Tonight (Friday) ABC’s 20/20 is airing a special 2-hour segment called “Seeing and Believing: The Power of Faith” at 9 p.m. EDT (check local listings). Part of the segment includes a section on “Silent Nuns” in which Diane Sawyer visits with cloistered nuns in a New Mexico convent. You can check out a bit of the story by reading the following article:
The article includes comments by a two women in their 20s about why they are attracted to a cloistered way of life.
I am looking forward to seeing this piece as I am pleased that people are interested in religious life and I am grateful for the opportunity to learn more about cloistered nuns.
Do read the story and watch the segment and let me know what you think.
Archived Comments
- May 11, 2007 at 7:48 pm
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No TV here, but WOW! Those Poor Clares have certainly decided on a “radical” path of service and sacrifice for the Gospel. My hat is off to them. I wish them well, and many more vocations to this important ministry of prayer.
- May 11, 2007 at 9:23 pm
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I have 20/20 on now and find it interesting as a convert who lived in community. I’ve lived in the mountains and enjoyed going to the Ozarks to a silent retreat before considering becoming Catholic. I notice that the Sisters on TV make chocolate. It would be great if they did not support the dairy industry (who subject cows and calves to cruelty). We really need to extend our compassion as God does to every living being. I hope you will proclaim Jesus as the Prince of Peace and God as a compassionate God towards all He has made (see Psalm 145:9). Please pray ‘Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven’ for all the billions of animals who daily suffer for human consumption, fashion and for ‘humankind’ in laboratories.
- May 11, 2007 at 9:59 pm
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thought this was well done. I mean, how does one explain the mystery of a vocation to the cloister? The Poor clares especially, lead such a strict lifestyle. I wish they had answered Dianne Sawyers questions instead of merely laughing. I am sure they felt awkward with the cameras there. What does everyone else think?
- May 12, 2007 at 1:04 am
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I really enjoyed it. Compared to other stories I’ve seen on mainstream media on cloistered orders, it was a lot better. Was kind of weird how they mixed the Poor Claires and the Trappists, though.
- May 14, 2007 at 6:11 am
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It was an interesting segment, to be sure. I’d like to hear from cloistered nuns as to the accuracy in depicting their lifestyle.
20/20 did of course have a certain flair of sensationalism and I think that could lead to distorting what the life means.
I’ve been thinking about this since I posted this, isn’t it sort of odd to cast cloistered life (or any type of religious life) as a lifestyle of limitations? Yes, there is the sacrifice component and limitations inherent in the lifestyle, but for someone who is called to and freely chooses such a lifestyle, perhaps such sacrifices and limitations aren’t as “restrictive” as we who have not chosen that lifestyle perceive them to be. I’m not at all saying that cloistered life or religious life is not without sacrifice. But it seems to me that people who choose this lifestyle find a certain peace and freedom in it.
I think the nuns well articulated their ministry of prayer. May more women and men be drawn to and respond to this beautiful and necessary way of life.
I thought that it was a bit awkward with Diane Sawyer asking questions of the nuns. I would have loved to have heard from them, but understand why it might have been an awkward situation to respond to. I don’t like that 20/20 did this because out of all the things they could have shown about the life, they chose to include this part in their segment. It can leave one with an inaccurate perception.
I liked the young women who were interviewed (though I detested the set up: “Who will stay and who will leave?? Stay tuned!”). They were very honest and articulate about their feelings and experience. I could so empathize with them. I think many people discerning a vocation could relate to some part of their stories. I wish them well in their journeys.
- May 14, 2007 at 2:27 pm
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Actually I didn’t find it strange that the segment was caste as “a lifestyle of limitations”. In a society that often prides itself on having little or no limitations on anything, there is a certain sense of awe and wonder at women ( and men) who would choose to follow a “still, small voice’ calling them to lose so as to find, throw away so as to gather in, follow a “little way” (thank you Therese!)as opposed to “my way”.
- May 14, 2007 at 2:51 pm
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Hello Sister, I live in Rome so dont I have access to 20/20. Do you know if the segment is posted anywhere on there site. i tried looking but turned up nothing. Thanks!
- May 14, 2007 at 3:36 pm
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Brian, I couldn’t find the video segment anywhere, but you can read the 4-page 20/20 article about the sisters. Go to the ABC article Personal Sacrifices for Faith (May 11, 2007) for the first page of the article.
- May 14, 2007 at 8:24 pm
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Thank you for letting us know about this episode of 20/20. I watched it and enjoyed it. I think the reason the producers portrayed this lifestyle as one of limitations is because that is how they, and most people, would view it. The lifestyle of a cloistered nun is difficult for many to comprehend. I thought Diane Sawyer appeared quite out of place in the cloister environment.
Even though I am not a sister/nun, I feel there is a good chance I could live the life of an active or active/contemplative monastic sister. I don’t believe I could do the cloistered thing though. I can see, however, how that form of life could be VERY freeing – they don’t have a lot of the problems that we on the outside are burdened with. And as one poster said, if you are called to that life, then it is a good fit for you.
I’m not sure if this segment was sensationalized. I’ve never been to a Poor Clare monastery before. But from my understanding, many of the Franciscans do focus on material poverty – so the dry toast and standing at breakfast and the bare feet do not come as a surprise to me. I doubt you’d see anything like that in a cloistered Benedictine community. St. Benedict emphasized simplicity and moderation rather than abject poverty. But that’s another story.
- May 14, 2007 at 8:56 pm
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Jan Fredericks, I’m a farmer, and I work with cattle and horses every day of the year. In earlier ages, the monastery was the “experimental farm” developing better farming methods and breeds of plants. Many monasteries today still rely on agricultural produce to meet their expenses. It is a holistic and sustainable way of life that brings one more into tune with the natural rhythms and the created order…something a lot of people are immune to these days.
- May 14, 2007 at 11:49 pm
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I was amazed at the ability of these nuns to be able to co-exist so well within their cloister. In the secular world, people cooped up together like that would be burying each other if they knew they were stuck together for life. I know not all is peaches and cream anywhere, but to see long-lived nuns in these communities who seem to have their health and mental and emotional faculties in spite of what the modern world has conditioned us to think is an inhumane and emotionally inhospitable place – locked away from the world with no “nourishment” from the newspapers and t.v. – just shows how viable and nourishing of a life the cloistered life can be, for the right person for it. Sleep three hours nightly, constant prayer and physical denial, and for life. And still be healthy and alert to function.
I really liked that one nun’s passionate defense – they come to God either through failure in the outside world, or via empty success, too – what does it matter what brings them there, the fact is, there they are serving Jesus either way.
People run away to join the Foreign Legion or the circus, not the monastic life, especially once they begin living it and see what it all entails.
I am deeply humbled that there are still communities like this, of people who spend their lives praying for me, and you, too. Praying for those of us still muddling through the “better” life on the outside.
- May 15, 2007 at 2:27 am
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I didn’t see the programme because 1. I’m not in the USA and 2. we don’t normally watch TV (although I suppose that if something like this had been shown locally it may have been recorded and watched later) as part of the whole limitation of contacts with the outside world thing (and I must confess that in that regard I find internet use and particularly blogs something of a grey area that requires ongoing discernment!).
But I read the article I was a bit put off by the sensationalism aspect although perhaps that is inevitable. Also, it is not true that all “cloistered nuns” take a fourth vow of enclosure – I have heard that Poor Clares do but I’m not sure about that. Moreover, those of us in the Benedictine and Cistercian tradition do not vow poverty, chastity and obedience, but coversatio morum (conversion of life, monastic lifestyle), obedience and stability. (Poverty and celibacy being more or less implicitly assumed).
I’m also rather sceptical about any community where three hours sleep is the norm! Maybe they exist, but if so they certainly can’t be seen as representative. And I get the impression that the Poor Clares shown are certainly not representative of Poor Clares generally…
- May 15, 2007 at 10:39 am
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They don’t actually sleep 3 hours a night. Most monastics that pray Matins will go to bed around 8, get up at midnight, and then go back to sleep until 5 or so. They get more sleep per night than your average grad student does. In the book A Right to be Merry, which was written by the former abbess of the Poor Clare community they interviewed, the nuns run on a similar schedule.
- May 15, 2007 at 11:02 am
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The three-hour sleeping thing caught my attention too. In the article on the 20/20 web site it says, “Each night, these nuns allow themselves no more than three hours of sleep.” I thought that was odd, but not being a cloistered nun, I can’t really say what is the norm. Praying the Liturgy of the Hours gives one a regular time of prayer throughout the day and night, but I’m familiar with nuns practicing schedules similar to what Jen noted.
- May 15, 2007 at 6:03 pm
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I think it’s Ok to share this from the Trappistines: “Thank you for your email. We were disappointed in the segment as it seemed to zero in the sensational. They actually filmed here for five whole days and that is all that came out of it. Another aspect which was pure TV bias was that of the seven women who came to that weekend five have taken steps from there – they totally omitted that and all they had was the two walking away to continue at Harvard and Yale!!!! They did show Catherine who entered Carmel but one is now here as a postulant, the other comes next Sunday, one enters in August, Francis comes as an Observer soon and one joined our Cistercian Lay Associates. As you say she did her best and that is all any of us can do.”
I didn’t think it was too bad! It was maybe a bit better than usual. Diane Sawyer’s sensationalism was funny from our point of view! It was so unnecessary!
The PCC’s get abotu 3 hours of sleep BEFORE the midnight office and about 4 hours after. The Trappistines get more sleep than we do! Depending on one’s hour of adoration we average about 6 hours. You get used to it.
As for the “terrible” austerity of eating homemade wheat bread standing, well, come on, how often do you grab a bite to eat on the way to work! I can’t tell you how many times I was eating my breakfast driving to work.
The things people think as “restricting” and “austere” one easily gets used to or are just not restricting at all. We FREELY choose to live this life! No one is forcing us! It is LOVE that beckons, attracts and makes impossible things possible.
Donna, you wrote, “they don’t have a lot of the problems that we on the outside are burdened with.” Well, we weren’t dropped inside the monastery by a stork! We have family and friends like everyone else! We have to deal with aging parents, problems with brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, dear friends. And we deal with aging Sisters and Sisters who come with their own problems just as we do! And the roof leakes and the house constantly needs to be maintained!
- May 16, 2007 at 12:42 pm
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Many thanks for the comment, MonialesOP, and for sharing the Trappistines’ perspective … It’s so easy for those of us not living the cloistered life to not understand what it means to live within the cloister. I know a bit about the cloistered life, but much is still so based on the little glimpses (often distorted) I get on TV or in a novel. The cloistered life is such a powerful symbol of prayer and quietness before God that we sometimes forget that there are very ordinary aspects of your everyday life.
I thought the same exact thing about the “terrible” austerity of eating while standing … unless I’m with others, I almost always eat standing up, and according to many people’s standards, what I eat is austere (my colleagues always tease me for eating oatmeal for lunch).
I also thought what you said about freely choosing the life was great … “The things people think as “restricting” and “austere” one easily gets used to or are just not restricting at all. We FREELY choose to live this life! No one is forcing us! It is LOVE that beckons, attracts and makes impossible things possible.”
I’m grateful for your blog because it gives us a chance to know the community and get a feel for the lifestyle, while at the same time respecting your cloistered-ness.
- May 16, 2007 at 9:31 pm
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Most of the Trappists I know of are pretty skittish of mainstream media doing stories on them, for how much they get wrong. I can understand the Trappistine community being on edge at the 20/20 show…there’s no way they could’ve shown the whole magnitude of their life in under 30 minutes.
“The PCC’s get about 3 hours of sleep BEFORE the midnight office and about 4 hours after. The Trappistines get more sleep than we do! Depending on one’s hour of adoration we average about 6 hours. You get used to it.” And that’s way more sleep a night than I get.
- May 17, 2007 at 8:49 am
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Moniales and others: Thank you for your response to my post. I’ve read your blog a number of times and find it very interesting. I should get up to your monastery for Mass/prayer some day. I only live about half an hour from Summit. I understand you recently had an open house. How did that go?
I’m glad to hear that a marked number of possible vocations are blooming within the contemplative orders. The world really needs it! It seems there is more interest in religious life overall now than there has been in the past 30 years or so.
I heard they were going to do a series on the Trappistine nuns. Evidentally they filmed it. But noone seems to know whether/when they will air it. It’s a pity really. I’d love to watch it.
Perhaps I do idealize the life of a nun a bit. You get to dedicate so much time to prayer and silence! That must be very nice. Being so involved with a group of Benedictine sisters (monastic, non-cloistered), however, I do realize they have many responsibilities in running the monastery, working at their regular jobs and in taking care of aging sisters and their own aging parents – and sometimes other relatives. I guess the one factor that is very different between nuns and lay folk is that lay folk often raise children. Although very rewarding, the 24-hour-a-day financial, educational, emotional, medical, psychological, logistical (rides to sports practices, etc.) can be so overwhelming one barely has enough time to breath. I’d love be able to pray more often but feel fortunate that I can get in at least half an hour most days – some days even more. Alot of parents can’t.
- May 17, 2007 at 10:01 am
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Very true about the parenting thing, Donna. Having immediate dependents (in some cases, sisters do have family responsibilities, e.g., nieces and nephews that need care, orphans, etc.) does make a difference in terms of one’s lifestyle. I am in awe of my sister who has 2 beautiful young children, a husband who is a great guy, and a full-time career. Plus she’s always going to swim meets with the kids or having the family over for dinner. She is very amazing.
It is so important for us to practice prayer in and through the daily events of life, especially when our time for quiet prayer alone is not forthcoming.
- May 17, 2007 at 12:02 pm
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Sister Julie: I totally agree. It is “important for us to practice prayer in and through the daily events of life.” I do try to keep that in mind but sometimes it is easier than others!
- July 22, 2007 at 7:03 am
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Overall, I was not impressed. Out of the thousands of communities 20/20 picked only two. I know enough about religious communities that a “disclaimer” saying that religious communities vary one to another very much as families do. So many people who have no experience with Nuns might actually be left thinking that each and every community is the same. And we all know how false that is.
As for the Poor Clares “giggling” I think it was a reaction because the questions were ridiculous. I’d laugh too. These are the questions women have answered (mostly) before they join. By this I mean, in the years of formation they do look at them “under a deeper light.” But before joining there has to have been some resolution as to why they are choosing this life. I think intelligent questions may have been answered. For myself, while watching the program I was disappointed that more meaningful questions weren’t asked. I have just thought of something else…EDITING. I wonder how much of what was taped did we not see?
I am a “lover” of Poor Clares, I have been since the when at the age of 4 my Father stuck me in the “turn” at the local monastery along with some canned vegetables. I cannot say enough good about them.
