numbers

There’s been a lot of media around the topic of declining numbers of Catholic sisters and nuns. "Beyond the veil: Debate continues on why number of nuns is declining," a recent article from Catholic News Service, highlights a couple of arguments about why the decline in number.

Quite a conversation is taking place around Nuns: Perceptions and Assumptions. The latest comment sounded like a good springboard for a new post

It is not often that I feel compelled to respond to someone’s comment in an actual post. But a recent comment touches on nun issues that I hear from folks from time to time. I am grateful for those who articulate how they feel about nuns even when it takes the form of respectful criticism. Your feedback is important and helps us nuns to reflect seriously on our ministry and life and on how people perceive us.

I’ve received quite a few comments and emails (for which I am grateful) following the TIME article in which my blog and I were referenced. There’s a common theme that keeps creeping up and I thought I’d address it head on.