Sister Sue Kidd CND and Sister Gemma Dunn CSM at the Martha Spiritually Center in Charlottetown
Sister Gemma Dunn has a dream. She dreams about a group of young women coming forward to profess themselves to a religious life.
“It would just re-awaken everything,” said Dunn.
Dunn hasn’t seen a young woman come through the doors of the Island congregation of the Sisters of Saint Martha in almost 18 years, a stark contrast of what it looked like when she professed 50 years ago.
Sr Gemma recalls embarking on this journey with many women in their 20s and 30s, each of them vowing poverty, chastity and obedience.
Sisters of St. Martha of Charlottetown 50 years ago
Since then, few young women have chosen this lifestyle of community, ministry and prayer, making the future of this religious life a big unknown.
Between the congregation of Notre Dame and the Sisters of Saint Martha, there are 83 Sisters on P.E.I. The majority of them are already retired from their ministry duties.
“We don’t have young women. That to me is sad,” said Dunn. “I think because we don’t have young women, it doesn’t attract young women.”
Dunn said the call in her was strong when she was just 19 years old, taking her final vows when she was 22 years old.
Sister Gemma at 22
Sister Sue Kidd, with the international congregation of Notre Dame also began the process as a young woman, at 23 years old.
“My call, I say, began with curiosity to find out more,” said Kidd.
She had a close friend in Ontario who wanted to become a Sister and Kidd would tag along with her on her outings with Sisters in their parish.
That friend ended up getting married and having four children.
Sister Sue took her final vows when she was 25.
Both Kidd and Dunn admit knowing they would never have children of their very own was daunting.
“When my friend started having children, I thought, ‘Oh wow, that would have been kind of cool’,” said Kidd.
“It was really hard in the beginning to realize that is part of the commitment, that I was not going to have children. I really had to deal with that,” said Dunn.
But the feelings to pursue a religious lifestyle were stronger.
“You get formed into the lifestyle through ministry, living in community and prayer life. It is not something you want to give up,” said Dunn.
“Some people say, ‘Well you don’t get married, you don’t have a bank account’… Well I didn’t say yes to the nos. I said yes to prayers, freedom, people and passion,” said Kidd.
Dunn believes it takes a lot more courage today for a woman to consider this religious life with the world being so very different than it was when she professed.
“It’s an extraordinary call,” admits Kidd. “It’s not for the faint-hearted. When you say it takes courage, it really is a counter cultural step.”
They note these days people have fewer children and there are more opportunities for young women, especially when pursuing previously Sister-dominated careers.
At one point, Sisters were the ones who worked in hospitals, rural schools, social welfare offices and orphanages.
Now, the unmet needs of the community are different and consist of spirituality, environment and refugees.
Dunn said in trying to attract young women, they formed a vocation team who organized weekends of “come and see” and weekends of discernment.
They received little to no response.
Kidd said they try to connect with young women by using social media through their motherhouse in Montreal.
Sr. Gemma is very active in ongoing spiritual renewal through her work in Charlottetown.
Both women say they hope to find new ways to invite people to religious life.
“God is doing something today,” said Kidd. “I may not see it. I may not get it, but I believe it. I just need to remain faithful to that.”
— Maureen Coulter for the Guardian
What are some prerequisites to being a Sister?
-You must be a Catholic
-You must be single
-You must not have any dependent children
-You must not have any debt
-You must be over the age of 18
-Post-secondary experience is encouraged
Source: www.anunslife.org
Are you interested in seeking information about religious life? Contact Sister Gemma at srgemma@eastlink.ca for the congregation of Sisters of St. Martha or Sister Sue at skidd@cnd-m.org for the congregation of Notre Dame.