didn’t like. As a very devout Catholic, I think she blamed this school for having him so anti-Catholic now…I hope it’s just the age and he’ll be back later.

On this topic though of nuns and teachers, why do you think there isn’t a draw to teaching or developing teaching orders? I see many contemplative, I see ones that work with the poor, mothers and children, all great, but teaching orders are pretty much non-existant.
We have 1 girls high school with older nuns ,the one for boys has 1 nun in guidance, but that’s it. My children’s grade school had an ex-nun as principal and was wonderful, they loved it, but you feel the void of not having any examples of being a sister or vocations.

Is it that teaching is not a big draw to many, sometimes seems like a “default” career for some in the secular world, when other things don’t materialize with other career choices. It would be a great joy I would think for a sister to know they helped influence a life, especially toward God.

I did hear of a Dominican order that is starting a school with lower grades but money is an issue…I figured that must be a big part of it, but some schools are already in place.
 
Debra, you ask a very good question. It’s a headscratcher, since in my understanding,

(a) nuns as a group tend to be extremely happy with what they do; it’s remarkable the kinds of comments older nuns make about their vocation, exceptional to find a group, in this day and age, which seems to really connect with their work, and

(b) teaching tends to be a very positive kind of work experience in most settings. There are stresses, to be sure, but more rewards than in many, many occupations.
 
I have a silly question…

I am uneducated. Dropped out of high school, have lived in the working world ever since. Is this a hindrance to becoming a Sister and/or Nun?

The few places I’ve looked seem to place a HIGH value on education but honestly I have had very little education. Any ‘education’ I’ve received has been self administered.

I have no money to go back to school or any of that so if they do require such things that will be a huge hurdle.
 
I know that many don’t need or want more than a high school diploma but I would ask ones that you were interestd in, they might make exceptions in a case by case basis.
I know Mother Angelica always said education didn’t make a good nun, many holy women didn’t have much, but again, look at vocation pages and email, don’t let it discourage you.
 
Captain_America said:
. . . more nuns mean better Catholic schools, which means better parishes, which means ongoing church community.
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Not all religious sisters teach. So more vocations to a nursing order, for example, wouldn’t help. 😃

What we need for better Catholic schools is more families willing and able to put their children into Catholic school, and support the school with volunteer time. For better parishes we need people willing to start up and attend groups like Legion of Mary and Knights of Colombus. Adoration is probably the single most important thing we can do to improve the life of our parish.
 
Unfortunately most families today can’t pay or sacrifice a lot for Catholic schools. In the North East (CT for me) grade school runs about 2-3000 for grade school if you belong to the parish with a BIG jump at high school. I couldn’t send my twins, it would be 11,000 plus a 2,000 computer and books a year with no financial aid. Boys high school was the same, but about 1000 less. Private schools that are non-Catholic though had scholarships for bright students, some more than half of the tuition.

I volunteered, worked part time, evenings, to be able to send my 3 kids until 9 grade, but it meant no vacations, no nice cars, no fix-ups like new kitchen appliances, etc.

I don’t regret it but sometimes I am saddened by the fact that so many are closing because as the teachers have told me, “the tuition is just getting too high” and the teachers are the lowest paid anywhere.

Without nuns/sisters, I don’t know how any will stay open without becoming unreachable like a secular private school to many. And you just don’t get the morals and lessons that you learn at Catholic Schools.
 
It’s not more nuns/sisters we need it’s holy ones.
Let us pray for them.

Look at the saints - an individual saint can do a power of good.
 
debraran said:
I know that many don’t need or want more than a high school diploma but I would ask ones that you were interestd in, they might make exceptions in a case by case basis.
I know Mother Angelica always said education didn’t make a good nun, many holy women didn’t have much, but again, look at vocation pages and email, don’t let it discourage you.
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A contemplative order of nuns may accept candidates with only a high school diploma or GED, but an order of religious sisters almost certainly will either require a college degree or expect you to go to college during your novitiate. This is because active orders (as opposed to contemplative) usually do work like teach, nurse, run retreat centers, etc. For those jobs you need more education.
 
We might have one for you:thumbsup: Our daughter told us this morning that she had a nightmare last night ( that I knew as she came and woke me because of it ) but, when she went back to bed she was praying and she said “that it was like someone put it in her mind…‘become a nun’!” She was so excited this morning, it was the first thing she said when she came down the stairs!..now she’s only 9, so we will have to wait and see what, if anything, comes of this, but it was a good morning in our house today!
 
PENR said:
I have a silly question…

I am uneducated. Dropped out of high school, have lived in the working world ever since. Is this a hindrance to becoming a Sister and/or Nun?

The few places I’ve looked seem to place a HIGH value on education but honestly I have had very little education. Any ‘education’ I’ve received has been self administered.

I have no money to go back to school or any of that so if they do require such things that will be a huge hurdle.
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Contemplative orders may consider someone without a high school education.

I notice that you live in Canada. I am surprised that the Canadian school system doesn’t have GED programs. They exist in the states, and aren’t expensive as they are financed by the states. It takes real dedication, but you can get your GED. This could raise your income-earning potential also.

There are teaching congregations in the US which attract young women out of high school whom they then educate to become teachers, notably the Nashville and Ann Arbor Dominicans. Other communities are probably going to want some college background, but they do consider work experience to be very valuable. You would have to search on a case-by-case basis. However, I think that the GED is probably required by all.
 
Mrs_Sally said:
A contemplative order of nuns may accept candidates with only a high school diploma or GED, but an order of religious sisters almost certainly will either require a college degree or expect you to go to college during your novitiate. This is because active orders (as opposed to contemplative) usually do work like teach, nurse, run retreat centers, etc. For those jobs you need more education.
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Once again, the Nashville and Ann Arbor Dominicans accept girls out of high school whom they then train to become teachers. I am not sure about the Alma Michigan Mercy sisters. They do train their sisters, but I assume that they already have college background; otherwise, it would be too expensive.
 
bigquests said:
Contemplative orders may consider someone without a high school education.

I notice that you live in Canada. I am surprised that the Canadian school system doesn’t have GED programs. They exist in the states, and aren’t expensive as they are financed by the states. It takes real dedication, but you can get your GED. This could raise your income-earning potential also.

There are teaching congregations in the US which attract young women out of high school whom they then educate to become teachers, notably the Nashville and Ann Arbor Dominicans. Other communities are probably going to want some college background, but they do consider work experience to be very valuable. You would have to search on a case-by-case basis. However, I think that the GED is probably required by all.
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Ah, I did actually get my GED last year but when I say education I mean college (besides which, the GED is kind of a joke. It’s hardly what I’d call proof of education). Sorry for not being clearer. :\ I think I would be more inclined to work as a sister as opposed to being in a contemplative order.
 
It’s funny how things change.
I know of a monastery which was a farm, dairy cattle. As the monks got older and with few candidates coming forward to enter they now make the wafers for Holy Mass. Not enough monks to run a dairy industry.
In the past every candidate who approached them was asked to do agricultural studies at university. Now there’s no need, the farm land has been leased to tenants. I sometimes wonder how many holy monks they have missed.
But maybe God sees things we don’t.
 
bigquests said:
Once again, the Nashville and Ann Arbor Dominicans accept girls out of high school whom they then train to become teachers. I am not sure about the Alma Michigan Mercy sisters. They do train their sisters, but I assume that they already have college background; otherwise, it would be too expensive.
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As I said, they expect the candidate to go to college during their novitiate. The inability to complete whatever course of studies they lay out is probably grounds for dismissal from the order. Each order has a charism and they rightly expect that their members participate in it.
 
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