Nun Run and people afraid of vocations...

Other true Nun Run shots:


(source: A Fun Nun's Life)


(source: Chicago Area Vocations)

Here in Italy I never saw anything resembling the Nun Run (either in its original good meaning or in its Charity race meaning). Are they afraid of vocations?

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The nun run is a weekend event, sponsored by six communities, Sister Vandborg explained. Women who are interested in religious life start at one convent on Friday evening, meet the community, then move on to another convent, where they spend the night. In the morning they breakfast with the community before traveling to another convent and meeting the sisters there. This good-humored version of “speed-dating” continues until Sunday evening, when all of the communities gather for a meal with the inquiring women.



The sisters are young — the average age in the community is 26 — and when they arrange “come and see” weekends, they have had to cap attendance at 100. (...) The inquirers range in age from juniors in high school at 16 or 17 to women in their mid-30s, but the average age is 24. The inquirers’ first contacts are usually through the Internet, and eventually they are invited to spend a retreat over a Saturday night with the community.

Of the more than 600 inquirers each year, about 10 enter the order, Sister Garretson said. The order isn’t old enough to answer the question, “Why do people stay?” she observed, but she hoped to answer the question herself in a few decades.

(source: The Catholic Herald, diocese of Sacramento. I think a “weekend event” is too short on time, but maybe longer times could wipe out most of the participants...)

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Another true Nun Run:



...Instead of heading for the sunny beaches of Florida or visiting an amusement park, six girls from St. Patrick and St. Joan of Arc parishes here spent their spring break on a “Nun Run.”

From April 5 to April 11, the girls and two chaperones visited five religious orders in three states.

“On the trip, there was a general excitement radiating from all the girls, but especially from Alexa,” she said. “She just couldn’t stop smiling because she was so happy to be visiting all those places.”

After the trip, her daughter, Arika, said she also felt the calling to religious life.

“It made me feel closer to God visiting the different orders,” Arika said. “I felt the calling while I was there and I still feel that way. I would really love to go on another ‘Nun Run’ next year.”

(source: an article on “The Catholic Moment” newspaper, in the section “Diocese of Lafayette”; text and photo found on the web)

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Another true Nun Run: “a group of vocation-discerning gals travel to different convents and monasteries, and, yes, check them out!” And sometimes a miracle may actually happen:


Kirstine (circled) and others on that “Nun Run” of 2007

March of 2007 brought us a lovely group of women on a “Nun Run” from the diocese of St. Paul, Minnesota led by our dear friend Claire Rouf. One young gal in particular felt very drawn to our Passionist charism and desired to learn more about it.

(found on In the Shadow of His Wings, blog of the Passionist Nuns of Saint Joseph Monastery in Whitesville, Kentucky)

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Ever heard of a “Nun Run”? It's a type of ultimate Catholic road trip in which a group of vocation-discerning gals travel to different convents and monasteries, and, yes, check them out! We were the last stop on the “Indiana Nun Run 2005” and had the extreme pleasure of hosting “Nun Runners” Missy, Nicci, Gala, and Carrie, for an overnight stay this past Friday. Our novice mistress, Sr. Mary Catharine, shared our life with them as the girls shared their stories. The visit ended with a slide presentation of our monastery. Our aspirants, Greta and Lisa also had the joy of meeting these wonderful young women. Please keep them in your prayers as they seek to follow the Lord's Will in their lives.

(found on Moniales OP, the blog of the Dominican Nuns of Summit, New Jersey)