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How does Someone Become a Catholic Nun?

What does it take to become a Catholic Nun?


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Before anybody aspiring to become a Catholic Nun becomes one, the process one has to go through is quite long and challenging. For one, there has to be a “calling” to serve God and enough time to think it over and over again. Nuns come in different orders and missions. There are those who work outside of the convent and they are normally referred to as sisters while those who work inside the convent are called nuns.

The choice of order one aspiring nun has to pick will depend on the ideals of the person on how to better serve God. It is then imperative to know all the different orders and decide which is suited in the person’s ideals. Some women decide to become a nun because they want to serve God in a contemplative way and retire from their career. Some just want to be active in the world of service. Some of them were inspired by the advocacy of the deceased Mother Theresa or Helen Prejean. These women continued to fight death penalty.

There are educator nurses in Catholic schools and nurses in Catholic hospitals. We all know that nuns take a vow of poverty which means that they cannot take their earnings. They have to give it to convent or help support the mission of the order.

The requirements to being a nun are: female, Catholic, not married and sane. A woman does not have to be a virgin to become a nun. Those who have been married must be annulled first or divorced in the Catholic Church. The annulment will only be granted if the marriage is proven invalid under false pretenses.

A widow can also be qualified to become a nun. It will be an advantage if the widow has raised children below eighteen years old because nuns are going to take care of children.

There are orders that require nuns to have college education that is why there are nuns that are religious scholars. If the order maintains a school or provides education to children or hospital, the nuns must have proper knowledge and training in those fields. There are nuns that become psychologists and doctors.

Those who want to become nuns are supposed to try living in a convent for them to get the chance to evaluate the different orders. This will help them decide which order fits their choice and interest. Living in a convent will give any aspiring nun the opportunity to contemplate if the said vocation is what she really likes. Those who back out are not shamed for their decision. There are orders that welcome aspiring nuns to try living in a convent and make the decision later on.

Should a woman comes to terms and finally decided to become a nun, she is required to spend a year or two in the convent as a novice. Temporary vows of chastity and poverty then will follow after the period of being a novice. The final and permanent vows are made after the temporary vows come to an end. A nun can leave the sisterhood anytime. Leaving after the permanent vows are made is likened to divorce.

Many women still find this vocation fulfilling although it is not as popular anymore as it was before. At the rate things are going, more and more women aspire for higher positions in the society if not equal to what the men enjoy and they see sisterhood as a vocation less superior than that of the priests. Still, a number of women find the vocation as spiritually fulfilling.
Sep 26th, 2012 at 1:08 AM
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