Nuns have been around for hundreds of years.
But changes in society have changed the sisterhood, say two local nuns.
Sister Mary Martin of the Dominican Nuns of Mt. Thabor Monastery in Groveland Township and Sister Joan May, administrator for St. Mark Catholic Church in Goodrich live very different lives.
Martin is a cloistered nun, along with the six sisters she lives with. They do not leave the monastery, except for doctor appointments or to shop for food. They do not watch television, except for major news events (election of a new pope; inauguration of a president) Withdrawn from society, their lives are dedicated to prayer.
May is an active sister, living on church property but working with the public and enjoying a social life that includes movies, restaurants, and even a vacation once a year at a condominium in Florida.
Both May and Martin have taken perpetual vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and have dedicated themselves to God and a religious life. As part of an active order, May’s life is the less restrictive of the two. Yet, it is Martin’s life, as a contemplative nun, that has drawn increasing numbers in recent years.
‘Of all the orders, there is a strong trend for men and women to go to contemplative orders,? says Martin. ‘We’re receiving a lot of candidates at this time. I think that says something about our society.?
Martin says it is difficult to answer why, but speculates that some candidates may be seeking commitment and a quieter, simpler life. She believes society is lacking in commitment and uses marriage as an example.
‘People are not committed to marriage,? she says. ‘People don’t commit as they did in the past.?
Both Martin and May agree that the number of active nuns is decreasing.
‘There is a shortage of sisters,? says May. ‘I think there has been a decline since the late 70s. Families are smaller and we now realize we can minister in church without being a sister or a priest.?
May, 65, has been pastoral coordinator at St. Mark since 1989. She performs all administrative duties while a priest celebrates the Mass and gives sacraments.
May was 18 and had just graduated high school when she entered Sisters of St. Joseph of Nazareth in Kalamazoo.
‘I knew I wanted to do something for the church and God and the best way to do that was become a sister,? she says. ‘I had the call.?
She stayed at the at the headquarters for the religious order, the Mother House, for four years and attended Nazareth College during that time, studying to be a teacher. After graduating, she began teaching and continued learning how to live a religious life.
Six years after entering the sisterhood, May took her perpetual vows.
‘It’s a life commitment you’re making, so you don’t take it lightly,? she says. ‘I lived in different parishes and taught at different schools to make sure this was the life I wanted.?
May taught students from third to tenth grades in Catholic schools all over Michigan for several years and was also an administrator for 11 years at a Catholic school in St. John’s. She lived in convents on schoolgrounds, with anywhere from 3-7 nuns per house.
‘Professionally, as a teacher, I had the same responsibility as a teacher outside the religious life,? May says. ‘It’s when we leave the classroom that it changes. I make a commitment to God instead of a spouse. I’m here for his service.?
May lives with one other sister who teaches at a Catholic school in White Lake. She watches the news, reads novels, plays games and goes to movies, although, she says, not often because there aren’t many good ones out there.
‘One misconception is that nuns can’t have fun,? May says. ‘We enjoy life and can have a lot of fun with simple things. I like listening to music, reading, sharing with friends… I make the most of everything and enjoy everything.?
May doesn’t wear a habit, but normal civilian clothing and she uses the name given her at birth. She has no typical day, unlike Martin and the other sisters at Mt. Thabor.
The Dominican nuns go to their chapel seven times a day to pray. They rise at 5:30 a.m. and are in the chapel by 6 a.m. when they have the office of readings? with scriptural passages and reciting of songs. They have breakfast at 6:30 a.m. and after breakfast, return to the chapel, where they have Holy Mass, normally at 8 a.m. (except on Sundays, when it is 11 a.m.). After Mass, they have a morning prayer, then a short period of meditation. The mid-morning prayer follows and then the nuns have a work period from 9:30 a.m.-noon, during which they sew and cook. At noon, they return to the chapel for prayer, after which they have dinner. From 1-2 p.m. they have free time during which they can walk or do whatever, Martin says. From 2-3 p.m. is quiet study time in their rooms (they each have their own) and at 3 p.m., they return to the chapel for mid-afternoon prayer, followed by a saying of the rosary and then a work period in the garden or sewing. From 4-5 p.m. is an hour of adoration of blessed sacrament and at 5 p.m., they have a class in a subject such as theology, scripture, or chant. At 6 p.m., they return to the chapel for prayer, have a half-hour of meditation and then it is supper time at 7 p.m., followed by a period of recreation during which they can play board games such as Parcheesi or Scrabble, outdoor games like Bocce or croquet, or chat, walk or sit and talk on the deck. At 8:30 p.m. they return to the chapel and do the final prayer of the day. They go to their rooms at 9 p.m. and there is no more speaking. They may read, but not novels, as Martin says they wouldn’t waste their time.
They read local newspapers and from their computer get world news, which they print and post on their bulletin board daily. One sister is assigned to respond to prayer requests that come from all over the world and U.S. They have a website ( http://www.op.org/mtthabor/ ). The computer is not used for entertainment.
Martin, who declines to reveal her age, began the Mt. Thabor Monastery 33 years ago with Sister Ann Mary. They both came from the Blue Chapel in Union City, New Jersey, now nearly closed because of the changes of the day, says Martin.
‘We came out here to renew and start a new monastery,? she says. ‘Life is a cycle, new birth and death. New orders give new refreshment to the church, but the values never change. They’re as ancient as time. Those values and our type of life is prayer and withdrawal from society. It benefits the church, because we pray for the whole world, our community, township and the people we are in contact with, our visitors and local people.?
There are currently three candidates at the monastery, who live with the sisters to evaluate the life and see if it fits their life.
Martin sits in a stuffed chair as she speaks in a wood-paneled room with windows that reveal construction workers outside. They are working on expanding the chapel, necessary, says Martin, because they hope to have 15 sisters at the monastery. They also need more room for the forthcoming perpetual vows that Sister Mary Dominic will take in September.
To take perpetual vows, a nun must be at the monastery training for five or six years. Candidates who do not fit the life as deemed by the other nuns can be dismissed.
‘They could be excellent people, but not have a contemplative vocation, meaning, geared to a life of prayer,? says Martin. ‘Some are geared to an active life? teaching, nursing, active works.?
Martin says she was called to be a nun when she was young, saying she felt called to it and wanted to dedicate her life to Christ. She doesn’t miss marriage, children or the life she gave up because, she says, she found what she sought.
‘The ones who are sisters are happy because they found their vocation,? she says. ‘Dominicans eat well, sleep well and laugh well as people.?
She is not concerned about the future of the sisterhood, citing it as being in existence since at least the 8th century.
‘The numbers and forms may vary, but the institution will never change,? she said. ‘It will be around on to eternity. It will never die.?
May also believes there will always be sisters and she is happy to be one.
‘I’ve been blessed,? she says. ‘God is good. The people here are super. What more could I want??