tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6456971920210651577.post744826337509374065..comments2024-02-25T12:22:59.842-06:00Comments on A Catholic Citizen in America: "A Nun's Story", Religion, and RealityBrian H. Gillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209697542675181894noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6456971920210651577.post-62824528641335334682010-04-01T08:35:03.167-05:002010-04-01T08:35:03.167-05:00Sr. Hildegard,
Thank you for the historical backg...Sr. Hildegard,<br /><br />Thank you for the historical background.<br /><br />I'm strongly inclined to think that Sr. Luke would have, as you said, "be a much happier sister," in an order whose leaders had read and understood the documents of Vatican II.<br /><br />What didn't happen in the movie surprised me a little. This is strictly hearsay, but I've heard of instances where someone made the decision to enter religious life, found the order's rules a poor match to his or her personal nature: and was counseled to 'drop out' - and repeat the process in another order.<br /><br />One reasons that I converted to Catholicism is that we do not insist that everybody have the same personality and interests.<br /><br />Which is another topic.<br /><br />Thanks again for your insights.Brian H. Gillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13209697542675181894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6456971920210651577.post-76899047835825072472010-04-01T07:14:09.113-05:002010-04-01T07:14:09.113-05:00Yes, indeed, congregations like Mother Teresa'...Yes, indeed, congregations like Mother Teresa's were not around in the 1930s. Few realize that Sr. Luke's (Audrey Hepburn) congregation was not contemplative or what was the called cloistered. It was an active congregation with a mission of service. But, as in the case of many active congregations that emerged in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, the Church required that they abide by contemplative monastic forms and schedules in almost every aspect of life except the rules of enclosure. This conbination was always extremely taxing, unrealistic and caused both aspects of the life to suffer. In this system, if one were devoted to the monastic routine totally the mission suffered and if one were inclined to be very devoted to the mission (Sr. Luke) then the monastic side suffered. For those of us who were familiar with the work of women's apostolic congregations during and before the 1960s, these were the conditions under which the sisters we knew were trying to follow their vocations.<br /><br />Fortunately, with changes in understanding of apostolic religious life and its theology of service and compassion wrought by the Second Vatican Council, this unrealistic dualism was corrected. Today Sr. Luke would be a much happier sister, knowing that by her life of service to humankind she was fully committed to the love of Jesus Christ.<br /><br />Sr. Hildegard Magdalen Pleva, OSsR<br />Redemptoristine Nuns of New York<br />MonasticMusingsOSsR.blogspot.comSr. Hildegardnoreply@blogger.com