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Not Worlds Apart
In response to my post about the movie Nun of That, Sister Louise O’Rourke, PDDM, sent me a link to a video she created following a 2-week intensive course of video production in 2004. Sister Louise is a Catholic sister of the Pious Disciples of the Divine Master based in Ireland.
Sister Louise’s goal in creating the video was to challenge the stereotypes of young people toward religious and vice-versa. I think she did a great job. Sister notes that not only is she a real sister, but she did all her own stunts! Also, she notes to ignore the 1st minute of the video as it was the first video exercise she had to do.
Excellent job, Sister Louise! Thank you for sending this. You show that nuns are real people who are dedicated to God and who live and minister as film producers or ninjas while at the same time being contemplative, relevant, joyful, smart women of faith.
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{ 17 comments }
I love this video! Kudos to Sister for doing such an awesome job. I really appreciate her sense of humor. She lets us know that she isn’t “inside” while the rest of us are “outside.” We can find each other in the middle.
It even got a chuckle out of me before my first cup of coffee.
Fantastic!! Shows us the importance of not judging a book by its cover.
Despite perceived differences,there are more likenesses among even
people we tend to stereotype. If we just give each other a chance think
of the unknowns that become reality,which improves the world for everyone,and shows us we are not worlds apart.
NINJA NUNS!! Awesome!
Great video! Nik Kershaw’s “Wouldn’t it Be Good?” fits perfectly.
Go, Sistah!
I investigated this community on my vocation tour 33 (gasp!) years ago. The ones PDDM here in So. California work mainly in sacred art, mostly vestments. At least, they did 33 years ago.
Sister Louise – I loved this. A John Hughes film for the kickboxing nun inside us all!
Awesome movie Sister!
I loved it when she blew a kiss to Jesus! That was sooo adorable!
So Sister, is fighting the crime of Chicago what you do in your share time? Haha, Bat-nun.
I thought the video was cute but at the same time reminding people that many things about us are alike even though on the outside they don’t appear to be.
Hmm….so that’s why some nuns wear black habits….it’s because they’re really ninja nuns!
I think I also figured out why becoming a nun takes so long…it’s because they’re really training women to be ninjas!
awesome! great sense of humor, sr louise!
thanks to sr julie for sharing this to us.
Sister Julie – Again, I love the juxtaposition of content in your posts. I have been thinking about Sister Louise’s video and the movie you blogged about just before. The nun in Sister Louise’s film is a woman through and through: she is not lacking a woman’s sensual nature (the fun lost-in-the-music-and-movement dancing with headphones; the innocent human appreciation of or curiosity about the other woman’s beautiful exposed belly in the bathroom; the flirty, familiarity of the blown kiss). She simply does not allow that nature to be highjacked. Her ninja moves of goodness. The indie people hit the same themes and just went over the top, which is what their genre calls for. I like that completely inappropriately movie trailer even more, having seen Sister Louise’s video. Yay Sister Louise! I loved the first minute and your sly smile at the end: maybe you divined what was to come in your full length?
Really amazing Sister Louise!
Sister Julie, I adore this blog!
Kisses to every one!
Amparo
Sr. Julie and others: This is really cool. Have you ever thought about posting about Sr. Nancy Murray, OP? As you very well may know, she is the biological sister of renowned comedian Bill Murray. She went to school for acting and taught it for years at the high school level. Now she travels all around the country doing a one woman show on the Dominical saint Katherine of Siena. My husband and I are planning to see her performance sometime this Spring. dee
A question about Mary came up in the vocation section and I want to post in response here, too, because it (quite unexpectedly) links back to these unexpected but fabulous and fun perspectives on religious life (consecrated and un-).
Years ago, a friend sent me an article that had been published in The UNTE Reader, ” the best of the alternative press” (sort of a clipping service turned into a magazine). The article had been published in Bust in 1997: Running with Mary – My thing for the BVM by Jane Russell Simms. UTNE has a website: just google the article title.
Caution: It is very irreverent when it is not reverent. Likely to offend some in the way the NUN of That film did and this woman most definitely challenges some of the Church’s teachings , but it is – I think – an absolutely wonderful tale of modern non-consecrated Catholic life
and funny affectionate smart funny affectionate smart funny affectionate smart: this writer gets Mary.
The final paragraphs:
“When you’re busy being nice and docile, like I was, you can’t hear anything but whether or not your good behavior is earning you points. If Mary had been a good girl she wouldn’t have had the guts to say yes to the golden words. She would have been afraid Joseph would leave her, or that her family would disown her.
To me that’s what liberation is all about: giving yourself permission to figure out what your calling is, instead of obeying everyone who wants to decide it for you.
Going for it, I finally decided to become Catholic, but even though I take advantage of the good points –those little medals with clear blue BVMs on them, the priest at my church with a degree in psychology–I figure I don’t have to buy the whole package.
I’m not sure the church would have been so interested in me if they knew I was going to stay pro-choice, to champion Mary as an early riot grrrl, to advocate for women priests and birth control, but as the BVM might point out, it takes all kinds.
Since I come from a long line of good girls, martyrs, and rule keepers, I learned only people-pleasing goodness. Catholicism, at least my brand of it, helps with the internal, spiritual BVM kind of goodness that helps girls follow their hearts and turn into amazing women. Into goddesses, even”.
And here’s a vote for Bill Murray’s sister.
Thanks for all the very encouraging feedback about the video..and to Sr. Julie for giving it such a good plug. God uses us all as His instruments to spread His message, even with weird and wacky ways : P It’s amazing how the angle of a camera can make a 20 cm jump look like a professional ninja move!!! That was my Irish attempt at Riverdance kicks! A word to Sister Julie, CSSF , yes, we still do evangelise through art and making liturgical vestments …but our Founder Bl.James Alberione challenged us all to bring Jesus to the world with the most modern means of social communications…so this was my humble (but life-changing) contribution)! To “discerning25″ my ‘day job’ consists of looking after elderly and sick priests in one of our houses here in Poland so no more crimefighting for a while…hmmm, maybe I should plan a sequel! I’ll wait till I get back to Ireland for that though!
Sister Louise – you dance almost as well as I do! Very cool. I think you should do a St. Patrick’s day music video – maybe dye your habit green or something for the day.
At first I thought the girl in the video was going to end up joining the convent because she kept following you around with these big eyes (kind of like Rosemary on The Trouble with Angels – yea, I watch a lot of tv).
Jean – I think I read that article a long time ago because it sounds really familiar !! It rocked!
I loved the video, I would love to see a whole movie about different people getting along and respecting each other for being themselves. ( As long as what they are doing is not harmful to self or others ). I have a smile on my face so early in the morning when just a minute ago I was blue !! Thank you Sister Louise and God Bless …..