Photo of nuns playing with a dog by Toni Greaves for the New York Times
The NY Times Style section reports on an order of Dominican nuns which is attracting millennials during an era in which fewer women are choosing cloistered religious life.
The Dominican Nuns of Summit, a cloistered convent which is raising funds to expand their facilities to accommodate their growth, has gained 15 aspirants in the last decade. The Times shows their playful side in a series of light-hearted photos and anecdotes revealing the joy and comfort the sisters find in a contemplative religious life.
From the article:
Outside the choir door, a bulletin board was layered with a collage of cards, printed emails and letters, flags of hope and despair, asking the sisters for an intercession.
“We get them from all over the world every week,” said Sister Mary Catharine. “We have regulars. If you don’t hear from someone, you notice and worry.”
A woman fighting depression phoned most mornings and evenings. “We tell her, ‘It’s O.K. We’re praying for you,’ ” Sister Mary Catharine said (now she calls less often). “Sometimes I don’t know what to say. Some sisters are better at this than others.”