The Nuns Not On The Bus

[Thijs]

[url="http://religionandpolitics.org/2012/10/26/the-nuns-not-on-the-bus/"]http://religionandpolitics.org/2012/10/26/the-nuns-not-on-the-bus/[/url]

[Lumiere]

The Nuns on the Bus are doing more than the above article says.

Please see [url="http://www.cmaj.ca/content/179/2/158.full"]Margaret's Story[/url].

[savvy]

The writer seems to have a tunnel vision of conservative and liberal. The article also looks at just one country. Younger women are being drawn to more traditional orders in Canada, France, Spain, England, and more places.

[HopefulBride]

[quote name='Lumiere' timestamp='1351435592' post='2499069']
The Nuns on the Bus are doing more than the above article says.

Please see [url="http://www.cmaj.ca/content/179/2/158.full"]Margaret's Story[/url].
[/quote]

Maybe I'm reading the wrong thing but this is about caterpillar-induced bleeding....

[inperpetuity]

[i][i]"The conservative convents are not getting more new members than their liberal counterparts"[/i][/i]

Uh,....ok, Mark.

[Lumiere]

Sorry about that, that was a science post for someone else.

Here is [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAyDNq_qLm0"]Margaret's Story[/url].

And if you are going to Peru, be careful of the caterpillars.

[HopefulBride]

I don't think anyone is saying the "nuns on the bus" sisters aren't or haven't done good things. My discomfort with the whole thing is the "we know better than the Holy See" attitude.

I find that it undermines their good intentions and good works. (this of course is MY opinion)

[Chiquitunga]

[quote name='inperpetuity' timestamp='1351459926' post='2499226']
[i][i]"The conservative convents are not getting more new members than their liberal counterparts"[/i][/i]

Uh,....ok, Mark.
[/quote]

edit: changing emotions... wish we still had that nodding head one .. anyway, this one is good

Edited October 29, 2012 by Chiquitunga

[MissScripture]

That article rubbed me the wrong way from the get-go, with all the references to "Nuns" when he was talking about Sisters. I know that the general population doesn't know the difference, but wow, that makes me tweak now that my sister is a Sister. Also, I'm not sure if this was intentionally written this way, or just him showing a lack of understanding about how things are done by order of the superior. It makes it sound like they just toss the women into different places willy-nilly at the whim of the Superior, when such things are taking into account a Sister's natural inclinations and talents. It's also misleading when he says that the Sisters in Nashville may only visit their families once a year. They can only go HOME once a year, but they have 6 visit days with their families at the convent (and the home visit is a whole week).

Also, from the way it read, it seemed that the author thought he was doing a good job presenting an unbiased account, and I don't think he intentionally skewed anything, but wow, you can see the biases in this! He talks about the different things that the women are "free" to do in the LCWR orders and acts like the Sisters in the Nashville Dominicans are so restricted, but my sister has commented on how she's gotten to do so many things that she never would've done or been able to do if she had gone to college (she entered right out of high school, so her entire college career will be through them). And this quote just doesn't even makes SENSE in this context:
[quote][color=#444444][font=Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif][background=transparent]I asked her why young women were attracted to conservative congregations, rather than congregations like hers.[/background][/font][/color]
[color=#444444][font=Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif][background=transparent]“For the same reason women were attracted to our order when it was like that!” Sister Jane said, then referred me to the Bible: “John says that it’s easier to love the God we do not see than the neighbor we do. I understand that. When I was young I wanted to go into a contemplative order. There was a kind of safety and solace in the silence…. It’s tougher to live in the North End of Springfield and be awakened by mopeds. I have no doubt that I was called to do this—but I wouldn’t have known that when I was 18.”[/background][/font][/color][/quote]
I mean, the Nashville Dominican's do have a good sized campus for their Motherhouse, but it's not located in a high class neighborhood, and they DO go out into the neighborhood, and they teach school, and go to college, so we're not talking about being locked away, and not having to deal with any outsiders.

[HopefulBride]

[quote name='MissScripture' timestamp='1351488444' post='2499508']
That article rubbed me the wrong way from the get-go, with all the references to "Nuns" when he was talking about Sisters. I know that the general population doesn't know the difference, but wow, that makes me tweak now that my sister is a Sister. Also, I'm not sure if this was intentionally written this way, or just him showing a lack of understanding about how things are done by order of the superior. It makes it sound like they just toss the women into different places willy-nilly at the whim of the Superior, when such things are taking into account a Sister's natural inclinations and talents. It's also misleading when he says that the Sisters in Nashville may only visit their families once a year. They can only go HOME once a year, but they have 6 visit days with their families at the convent (and the home visit is a whole week).

Also, from the way it read, it seemed that the author thought he was doing a good job presenting an unbiased account, and I don't think he intentionally skewed anything, but wow, you can see the biases in this! He talks about the different things that the women are "free" to do in the LCWR orders and acts like the Sisters in the Nashville Dominicans are so restricted, but my sister has commented on how she's gotten to do so many things that she never would've done or been able to do if she had gone to college (she entered right out of high school, so her entire college career will be through them). And this quote just doesn't even makes SENSE in this context:

I mean, the Nashville Dominican's do have a good sized campus for their Motherhouse, but it's not located in a high class neighborhood, and they DO go out into the neighborhood, and they teach school, and go to college, so we're not talking about being locked away, and not having to deal with any outsiders.
[/quote]

I'm glad we can prop now. And I know exactly what you mean about the nun thing, it hurts my ears to hear people refer to sisters as nuns. But yeah that article and the video, well I didn't like how they were tugging at people's heartstrings... again just my 2 cents.

[savvy]

Miss Scripture,

Yes, I brought up the fact that the writer simply has tunnel vision. He keeps using them as the two models of religious life, like two political groups, when there are a lot more. The rule of life/rhytmn differs in each community, so it's not the same everywhere.

You really cannot make pin them down. The future will lie with those who see their vocation as a love affair, rather than a career.

[MissScripture]

[quote name='savvy' timestamp='1351541257' post='2499797']
Miss Scripture,

Yes, I brought up the fact that the writer simply has tunnel vision. He keeps using them as the two models of religious life, like two political groups, when there are a lot more. The rule of life/rhytmn differs in each community, so it's not the same everywhere.

You really cannot make pin them down. The future will lie with those who see their vocation as a love affair, rather than a career.
[/quote]
Tunnel vision is a good term. And he didn't address orders who are, in fact, contemplative. Overall, it is a poorly researched and poorly executed article.

[savvy]

[quote]Tunnel vision is a good term. And he didn't address orders who are, in fact, contemplative. Overall, it is a poorly researched and poorly executed article. [/quote]

The Nashville Dominicans are not contemplative. He got that wrong too.

[savvy]

Vanity Fair in the UK, had a good article on religious life.

http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2011/11/In-Britain-the-Counter-Cultural-Appeal-of-Being-a-Young-Nun

[beatitude]

[quote name='savvy' timestamp='1351544717' post='2499885']
Vanity Fair in the UK, had a good article on religious life.

[url="http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2011/11/In-Britain-the-Counter-Cultural-Appeal-of-Being-a-Young-Nun"]http://www.vanityfai...ing-a-Young-Nun[/url]
[/quote]

Nice piece. The thing I notice there is that the non-Catholic filmmaker, Vicky Mitchell, spent a long time researching the documentary and worked very patiently to gain the trust and acceptance of the communities she wanted to feature. I don't think a non-Catholic can write an article or make a film on the religious life that rings true unless they absorb themselves in the life for a while. It's just not enough to go to two convents and have a cup of tea with the nuns, as the 'Nuns Not on the Bus' journalist did. I could tell that he was trying so hard to be even-handed with both communities and that he respected both of them, but it was evident that there were things he did not understand, especially about the Dominicans but about the Sisters of St Joseph as well. He seems more comfortable with the St Joseph sisters because their life is perhaps more recognisable to him - and yet they too have vows that set them apart. Obedience, for example - could a sister really just read absolutely anything she wanted? He didn't ask. He just assumed.

[Byzantine]

Umm... The Nashville way of life still seems more attractive. Not that I'm competent to make that statement, but still.

[Eowyn]

[quote name='beatitude' timestamp='1351595366' post='2500253']

Nice piece. The thing I notice there is that the non-Catholic filmmaker, Vicky Mitchell, spent a long time researching the documentary and worked very patiently to gain the trust and acceptance of the communities she wanted to feature. I don't think a non-Catholic can write an article or make a film on the religious life that rings true unless they absorb themselves in the life for a while. It's just not enough to go to two convents and have a cup of tea with the nuns, as the 'Nuns Not on the Bus' journalist did. I could tell that he was trying so hard to be even-handed with both communities and that he respected both of them, but it was evident that there were things he did not understand, especially about the Dominicans but about the Sisters of St Joseph as well. He seems more comfortable with the St Joseph sisters because their life is perhaps more recognisable to him - and yet they too have vows that set them apart. Obedience, for example - could a sister really just read absolutely anything she wanted? He didn't ask. He just assumed.
[/quote]


Michael Whyte did a fabulous job of filming the Notting Hill Carmelites (documentary is called No Greater Love.) I think it's like you said - he spent enough time with them to really understand what he was filming.

Register has a good article on the movie
[url="http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/notting_hills_nuns/"]http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/notting_hills_nuns/[/url]

It's a beautiful film. I liked it better than Into the Great Silence, maybe cuz I'm partial to Carmel. The interviews in the special features part are amesome.

[EmilyAnn]

[quote name='beatitude' timestamp='1351595366' post='2500253']
Nice piece. The thing I notice there is that the non-Catholic filmmaker, Vicky Mitchell, spent a long time researching the documentary and worked very patiently to gain the trust and acceptance of the communities she wanted to feature. I don't think a non-Catholic can write an article or make a film on the religious life that rings true unless they absorb themselves in the life for a while. It's just not enough to go to two convents and have a cup of tea with the nuns, as the 'Nuns Not on the Bus' journalist did. I could tell that he was trying so hard to be even-handed with both communities and that he respected both of them, but it was evident that there were things he did not understand, especially about the Dominicans but about the Sisters of St Joseph as well. He seems more comfortable with the St Joseph sisters because their life is perhaps more recognisable to him - and yet they too have vows that set them apart. Obedience, for example - could a sister really just read absolutely anything she wanted? He didn't ask. He just assumed.
[/quote]

I don't know if you ever saw that documentary but I thought it was very excellent. In this article the author has clearly gone in with a pre-conceived idea of what they think of the communities and made their writing and their experience fit into that. In the documentary you had much more of a sense that the filmmaker was just following them and letting them guide it.

From the article you can see why many religious communities are reluctant to be featured in media, because so many are so biased. You can tell reading it that the author has a blatant preference for one community over the other just from the way the article is written. There is no attempt to be unbiased - the Nashville sisters come across and controlled and repressed and unconnected to the world, whereas the Sisters of St Joseph come across as "free" and more useful to the world. Which is so untrue.

[Kateri89]

I went on retreat with the Nashville Dominicans in March of this year and although I have no other religious communities to compare them to, I found them to be very happy, joyful women of all ages. They were orthodox, but orthodox doesn't equal repressed. I've met Sisters who don't wear a habit and while it would be wrong to stereotype these Sisters, I've just found that they don't appear to be quite as passionate about the faith as their more conservative counterparts. There is something to be said for the fact that young women living in this liberal culture are more drawn to the structured, conservative convents that offer less "freedom" as the world sees it. They are finding true freedom in abandoning the desires of the world and uniting their lives solely to Christ. It's a beautiful reality.

**End rant**