It’s a nun girl summer!
This phrase “It’s a nun girl summer” has been circling around social media replacing the phrase “It’s a hot girl summer.” And I am all about it!! So, let’s talk about it!
First, what is a nun and what is a sister? And is there a difference?
It is like squares and rectangles. Not all rectangles are squares, but all squares are rectangles. All nuns are sisters, but not all sisters are nuns!
Nuns go by Sister and Religious Sisters go by Sister, so it can be confusing. For the sake of this blog post, I will be using Nun for Nuns and Sister for Religious Sisters that are not nuns to differentiate the two.
For most cases, Nuns and Sisters live in community with others from their order. The size and location depends on their specific order or location. Nuns however live a cloistered lifestyle meaning they do not leave their monastery. Sisters live in the world often ministering in parishes, schools or prisons, and some serving in healthcare or the social justice space. The type of work a Sister does greatly depends on their skills, the order they belong to, and the charisms of the order.
Another commonality between Nuns and Sisters are their vows and prayer life. Both are brides of Christ taking vows as a permanent and spiritual marriage to Christ. It is not the same as you and I view marriage in an earthly way of husband and wife who get married and build a life together. A woman spends several years in formation before professing final vows, typically professing simple vows years before final vows are professed. Their life will be spent in prayer spending thousands of hours in Adoration, praying the Divine Office daily, and attending Daily Mass.
Did you know there is an order of cloistered nuns in California who wake up every night at midnight to pray their “Motherhood Hour”? Each evening, the Norbertine Sisters rise and spend an hour praying for mothers since mothers also rise in the middle of the night to care for their children.
The charism of an order of Nuns and Sisters differs based on their particular order. This is similar for orders of Religious Priests, such as Dominicans or Franciscans. Many orders will have Religious Priests, Religious Sisters, and Nuns, all practicing the same charisms through different manners. The Charisms of an order are inspired by the Holy Spirit, and you will notice the Charism at work in their work and ministry. Dominicans having four pillars of prayer, study, community, and preaching. Franciscans orders having a variation of the Charisms of St. Francis of Assisi or St. Clare of Assisi, which are humility, prayer, love of Church, and selfless service to the other. All charisms point back to Jesus and leading one to a relationship with Him.
Now, what has caused this phrase “It’s a nun girl summer!” Well, it started with a podcast, Dominican Sisters Open Mic, that went viral where the joy and banter between the host and other sisters is contagious! It is hosted by Sister Miriam, O.P., and it is worth listening to. Then during the NBA finals in June, a group of Salesian Sisters were spotted in the crowds several times cheering for the Spurs! As a native Houstonian, it was no surprise to me to see Sisters cheering on a sports team as you’ll often see the Dominican Sisters in Houston at the Astros games. However, the Salesian Sisters caught the attention of national media outlets.
There have been many videos and articles trying to explain and understand why people are captivated by Nuns and Sisters. I believe it is their pure joy that is captivating. We live in a world that seems lost, lonely, and full of anxiety. These women are full of joy and peace. I was able to witness this first hand when I recently visited the Dominican Nuns in Lufkin. I was on a road trip with a dear friend of mine who is a Dominican Priest, and we stopped by their monastery for a visit. It was a nice break in the road trip, but more so, it was joyful! For a little over an hour, we chatted and laughed. I could feel joy, love, and peace radiating from these women. Their kindness was truly special. And where does all this joy, love, and peace come from? It is from a deep, personal relationship with Jesus and living out the teachings of Christ each day with others in community. We were created by God with this desire for love, joy, peace, and community. So, it is not surprising to me that the world is captivated by women in habits who are experiencing these desires woven into each of our hearts.
Learn more about specific Sisters and Nuns by visiting their websites. Support Sisters and Nuns by praying for them, praying for vocations, encouraging discernment of religious life to young women, giving to them financially, or listening their podcasts/reading their books. Here are some to check out!
Dominican Nuns in Lufkin blog, Dominican Life on Lotus Lane
Mother Teresa, one of my favorite Saints who I take so much inspiration from, founded the order of the Missionaries of Christ.
Daughters of Mary of Nazareth was founded by Mother Olga here in the US. Her story is incredible! I believe she will be a Saint one day.
Sister Josephine Garrett is a Sister of the Holy Family of Nazareth (look her up!)
Abiding Together is a podcast hosted by Sister Miriam James Heidland, a sister from the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity(SOLT), and two lay women(Heather Khym and Michelle Benzinger)
Mother Angelica, a Poor Clare nun who passed away in 2016, was the powerhouse behind EWTN.
The Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco is the largest congregation around the world.
A popular prayer, Litany of Trust, was written by Sister Faustina Maria Pia who was a Sister of Life.
**Preview image is from the lobby of the Monastery of the Infant Jesus in Lufkin. The painting was inspired by the life of the Dominican Nuns on Lotus Lane and was done by the father of one the nuns. **