Pandering to the culture: a "fun nun", no doubt
This link gives readers an introduction to Sister Katy LaFond, a self-described "fun nun," of the School Sisters of Saint Francis in Wisconsin. Now, I don't know Sr. Katy. I'm sure she's very nice. She clearly knows all about coexisting, and that goes a long way, I tell you. But, judging by her striking, teenybopperish presentation (she's 29), one would be justified in proposing that Sister Katy stands out as a conspicuous paragon of the endemic watering down of Catholic culture and identity within certain religious orders across the nation. A traditional religious habit has never historically been seen as a tangential, optional or inconsequential accessory. So why has it been jilted in so many religious orders? And why are these "progressive" orders simultaneously facing sharp declines in vocations? A coincidence? This observation, to be clear, is not tinged with a drop of acrimony toward Sr. Katy. It is merely intended to serve as a "pot-stirring" statement of fact regarding the role of Catholic culture and identity.
That said, here is an encouraging story, from the Diocese of Austin, on the growing popularity of traditional religious orders for women.
While the last 40 years have seen an overall drop in the numbers of women entering religious life, a new book released by the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious says orders that are more visibly countercultural seem to be flourishing.
The council represents the superiors of more than 100 religious communities of sisters whose members wear an identifiable religious habit. A canonically approved organization founded in 1992 to promote religious life in the U.S., the council notes that the average age of its member communities’ sisters is under 35...The Nashville Dominicans are among the orders experiencing the greatest success attracting new vocations, according to news reports. “It’s very much a radical call to live and give yourself completely to Christ,” she [Nashville Dominican Sister Mary Gertrude] said. “There is a real identity to who we are and what we are about. We want to put religious life in front of young women today."
Well said, Sister.
Countercultural Nashville Dominican Sisters, boldly proclaiming their vocation to the world
Funny how none of these statistics ever mention the percentage of women who stay in these orders...perhaps engaging in an age appropriate way is a good expression of living out God's call too...there are many rooms in God's house...
ReplyDeletePeace,
Sr. Katy "the teenybopper ish" sister
Umm, are you actually attempting to call into question and/or disparage the success that those more traditional communities of women religious have been having in attracting vocations by raising questions about long term retention? So, exactly how did your "age appropriate," dress-like-a-wannabe-hipster approach work out for ya in terms of longevity of membership in your old Franciscan community there, Katy?
DeletePot.... Kettle....?
Peace,
Not a fan of hypocrisy
Thanks for the comment. I do appreciate it. I have a lot of friends, twenty and thirty somethings, who have entered the religious life, and all have sought out orders that embrace their traditional charisms. They have no interest in entering an order, a new way of life, that merely adopts a pseudo-lay lifestyle. What would be the point? The idea that it is easier and better for religious to "blend in" with society by dressing like everyone else does a huge disservice to the bold and radical (in the positive sense of the word) decision that entering a religious life implies. When I see a priest or a nun in public, wearing his clerics or her habit, it is deeply encouraging as a lay Catholic because it represents a strong witness to our common Catholic identity. Catholics can't go undercover, we need to be bold about proclaiming who we are. As body/soul composites, we are deeply impressed and formed by what we observe, and therefore conspicuous religious attire should play a big role in the life of a truly Catholic culture. The faith should inform the culture, not the other way around. And just from the point of view of aesthetics, much of what modern culture, in terms of art, music, etc., is low-level, kitschy stuff, so why try to ape that anyway?
ReplyDeleteThe "many mansions" citation, when taken out of context, can and is used to rationalize any and all sorts of diversity, even in the essentials of the faith. Of course, there is a legitimate diversity in the life of the Church, but once again, modern society's take on the term is such that any discussion of objective truth is totally cast aside, hence the Holy Father's "dictatorship of relativism" theme, not to mention Cardinal Leveda's "dialogue of the deaf" warning.