Women Religious Are a Gift to All of Us

I recently attended a three-day conference with a group of women religious (nuns) who minister in South Carolina. The theme for the meeting was “story telling.” It seems simple enough, but it’s not so simple for these women. They have dedicated their lives to religious life and follow a very humble and unselfish doctrine which is an integral part of their Catholic upbringing.

While many of their stories may go untold, they have plenty of stories to share. Most of them have lived very meager lives with very few possessions, all while dedicating their energy and time to God. If you think about it, these women have made significant sacrifices that most of us can’t really imagine. These Sisters have done so much to make our world a better place. They have started hospitals and orphanages, fought for social justice and supported humanitarian efforts worldwide. They have taught in schools, become nurses, counselors, social workers, doctors, pharmacists, hospital administrators and much more. Although Sisters are ambitious, dedicated and want to accomplish a lot, these goals are always tempered with a spiritual peace and sincere compassion for others that makes for a perfect balance.

The unfortunate truth about the vocation of women religious is that it is rapidly declining. In its heyday in the 1960s there were more than 180,000 women religious in the United States, but today, in 2008, that number is under 60,000. What’s more, the average age of a nun in South Carolina is 68 and the national average is 70. A documentary “Crossroads” was released earlier this year and depicts the history of religious life and focuses on three ministries in South Carolina. It asks the difficult question, “What’s next for women religious?” The answer is unclear and complicated.

The first hope is that many young women will take to religious life and infuse new blood into this vocation. There are religious orders in other parts of the world such as Africa and India that are recruiting many young women into the religious life. Unfortunately, this is not the case in the United States. There are now more options for women, and many Catholic women today have chosen not to make the sacrifices embracing this vocation that many women religious have made in the past. The work of women religious and their ministries must be transitioned to lay leaders and others to carry on the work when there are no longer Sisters to lead these organizations. While the decline in Sisters in this country may not be an issue today, it will become a major dilemma in the next 10 to 20 years.

If you stop for a minute and think about Sisters and what they have sacrificed and what they have accomplished, it is mind boggling. Through the Sisters, God’s work has been done and will continue to be done in a humble and sincere way. These women are a wonderful example of Christian service by living their lives to care for others less fortunate. Thanks to who they are and what they have done; we have all benefited either directly or indirectly and it is a great thing to consider and appreciate.

Tom Keith is the executive director of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina