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Article: From the 4th to the 21st century: a young Benedictine reflects on the history and present reality of women's religious life.(Religious Life)
- Article from:
- National Catholic Reporter
- Article date:
- February 25, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 National Catholic Reporter. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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It was 23 when I first began to announce to people that I planned to enter a monastery. My friends and family weren't very surprised. But when I told my intentions to people I barely knew, I often had to have what I called "the 'monastic life' conversation." "What will you do?" asked the nonCatholic parents of a college friend. "I can't understand those orders where all they do is pray all the time," said another acquaintance. "At first I don't understand why people would want to be nuns," said a nonreligious friend of a friend, "but when I think of them as communities of women ..."
So I would explain my decision. People who were worried about my future monastic ...