What's the difference?

[karin]

I have been looking up Dominicans and there are different sections for Dominican Sisters and Domincan Nuns. What's the difference between them? Thank you

God Bless and Mary Keep
Karin

[FutureSoror]

For the most part Sisters live out in the world (but still in a communtiy with a motherhouse) and do things such as teaching and nursing, and Nuns live in a cloister and apart from the world, spending their days in prayer and physical labor.

They are two different but beautiful ways of life

[Totus Tuus]

From my observation, sisters take [i]perpetual vows[/i] which do not include those vows of Papal enclosure, and nuns take [i]solemn vows[/i], which are for cloistered religious. But that is just something I've noticed, I don't know if it is true in all cases or if it distinguishes them.

[karin]

thank you very much guys... eeerr girls ..tee hee

[Susan]

[quote name='karin' date='Mar 6 2005, 08:14 PM'] I have been looking up Dominicans and there are different sections for Dominican Sisters and Domincan Nuns. What's the difference between them? Thank you

God Bless and Mary Keep
Karin [/quote]
Nuns have Solemn Vows and Sisters have Perpetual Vows. Usually, those with Papal Enclosure have Solemn Vows although there are exceptions like Benedictines.
Dominican NUNS are what used to be called the "2nd Order" and are the Nuns of the Order of Preachers. Dominican Sisters who are contemplative and have some form of enclosure, like Lockport or the Perpetual Rosary Sisters in WI, do not have Solemn Vows and are not Nuns of the Order of Preachers. Their relationship with the Order is different. All Nuns of the Order of Preachers have the same constitutions the world over. (Each house or congregation of Dominican Sisters has something different). There is only ONE kind of Dominican Nuns unlike the Poor Clares or Carmelites which I think is cool.
I think the Lockport Sisters were founded by a Dominican Nun from Texas and will become nuns eventually but I think that you have to have a certain number or something like that. Anyway, that's how it was explained to me.

Did I make this confusing? I might have not got it all right. I asked the same question of the nuns in Summit so I'm trying to remember the answer!

[Totus Tuus]

[quote] All Nuns of the Order of Preachers have the same constitutions the world over. (Each house or congregation of Dominican Sisters has something different). There is only ONE kind of Dominican Nuns unlike the Poor Clares or Carmelites which I think is cool.[/quote]
But is each house still autonomous?
[quote]
I think the Lockport Sisters were founded by a Dominican Nun from Texas and will become nuns eventually but I think that you have to have a certain number or something like that. Anyway, that's how it was explained to me.[/quote]
Yes, their motherhouse is in Lufkin, TX. They have somewhere between 30-40 nuns, I believe. I've heard something about having a certain number but I'm not sure.

Poor Clares are the "Second Order of St. Francis".

[Piccoli Fiori JMJ]

Actually, there was a difference in a Church Document about the title of Sister and Nun... Ever since a recent update in the document, the difference is no longer there, but like mentioned before, the document had said that Sister is active and out in the world and a Nun is cloistered and within the heart of the world Today there is no real difference in terminology, but many people still use it to distinguish

[Totus Tuus]

That is so helpful! Do you happen to know when the distinction was disintigrated?

[Piccoli Fiori JMJ]

If I can remember what document it was... if you name some common ones that have been updated... I know what it is, but I cannot remember what it is called... it just basically wasn't applied anymore and wasn't in the document... I know that I was wondering about this same question for myself for quite some time until I stumbled across it one day on the web... I know the change was made a few decades or sometime ago...

[Piccoli Fiori JMJ]

Now that I have had a chance to think about it, I think it was in the previous Canon Law...

[Totus Tuus]

I know that after Vatican II there was a document on Religious Life that was released, by which many communities are living. That's probably not it, though. You're probably right about it being Canon Law- that makes the most sense.

[karin]

Yeah the foundress of the Lockport Monastery is the same one that founded the one in Lufkin texas. the ones in lufkin texas are amazing. i used to go to mass with them and one of my friends is a nun there. So wait the Lockport Monastery doesnt have nuns? what are they called then?

[Piccoli Fiori JMJ]

Well, they are Nuns, I don't know... I'd have to look more into Canon Law to be sure... now there is not really a difference, but it is still used officially to differ from CLoistered and active communities

[littleflower+JMJ]

i've often wondered about this since i use both terms loosely....