More young women opting to join Catholic orders

[shrike]

Sorry, I don't have a link, but I wanted to mention this in the privacy of our own group.

Time Magazine had a story on this subject recently, and last night NBC featured the Dominican Sisters of Michigan, an order I'm familiar with, who've gone from 4 nuns to 70, a remarkable increase.

Most of the young women featured were attractive, no different from the intelligent, college-age females you'd meet anywhere.

The NBC report didn't much explore the whys of this new trend. My first reaction was, "everything old is new again," and then I wondered if this is a response to the slut culture that seems to be out there: young women are encouraged to do everything but turn tricks, it seems. (And for the record, I like sex as much as the next person, maybe even more so.)

Would be interested in hearing the thoughts of DemBones, Hedgehog, or any other of the regulars here on this subject.

[hedgehog]

1. Are the Dominican Sisters of Michigan the Adrian sisters or another branch?

I saw the story and it wasn't clear whether this was a cloistered group or not. It wouldn't surprise me to see a rebirth of some sort of dedicated community life for single women. Why is anybody surprised that with all the changes inside the Church and IN THE WORLD the last 40 years that the nature of community life changed as well? When I was a kid, women were teachers, nurses, secretaries, store clerks, stewardesses or factory workers. Period. End of story. There were a lot of unhappy women in the convent back then, too. Many had been "guilted" into becoming a nun under the old style " you must suffer to be like Christ" teachings and others simply had no other place to go. The sisters I've met in recent years tend to be smart, confident and happy. The life style is a lot healthier now too, with less emphasis on having a superior control every aspect of life. What some of them went through in the old days was literally brain washing that made boot camp seem like a sleep-over!

Those of us who grew up in the pre-Vatican II Church are used to the subservient sisters who obeyed and enforced every whim of the priests and bishops. From what I can see, the sisters now are pretty uppity. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.

[shrike]

2. This group is in Ann Arbor

There was also a group of Dominican sisters near where I grew up. I have fond feelings for them because, when my father died, he technically didn't have a parish and had been attending mass at a local monastery. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, the monks declined to allow us have the funeral at the chapel there. However, the Dominican Sisters were happy to allow us to have the mass at their chapel, and they were lovely, supportive.

I agree with your estimation of the whole, old process as a form of brainwashing. When my aunt joined the convent, she wasn't allowed to see her parents for months. They were devastated.

I, too, was very impressed with the young women featured in that news report. It bodes well for the future. It just surprised me, in this era of sex, sex, sex, that some women have found their way to a different kind of life. And it seems like such a positive choice for them. Then again, it seems sometimes that there are two worlds: the one the media presents to us, and the one we live in.

Although, I would still like them to be given the option to become priests, but that's another thread. . .

[hedgehog]

3. We deny the priesthood to so many, yet we pray all the time

for "vocations" We're told that all vacations are equal, but every one knows what vocations we're meant to pray for!

It reminds me of the story of the man caught in a flood who prayed for relief. A man came by in a row boat, but the man continued praying. Another boat came by, yet the man refused to leave and continues praying. Finally, a helicopter showed up, but the man wouldn't leave. He drowned, and upon meeting God asked why his prayers weren't answered. God said " I sent you two boats and a helicopter, what more could I have done!"

I do know an 86 year old sister, still actively employed, who commented to me that her worst cross was being forced to listen to mediocre sermons when she knows she can do better!

[hedgehog]

4. They may look very traditional but,

the SISTERS own and operate their own schools rather than working for the bishop. This is important, because I cam convinced that many of our schools would still be in operation if the people in the parishes were allowed to determine their fate instead of the bishops.