Two Catholic sisters who podcast on the Internet (me and Sister Julie)

Nuns on the Internet?! Yep. The topic is still making news, which is great! One of the latest articles, from the Associated Press, just appeared in ABC2News.com, the Huffington Post, CBSNews.com, and other major media sources around the world.

The article makes a point that merits emphasis—that interest in religious life is on the rise, and that sisters and nuns are using the Internet to raise awareness about what religious life is today.

These two things are interrelated. If a woman can’t imagine herself being a sister, even though she feels called to religious life, then it’s unlikely she’ll pursue religious life as an option. Case in point: myself. For years, religious life wasn’t even on the radar screen for me. Praying all day, yeah, that’s great. But I wanted action and adventure! What I didn’t understand then was these things are a huge part of religious life. When I became aware of that, hello religious life.

The article also quotes Patrice Tuohy of the National Religious Vocation Conference, which represents vocation directors in many religious organizations of women and men. She makes the point that interest in religious life is increasing. Contrary to a common misperception, it’s not just interest in orders that wear traditional habits. There’s a lot of new interest in orders of all kinds. The more awareness there is about the wonderful diversity of religious life, the more ways there are for people to imagine themselves in religious life.

One more thing—I kinda chuckle when I see the word “recruit” in the article. That’s not actually our job. It’s what God does! Our role is to help those who feel called by God to see the possibilities for their own life and to discern their calling. Maybe the discernment will lead to religious life, or maybe it will lead to a different way to serve God and others. But I sense that’s part of the renewed interest in religious life too—recognition that the traditions of religious life, such as discernment, can be of great service to the larger Christian community and beyond.

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Join us for a live prayer webcast this evening at 6 p.m. Central Time at aNunsLife.org/live. You can share your prayer requests in the chat room
On Wednesdays at 6 p.m. Central Time, join us for Ask Sister, a live webcast where we take your questions about God, faith and religious life.

The feast of Saint Teresa of Avila is just around the corner on October 15. I am delighted because Teresa is such an important person in my life. I never had any idea that someone who lived in the 16th century could become a close companion in my own life today. It underscores the power and presence of the Communion of Saints.

In honor of Saint Teresa, I am devoting this week’s posts to her. What follows is a piece I wrote last year for VISION, the Catholic Religious Discernment Guide sponsored by the National Religious Vocation Conference and published by TrueQuest Communications.

Introduction

As a 21st century nun ministering in the digital world, I try to stay on top of the latest technology so that I can best serve the people who visit my website, aNunsLife.org. But when it comes to living religious life, I’m old-school. One of my greatest mentors is Teresa of Avila, a 16th century Carmelite nun from a small town in Spain. Teresa is best known for her writings on prayer and reforming the Carmelite order. She is venerated today as a great saint and Doctor of the Church.

Personal Connection to Teresa

My first encounter with Teresa was in grade school, when I needed to take a saint’s name for Confirmation. Teresa seemed as good a saint as any. I chose her name and then pretty much forgot about her.

But Teresa did not forget about me. Over the years Teresa remained with me, waiting, it seemed, for me to come by her convent cell and chat awhile.

That day came one Fall morning in a graduate theology class in which I was introduced to Teresa’s writing. I took an immediate liking to Teresa. She wrote of ordinary, everyday stuff and of profound theological truths. I discovered that Teresa was a wise woman from whom I could learn much about the spiritual life. At that time, I had no idea how important Teresa would be for me in the months and years ahead, when my world would be turned upside down by the possibility that maybe, just maybe, God was calling me.

I first read Teresa’s classics, Interior Castle and Way of Perfection, because I needed to write a paper for a class. But soon I began to realize that Teresa’s words were there not just for me to study. I felt a personal connection. Through her writing Teresa was alive to me. She gave me insights not only into our shared Catholic faith but into my own self and how I was living the Gospel.

Later in my studies, when I began considering religious life, I returned to Teresa. I wanted not to study her writings, but to see what she was like as a nun. I wondered if Teresa had any of the same questions as I now had. Did she know for certain that God was calling her to religious life? Did she resist or doubt or panic at the thought? Hoping to get a glimpse into how Teresa realized her call from God, I turned to her more autobiographical work, The Book of My Life.

To be continued tomorrow … Teresa of Avila’s desire to give her life to God

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How is Teresa of Avila present in your own life? What would you like to know about Teresa?

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Join Sister Maxine and me for prayer today at noon Central Time at http://anunslife.org/live.

Tomorrow, Tuesday at 1 p.m. CST (time zone converter), we have two special guests coming to our LIVE podcast — Brother Paul Bednarczyk, CSC, Executive Director of the National Religious Vocation Conference, and Patrice Tuohy, Executive Editor of VISION Vocation Guide.

They’ll join us to discuss the newly released study on Catholic Vocations and Religious Life. This is a very important study, and if you haven’t done so already, read through the executive summary and other related resources (Mythbusters section is quite interesting).

We’ll ask them about the survey itself, its aim and who participated, and also some specifics about the survey such as what it means to create/have a “culture of vocations”. Since both guests have expertise in the field of vocations, we’ll ask them for their observations on and advice for vocation directors and people considering a vocation.

We’d like you to join us by listening and also by participating in the chat room during the live broadcast. The chat room is just for listeners of the show only and it is the place where you can interact with one another and with us. During the broadcast you can ask your questions and offer comments to our guests which Sister Maxine and I will read on the air.

How do you listen? Just come to ANunsLife.org tomorrow … there will be a post with all the info that you need.

For an email reminder tomorrow, please leave a comment below with your correct email in the box that asks for your email or email us directly (NOTE: your email address is never made public).

What do you think about the survey? What questions do you have for Patrice and Brother Paul about the survey or about vocations in general — e.g., discerning a vocation, attracting new members, the state of religious life, etc.? Let’s get a good list going!

On Friday, October 10th, 2008, the participants of the 2008 NRVC Convocation prayerfully processed two by two through the streets of Louisville to the Cathedral of the Assumption. It was a visible way for us — Catholic religious sisters, brothers, lay people, monks, nuns, and priests from across the world — to stand in solidarity with the people of Louisville and the Catholic community.

Along the way we received many curious stares and a bit of laughter, but overall people met us with genuine respect and reverence. One gentleman even crossed the street to talk with one of the nuns and ask who we were and what we were doing.

All along the way the Louisville police blocked traffic so that we could process to the Cathedral without stopping.

Motorists were not all that happy, and I felt bad. But I also hoped that our presence would be not just a traffic stop sign, but a real “stop sign” inviting people if even for a second to consider pausing in the midst of the ordinary traffic of everyday life and remembering that they are beloved of God.

One of the nuns told me a great story about processing. She said that there was one intersection that the police had not blocked off near the Cathedral. Instead, there were two Knights of Columbus standing in the middle of the intersection holding up their hands to stop traffic. Although I wish I had a picture of that, the image of her words created a profound visual image in my mind — two Knights in full regalia, arms outstretched, white gloves pure as snow held up so as to stop traffic on a busy downtown intersection so that a silent procession of praying people could pass safely. The image resonated deep within me as I considered how people like the Knights of Columbus “have our backs” as religious, they protect us and help us along as we minister and pray. I was so deeply touched by their love and care for us.

At the steps of the Cathedral, the Knights of Columbus received us and welcomed us into the House of God.

We entered the Cathedral and dipped our fingers into the holy water of the Baptismal Font, a symbol gesture reminding us of our own Baptism and new life in Christ.

We began Solemn Vespers with the Litany of the Saints which was so solemn and so beautiful that it gave me chills. Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz presided over the liturgy, and during his homily he expressed his encouragement, support and gratitude of the work of Vocation Directors.

Solemn Vespers was one of the most amazing prayer experiences I have had. The community and solidarity I felt with other religious and vocation ministers and with God was palpable. It was definitely a peak moment for me both at the convocation and in my life.

Nunday is here and have I got a nun photo and story for you! We had a free afternoon to explore Louisville and the environs during the conference. Some folks hopped on boats for a tour via the Ohio River, some headed out to the Abbey of Gethsemane for a visit to the Cistercian monks and the home and grave of Brother Louis, aka Thomas Merton.

My afternoon started off with a rowdy group of vocation directors headed to lunch at TGIF’s on the 4th Street Live! strip of Louisville. The group consisted of my friend and sister Marcia of the Oblate Sisters of Providence, my friend Kelly visiting from ministering in the Appalachian Mountains, Sister Mary Gregory, Brother Ken from Ottawa, Mark a married layman leading a vocations office in California, and Sister Judy of Digital Nun blog. It was a riotous and thoroughly enjoyable lunch, time to get to know one another and to enjoy one another’s company.

On the way home, we stopped off at the Louisville Visitors Center for a photo op with none other than the Colonel himself, Colonel Harland Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken. We lost Sister Mary Gregory but picked up two Pauline Sisters – Mary Michael and another nun whose name I missed.

Sister Marcia, Sister Julie, Pauline Sister, Sister Mary Michael, Brother Ken, Mark, Colonel, Kelly, Sister Judy

Keep sending in your nun photos so that I’ll have stuff to post on Monday which, as you know, is now Nunday! For more details, read my post Nun Photos – Got em? Send em!

See all “Monday is Nunday” nun photos.