In the United States today, less than 1% of nuns are 30 years old or younger. This percentage has remained constant over the past decade, with little indication of growth. Annually, between 100 and 200 young women begin their journey towards becoming a nun, but not all will complete the process. Those who do commit to a religious life are sacrificing modern comforts like dating, material possessions, and sometimes even cell phones and trendy clothing to embrace a radical religious existence within an intergenerational community where the average age of an American nun is 80.
In a recent call to action, the pope urged religious orders to intensify their prayers for an increase in priests and nuns, acknowledging the declining numbers entering Catholic religious life in parts of the world, including Europe and the United States. Young nuns are choosing a radical lifestyle, from sharing flip phones to wearing traditional habits.
For example, 24-year-old Zoey Stapleton recently joined the Franciscan Sisters, T.O.R of Penance of the Sorrowful Mother in rural Toronto, Ohio. This community, part of the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious, adheres to a more traditional approach compared to other orders. Inspired by the poverty lived by their patron saint, Francis of Assisi, the sisters wear modest habits and limit their use of modern technology to a shared set of flip phones.
Financial challenges, such as student loan debt, can hinder young women from pursuing a religious vocation. Katie Power, a 23-year-old aspirant with the Carmelites of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, has faced this obstacle. With the support of the Labouré Society, she aims to pay off her debt through donations from church communities and various groups. She hopes to be debt-free by December and join the Carmelites as a postulant next summer.
The journey to becoming a nun typically spans 7 to 10 years, with around half of prospective nuns completing the process to take their final vows. Beginning as a postulant, a woman progresses through stages to become a sister, culminating in the making of perpetual vows. Sister Seyram Mary Adzokpa, a nurse in her thirties, navigated the challenges of discerning her vocation during a global pandemic, relying on video calls to connect with the Sisters of the Holy Family.
One out of every four women under the age of 40 in the New Orleans community is a member of the Sisters of the Holy Family, a unique religious order that was established for Black women in the United States prior to the Civil War. In contrast to the Franciscan Sisters, T.O.R., whose median age is 40, the Sisters of the Holy Family are predominantly made up of members who are 70 years old and older. Despite this generational gap, the Sisters of the Holy Family in New Orleans continue to welcome new members, a notable departure from the trend of other communities that have had to consolidate or cease operations due to declining membership. However, the process of recruiting and retaining prospective sisters can be challenging, with only about 50% of individuals who enter religious life ultimately taking their final vows.
Sister Debbie Borneman, who serves as the director of mission integration at the National Religious Vocation Conference, highlights the fact that half of those who embark on the path to becoming a sister ultimately choose to leave the community. This statistic underscores the importance of ongoing efforts to nurture and sustain interest in religious life among young women.
Living in an intergenerational community has proven to be a source of joy and purpose for the Sisters of the Holy Family. The order now operates a nursing home, the Lafon Nursing Facility of the Holy Family, to provide care for its aging members. Despite the significant age difference between the older sisters and newcomers like Adzokpa, a sense of camaraderie and mutual support permeates their interactions. Adzokpa, utilizing her nursing skills, assists with medical tasks such as monitoring blood pressure and heart rates, working in collaboration with the professional nursing staff at the facility. She reflects on the grace she feels in being able to connect with and care for her older sisters, alleviating their physical discomfort and sharing in their company.
Amidst the challenges and rewards of serving in a multigenerational religious community, Adzokpa finds solace and fulfillment in her role. The joy she experiences in her interactions with the older sisters is palpable, underscoring the profound sense of purpose that permeates the Sisters of the Holy Family in their commitment to serving one another and their community.
The coverage of religious topics by the Associated Press is made possible through a partnership with The Conversation US, supported by funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP bears full responsibility for the content and presentation of this material.
