What are the reasons for shortage of new Religious Sisters?

[Sister_Helena]

Someone on this forum posed the question of why we have a shortage of priests. I would like to pose the same question with regards religious women, specifically Religious Sisters.
Why do we have a crisis right now with religious vocations?
And what do you think are the steps which can be taken to address the issues?

 

[heathernoel]

We have ONE sister that comes once a week (we are a large parish)…and honestly, I wish she were more visible

On a personal level, I am married with children. If I could rewind time, I might not have been. I feel a belated draw. I am very happy to be called to this vocation, and am definitely blessed.

I would love to see more women commit their lives to Him in such a way as you have!

 

[Joannm]

We have ONE sister that comes once a week (we are a large parish)…and honestly, I wish she were more visible

On a personal level, I am married with children. If I could rewind time, I might not have been. I feel a belated draw. I am very happy to be called to this vocation, and am definitely blessed.

I would love to see more women commit their lives to Him in such a way as you have!

I think the reason is the same reason why there are fewer vocations to priesthood (and men’s religious life). It is not viewed as “attractive.” Parents want their kids to make money, get married, have kids. There are fewer people encouraging vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

I agree with you. I am married with children, but I often wonder that if someone thought to talk to me about a religious vocation my life would be different. I was taught for 12 years by religious sisters. Never once do I remember anyone of them even suggesting becoming a sister and I was a pretty religious kid. And this was in the 1960s, early 70’s.

The only person to ever suggest that I might have had a religious vocation that was not recognised or encouraged when I was younger, was my spiritual director almost 40 years later.

The key is, if you notice a young person who might have a vocation to the priesthood or religious life, tell them what you think, or encourage them to get involved in parish life.

 

[datingtrappists]

Another posibility may be that someone who has a calling to vocation is discouraged by family and friends… at least I have been, from “You have so much more to offer to the world” to “Why in the heck (not quite… but close enough ) would you want to do something crazy like join a convent?”. Also, like another post has stated, there seems to be a lack of people, religious and laity alike, encouraging religious vocations.

I am very blessed in my diocese, because my bishop frequently talks about and encourages vocations, both on the diocecian website and whenever he celebrates special Masses, such as church dedications (there have already been 3 that I know of this year in the Knoxville area) and confirmations. He has also brought a small convent to Knoxville and I think, is looking to bring more in the diocese.

Maybe also, too, is my own neglect to pray for and encourage others to at least look at a vocation. I know a few people who would make great a priest, monk or nun, and I haven’t had the courage to mention that to them. I think, too, there may be those out there who haven’t considered a vocation because of some past mistakes… you know, “What’s the point now? God couldn’t possibly use me after I have done x, y, and z…” But I am reminded of something my priest says… “God does not call the qualified. He qualifies the called”.

 

[Jennifer_G]

…more visible

I think that’s the key phrase. Not just more visible in the church, but more visible as in actually wearing a habit. Many of the fastest growing orders (i.e., Tennessee Dominicans) wear habits.

So, there’s some reasons why I think there’s a shortage…

1 - No habits. There’s no way to spot a nun in a church, or even outside of church. I have seen only one nun (sister) wearing a habit out in public, and that was at a local seafood restaurant. Sure some can wear a cross, or medal of that order, but even that can be hard to spot.

2 - I think this is a result of #1. Many non-cloistered orders are old, and the average age is 70. It doesn’t look good when you look at pictures of a convent on the Internet, and not only do 90% of them look like they’re over 70, 1/3rd of them are using walkers and wheelchairs. It looks more like a retirement home than a convent. What’s going to happen in 30 years when you’re the only sister in what used to be about a dozen sisters?

3 - More oportunities for women in the workplace other than nurse, teacher, secretary (all of which could be done by sisters, too).

4 - Smaller families, which means the kids at the very least are the only ones taking care of their parents when they’re old.

 

[DOShea]

Hi Sister Helena,

It’s not in me to have the true answer to your question, but I would like to offer you some observations and let you consider if any of them might apply.

First I would offer that people in religious orders have a good understanding of things like which order is which, what their missions are, etc. Most people outside those orders do not. A Sister of this flavor equals a Sister of that flavor. Simplistic, I know, but I think it’s true.

As a result of that lack of any distinction, every time any Sister (or former Sister) does something out on the fringe, it impacts all of you. This is no different than when one politician is crooked, it lowers the collective trust in all of them. The more there are like it, the less and less the trust. Sadly, some Sisters have gone astray and in a very public way. If the media can work the word “nun” into the story, all the more sensational and better for them. These Sisters and former Sisters, in their hearts they may be convicted that what they are doing is what Christ wants of them, but they are blind to how it appears in conflict, at least in the eyes of the everyday Catholic, with other teachings and tenets of the faith. I’m sure you’ve seen or read of examples.

What can be done about that? I’m not sure, but I do notice that whenever I visit a website for, say, a retreat run by Sisters, it contains the most beautiful and loving words and lovely descriptions of the facility, the staff, the view… but it never contains anything that indicates one will only get authentic Church teaching there. That might not seem important, and for those who are faithful it might seem redundant or that the name of the order already serves the purpose, but consider that in the world are some who have adopted some odd inclusions of things that on a good day we could call “eastern philosophies,” and on a bad day “downright New Age.”

How does the casual visitor tell them apart? The adrift ones certainly don’t tell people what they’re offering. Maybe the authentic ones should.

The population of Sisters is 1/3 of what it was 50 years ago. So Sisters are not anywhere near as visible as they once were. There is the matter of wearing the habit, and without addressing the merits or demerits of that, I’d simply point out that not wearing it ads to the problem of visibility. If you consider another group who seeks only volunteers, the military, you notice they advertise, a LOT. They show up to public events wearing a uniform because it is through that kind of thing others are curious. They see these men and women in a public setting getting a lot of public respect, and the natural inner thought for a young person yearning to “be someone” is “how can I get that kind of respect?” Answer: join up.

LOL now I’m not suggesting billboards, “The Few, The Proud, The Nuns” or anything like that, but I am saying showing up in public and interacting helps people see who you are. Things beyond or outside what you normally do. Go to a little league game, go watch a high school play, be where people are not expecting to see you there and interact.

Too many people, sadly even some Catholics, have this picture in their mind that being a religious means being locked up in some big stone building where you subsist on a diet that wouldn’t meet the standards of a Turkish prison. In a world that is obsessed with pleasure and entertainment, not many can look at what religious do and see much inherent value in that life. That is so, so sad, because if they only knew a few of you or got a chance to meet and speak with you, it would radically alter their perception of what they imagine you to be.

I don’t know if any of that is helpful or not; I hope it is at least food for thought. I pray every single night for vocations, ALL vocations, and where I can, I encourage others to do likewise. I trust God to know when to fill our needs.

 

[Jengl]

I agree with many posters here. I’ve had a special love for Jesus all through my eductaion years. As I grew older there was so much focous from everyone around me on graduating HS and College, find a carreer and get married. It was almost like tunnel vision.

Looking back on where I’m spiritually at now, I think I would love to join the religous community. Growing up I thought sisterhood was for “super holy people” which I surely wasn’t like At least that point in my life.

Another thing is - and I don’t know if anyone else worried about this or if it was just me - I was always very insecure, I was afraid of not doing things “right” or making other sisters angry.

I guess if I had the right direction things could have been different. However at the same time by getting married and having children I’ve experienced lifetime events that brought out my spirituality more.
As for now, I dedicate as much of my life as possible to God. I even wear a cross on my neckalace to remind myself that Jesus is always with us.

 

[Sister_Helena]

Thank you all for your responses so far. Most of the issues cited are by now being discussed in all vocation committees by vocation directors and formators. A nationwide study was conducted about this very same topic which I am including in this post:
catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=17770

I agree that visibility and engagement with people are good places to start. The issue of wearing habits has always been a bone of contention since studies have shown that even those Communities with recognizable religious habits still suffer from low numbers. A number of cloistered Carmelite communities I know are merging because of lack of candidates (although vocation to an enclosed community is always a vocation within a vocation.) And they wear habits. My community wears the Carmelite habit, and even though we get vocations every year or so, we can still do with more.
I would also agree that there are no personal mentoring that is happening between someone interested and a Sister. We have an abundance of internet advertisement and flyers, but nothing can take the place of person to person contact and relationship. A lot of people are lacking in the knowledge of the Catholic Faith, even those who are born into the Faith, and even more people ignorant of Religious life. We have a lot of prejudices and misconceptions out there which need to be corrected. We also need to be more aggressive and upfront in inviting people in.
There is also a phenomenon of role confusion. Most of the apostolic ministry Religious Sisters do can be done by lay people. What makes us different from them? Questions like why does one enter religious life just to do nursing? One can do that as a lay person. There has to be a difference? What is it?

 

[vee8]

What is wrong and what can be done about this problem is what I think the Vatican has in mind during their visitation. A visit which will hopefully be a step towards improving things.

As for a habit it helps draw attention but there also has to be a faithfulness to the particular charism of the community AND the Magisterium. As a woman in my 20s who is discerning a possible vocation I want to see a community who follows the rules, follows the Vatican and so on. No hidden or obvious feminist, environmentalist, relativist, New Age agenda.

LOL now I’m not suggesting billboards, “The Few, The Proud, The Nuns”

You know…

 

[Sister_Helena]

What is wrong and what can be done about this problem is what I think the Vatican has in mind during their visitation. A visit which will hopefully be a step towards improving things.

As for a habit it helps draw attention but there also has to be a faithfulness to the particular charism of the community AND the Magisterium. As a woman in my 20s who is discerning a possible vocation I want to see a community who follows the rules, follows the Vatican and so on. No hidden or obvious feminist, environmentalist, relativist, New Age agenda.

You know…

Hello Vee,

I clicked your website. I wish you God’s light in your discernment.

 

[Salonika]

vee8:

As a woman in my 20s who is discerning a possible vocation I want to see a community who follows the rules, follows the Vatican and so on. No hidden or obvious feminist, environmentalist, relativist, New Age agenda.

Vee 8’s comment clarified a possible reason for fewer new religious sisters - that is that there are now a much wider of issues that need to be addressed than there were years ago and more ways to address them.

Praying for the world is not now the only option for women - getting out and doing things about them are now possible options and some women, who in past centuries, would have entered a convent now do not.

With the decline of religious observance and more and more people seeing religion as unnecessary maybe some women feel they will be able to make more of an impact from outside the convent.

Not saying they are correct or wrong - it is a matter of individual conscience - it will depend on the individual and their situation.

 

[NPC]

Hello Sister Helena-

About a year and a half ago I started a thread here on CAF entitled “Identity and Vocations”. In it I suggested that many religious orders may be currently in the midst of an identity crisis. I cited some examples from Ireland, as I can’t really comment on the situation anywhere else (my theory, however, applies not only to religious sisters but to communities of brothers too). In the past, I noted, the biggest religious orders in the country were ones such as the Sisters of Mercy, the Presentation Sisters, the Presentation Brothers, the Christian Brothers. These orders ran most of the schools and hospitals in the country for a long time. Now the situation is that more and more orders are distancing themselves from the running of these institutions. So, I suppose it’s a case of visibility too. I mean, in the past if one was to become a Mercy Sister, they would teach or nurse. Nowadays, if a young lady looks at the Mercy Sisters, it is difficult to think how these orders would define themselves now that they have moved away from their traditional roles.

On the other hand, traditional contemplative orders are bucking the trend in Ireland at the moment re vocations. The Poor Clare convent in my home city has quite a healthy community & it attracts a lot of interest. I think that is because the mission of the Poor Clares is clear: Prayer, Work and Eucharistic Adoration. The same can be said of the Dominicans. I can’t comment at the moment on the Dominican nuns in Ireland, but this year 13 men entered formation with the Dominicans - amazing given that only 37 or so began studies for diocesan priesthood in the national seminary. The identity of the Dominicans is clear & is summed up in their motto “To Praise, To Bless, To Preach”. It seems evident to me that having and showing a particular identity as an order is a key to plentiful vocations.

 

[vee8]

Hello Vee,

I clicked your website. I wish you God’s light in your discernment.

Thank you I need all the help I can get lol

 

[Sister_Helena]

Hello Sister Helena-

About a year and a half ago I started a thread here on CAF entitled “Identity and Vocations”. In it I suggested that many religious orders may be currently in the midst of an identity crisis. I cited some examples from Ireland, as I can’t really comment on the situation anywhere else (my theory, however, applies not only to religious sisters but to communities of brothers too). In the past, I noted, the biggest religious orders in the country were ones such as the Sisters of Mercy, the Presentation Sisters, the Presentation Brothers, the Christian Brothers. These orders ran most of the schools and hospitals in the country for a long time. Now the situation is that more and more orders are distancing themselves from the running of these institutions. So, I suppose it’s a case of visibility too. I mean, in the past if one was to become a Mercy Sister, they would teach or nurse. Nowadays, if a young lady looks at the Mercy Sisters, it is difficult to think how these orders would define themselves now that they have moved away from their traditional roles.

On the other hand, traditional contemplative orders are bucking the trend in Ireland at the moment re vocations. The Poor Clare convent in my home city has quite a healthy community & it attracts a lot of interest. I think that is because the mission of the Poor Clares is clear: Prayer, Work and Eucharistic Adoration. The same can be said of the Dominicans. I can’t comment at the moment on the Dominican nuns in Ireland, but this year 13 men entered formation with the Dominicans - amazing given that only 37 or so began studies for diocesan priesthood in the national seminary. The identity of the Dominicans is clear & is summed up in their motto “To Praise, To Bless, To Preach”. It seems evident to me that having and showing a particular identity as an order is a key to plentiful vocations.

I absolutely agree with you. Contemplative Orders do have a clear and distinct apostolate in the Church. The Apostolic Orders of Sisters try to answer the varied needs of the Church and enter the ongoing debate of Social justice but in the process compromise their founding charism. There is almost a temptation of doing everything and ending up with real frustrated, overworked and confused religious who wonder what they are about to begin with!

 

[NPC]

I absolutely agree with you. Contemplative Orders do have a clear and distinct apostolate in the Church. The Apostolic Orders of Sisters try to answer the varied needs of the Church and enter the ongoing debate of Social justice but in the process compromise their founding charism. There is almost a temptation of doing everything and ending up with real frustrated, overworked and confused religious who wonder what they are about to begin with!

You know, I have a recording of a retreat that the Servant of God +Fulton Sheen conducted in which he touched slightly on this idea of identity - though not specifically with regard to vocations. The retreat was given post Vatican II - I suspect in the mid-1970’s.

He said that in recent years there had been a great desire among many religious communities to go out into the world. Sheen noted that there was something really right about this, but there was also something terribly wrong. He said that the only thing we (and the religious to whom he was speaking) have to do is the will of God - doing that, we’ll never be wrong. However, there was a feeling - I think we’re all familiar with it - that certain nuns (and brothers & priests indeed) wanted to “get with it”: going out into the world, dropping their habits, selling crucifixes because they felt the crucifix divided them from the world. “Get with it”, said Sheen. “What is ‘it’ anyway? This anonymous thing that’s dragging souls to hell.” Out of the four talks from that retreat which I have on cd, that line has had the most impact on me. You can hear the anger in his voice at this point, but also, I think, it pained him greatly to have to say what he did.

And Sheen was right - there was (and presumably still is) this movement for substituting action for prayer. That was nearly the downfall of Peter, who couldn’t watch and pray one hour with the Lord, yet moments later he cut off the ear of the High Priest’s servant. Prayer has to be the foundation of every religious community. If one stands for Christ, then prayer and the Holy Mass must be the fountain from which everything else they do flows. After all, if a community dedicates it’s days to teaching, for example, but has no time for prayer and reflection, then it cannot be said to be offering anything different from the secular world.

 

[Sister_Helena]

In the Post-Vatican era there sprung a movement called “liberation theology” and it was mostly in Third World Countries, Latin America. There was a strong move towards affiliation with and a preferential option for the marginalized. Many religious Sisters and Brothers and Clergy moved out of the “religious coccoons”, went “mainstream” and decided to live among the poor. They wanted to be identified with them so much that anything identifiable: religious habits, religious community, founding charisms, were tossed out, in favor of being one with the poor. It might have started right as far as the intention but it became derailed with many of these same religious and clergy became highly involved in mass movements and politics that their true identities disappeared. Some of them even took up weapons and lived in the mountains with militants and disenfranchised. It’s no use blaming Vatican II because it was the misinterpretation and experimentation resulting from the Council which botched everything up. The Council never meant for all these to happen.

 

[Maria_Raphael]

I think there are several reasons:

a) married women are working more (financially, most of us need to) and have moved into a number of the career fields that previously were held by religious sisters

b) There’s not a lot of clarity on what exactly some of these orders do. We have several orders of Women Religious that are located in the area where I live. Most of them started out as teaching or nursing orders. Now they do all kinds of things. They had to adapt but it makes it confusing for a young person who is trying to discern, I would imagine.

c) Hate to mention the habit, since I think many of the Sisters have been quite sincere about their belief in wanting to unite with the Poor and “not draw attention to themselves” (<–what one Franciscan Sister told me), but I think they NEED that recognition. In all humility, let it be recognition for God, but they need to be seen going about their business in the world.

I am a convert and married before I joined the Church. Considering how late I married (I was 32) and the fact that I cannot have children, I sometimes wonder what might have been if I had been raised Catholic. But OTOH, maybe the Lord has something for me to do in everyday life as well, eh? ;-D

 

[Sister_Helena]

I think there are several reasons:

a) married women are working more (financially, most of us need to) and have moved into a number of the career fields that previously were held by religious sisters

It’s interesting to point out that most women who show interest in religious life are not particularly interested in the type of ministry. They are more interested in the prayer life and if the Sisters live in Community. I can understand this because many women entering are older and have held responsible positions and jobs in the world and they enter not looking for a “job” but a spiritual / prayer life and community life.

 

[NPC]

It’s interesting to point out that most women who show interest in religious life are not particularly interested in the type of ministry. They are more interested in the prayer life and if the Sisters live in Community. I can understand this because many women entering are older and have held responsible positions and jobs in the world and they enter not looking for a “job” but a spiritual / prayer life and community life.

Well, I suppose it stands to reason really. I mean, if religious orders are only defined or identified by the work they do outside the convent or abbey, then there is essentially no difference between them and any other worker in the secular world. So if an order sends all of its religious sisters to work as nurses, but they make little effort to show that the source of all they do is God and fervent prayer, what will attract a woman to this order? She can be an ordinary, secular nurse - she doesn’t need to live in what seems to the outside world to be a community of nurses, rather than a community of religious sisters. I think a woman (or a man) who has a vocation to religious life is attracted first and foremost by God - there is a desire to be in his presence, to pray to him, to do his will. That is the primary motivation - when they have looked at orders which clearly do this, I think they will be drawn to the one(s) which exercise a particular ministry which appeals to them.

 

[Sister_Helena]

Well, I suppose it stands to reason really. I mean, if religious orders are only defined or identified by the work they do outside the convent or abbey, then there is essentially no difference between them and any other worker in the secular world. So if an order sends all of its religious sisters to work as nurses, but they make little effort to show that the source of all they do is God and fervent prayer, what will attract a woman to this order? She can be an ordinary, secular nurse - she doesn’t need to live in what seems to the outside world to be a community of nurses, rather than a community of religious sisters. I think a woman (or a man) who has a vocation to religious life is attracted first and foremost by God - there is a desire to be in his presence, to pray to him, to do his will. That is the primary motivation - when they have looked at orders which clearly do this, I think they will be drawn to the one(s) which exercise a particular ministry which appeals to them.

Yes, exactly.