Older, single women often with grown children are among those joining convents, according to the National Catholic Reporter (Aug. 16).
The newspaper reports a “small but growing trend that may have a big impact on Catholic ministries. As the number of single women with grown children expands, and the number of young women traditionally entering religious life has declined, “more mothers are becoming nuns,” writes Jean Gordon.
Although the church doesn’t keep records of the number of mothers accepted as novices each year, Gordon says the number is growing. There is already a national organization called “Sister Moms.”