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Silence in the Cloister: a Study of the Future of Sisterhood in the American Catholic Church

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Silence in the Cloister: a Study of the Future of Sisterhood in the American Catholic Church Silence in the Cloister: a study of the future of sisterhood in the american catholic church G) by Adrienne Alexis Donath C ,_en Spring _2006 0) REL-399: Religion Senior Seminar < C Dr. Deborah Goodwin en ,_en C a. (1) ,_:::J ;a (1) "'C 0 Abstract: The number of religious sisters in America has declined en precipitously since the mid-1960s, to the point that the continued stability of many traditional orders and their ministries is now in question. The purpose of this paper is to identify the primary sociological and institutional reasons for the collapse of sisterhood in America, to track the current direction of the vocation, and to propose a plan for how religious communities might respond to the current membership crisis. Contact information: Silence in the Cloister: a study of the future of sisterhood in the american catholic church Gustavus Student Repository by Adrienne Alexis Donath under the direction of Deborah L. Goodwin Garrett E. Paul Andy G. Vaughn Submitted to the faculty of the Religion Department at Gustavus Adolphus College, in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Bachelor of Arts degree May2006 Silence in the Cloister ii "never until you lie on your death bed will you understand the grandeur of your vocation and the ineffable peace and joy that will bless your closing hours if you strive earnestly to live up to your rules and become perfect sis.ters of mercy. 11 --Mother Xavier McDermott, Sister of Mercy, 1878 Gustavus Student Repository Silence in the Cloister iii Acknowledgements My name appears on the title page, but it is no mere display of modesty to say that this thesis would not have been completed without the contributions of several other individuals. In recognition of this, I would like to express my gratitude to those who have supported my work. This project took on a life of its own after I spent three days visiting with seven delightful sisters from School Sisters of Notre Dame in Mankato, Minnesota. Sr. Mary Martin Tobias, Sr. Carmen Madigan, Sr. Elaine Guerber, Sr. Josepha Forster, Sr. Honora Elsen, Sr. Celine Koktan, and Sr. Joyce Kolbet generously offered their time and astute insights on the vocation of sisterhood. Their fascinating life stories, warm hospitality, and presence of spirit are among the most convincing reasons I have seen that religious life is an institution worth Gustavus Student Repository preserving. I wish to thank Sr. Emma Buresh for her efficiency in arranging my visits with the sisters, as well as Kathie Martin and the reference librarians at Gustavus Adolphus College for their research assistance. Sr. Stephanie Weisgram of the Alcuin Library at St. John's University provided me with an early deluge of excellent resources, for which I am grateful. My family has given their aid and encouragement in innumerable ways on this project and throughout my college career. I hope they understand how appreciative I am of all their contributions to my education. From the beginning of my thesis work, I have been fortunate to be able to work with Dr. Garrett Paul and Dr. Andy Vaughn of the Religion Department at Gustavus Adolphus College. Their insights helped me hone the scope of my research, and their patience has been admirable. I am grateful for their assistance. Finally, I wish to thank Dr. Deborah Goodwin, also of the Gustavus Religion Department. Over the course of two semesters, she has contributed immensely both to my research and to my development as a scholar. For her patient persistence, I am indebted, and for her lively sense of humor and continual encouragement, I am most thankful. Silence in the Cloister iv Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1: Women's religious orders in history ...................................................................4 A history of monasticism ............... .................................... ..... .. .. .. ...................... .. .. 4 Features of women's religious life ...................... ............... ............ ......... .................... 9 Life in Community .................. .... .. ...................... .. .. ................................. 10 Commitment to Service ........ ....... ... .................. ...... ... .. ..................... ......... 10 Profession of Vows ........................... .. .... , ......................... .. ................. .. ... 11 Governance of religious orders in the Catholic Church ... ... ... .. ........ ................ ........... .14 Gustavus Student Repository Chapter 2: Religious Life in America .............................................................................. 16 Women religious in America, 1800-1950 ........ ........................................ ... ............... 16 Religious life in America since 1965 ............................................. .. .... ..................... 17 Factors influencing the decline of religious life ................ ........ .. ............................... 21 Chapter 3: The future of women's religious life in America .................................................... 29 Why does the decline of religious orders matter? ................................................... ... ............. 29 What does the future hold? ................................................................ ....................................... 33 How can the current trend be reversed? ..................................................................... ............. 36 Conclusion ......................................................................... ......................................... 44 Appendix: Interviews with members of the School Sisters of Notre Dame ............................. 45 Sr. Mary Martin Tobias ............................................ .. ....... ........... ....................... 45 Sr. Carmen Madigan ..... ............................... ....................................................... 47 Sr. Elaine Guerber ..... ..... .. ................. ................................................................ .48 Sr. Josepha Forster .. ................ ... .... .. ........ ................. .. .. ... ... .. ........... ................... 50 Sr. Honora Elsen .......... ........... ... ....... ... ................ .. .............. .... .. .. .... .. ................ 51 Sr. Celine Koktan ............... ................. .... ..... ... ....... .............. .. ... .. ... ... ................. 52 Sr. Joyce Kolbet ..................................................................................................54 Bibliography ................................................................. , ............................................. 58 Silence in the Cloister 1 Introduction For more than 1500 years, women's religious communities have enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship with the Catholic Church. Women religious1 have been a tireless, massive, and cheap source of labor for the Church's charitable ministries for centuries, and the institution of sisterhood, in turn, has provided generations of women with a stable, community- based alternative to married life. In America, religious life2 flourished through the mid- Gustavus Student Repository twentieth century, and thousands of Catholic schools, hospitals, and other charitable institutions owe their existence to the efforts of women religious. Since the mid-1960s, however, the number of women in America and Western Europe choosing vowed religious life has plummeted-to the point that the continued existence of many orders is in question. This thesis examines the decline of Catholic women's religious vocations in America and proposes several ways in which religious orders can respond to the current membership crisis so as to ensure their continued viability and relevance in the 21 st century. 1 For the purposes of this thesis, I will use the terms "nuns", "sisters", and "[women] religious" interchangeably. Technically speaking, the term "nun" applies only to female contemplatives who profess what are called "solemn vows", whereas a "sister" is a woman who has taken "simple vows" and is usually a member of an active community. The term "[women) religious" is a general term for women who are members of a religious community. When used in this manner, the word "religious" functions as a noun modified by the adjective "women", so the term should not be confused with the phrase "religious women". I will also use the terms "religious community", "religious congregation", and "religious order" interchangeably. The distinction between these terms corresponds to the distinction outlined above: a "religious order" applies to communities (generally contemplative) which profess solemn vows, while a "religious congregation" or "religious institute" is a community (generally active) which professes perpetual simple vows. Either group may be called a "religious community". (The distinction between simple vows and solemn vows is complex and beyond the scope of this thesis, but more information may be found in Fr. William Saunders's February 24, 2000 column in the Arlington Catholic Herald or the entry "Nuns" in The Catholic Encyclopedia.) 2 In this thesis, the phrases "[women's) religious life" and "women's apostolate" will refer to the institution of sisterhood. Likewise, "religious vocation" refers specifically to the vocation of sisterhood. These distinctions should not lead the reader to believe that the Catholic church overlooks church
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