Latest news with #nuns
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Health
- Irish Times
My friends tell me to stop discussing religion on first and second dates
It began, like most of my whims do, with a dream. In this one, I had rented a cottage in east Cork , cooked a three-course meal and invited four Irish nuns over for dinner. We shared red wine and sherry and, by dessert, I was interviewing them about their lives. They told me what had drawn them to a life of devotion and how they saw the future of the church. I woke up disappointed. Not by anything the imaginary nuns had said, but because I was no longer in that quiet cottage in east Cork, sipping sherry with women of faith. Still caught in the glow of the dream, I texted a friend asking if she knew some nuns that could help me recreate my dream dinner party. She once spent a summer beekeeping with nuns in the west of Ireland. 'What a random request,' she replied. 'I do know some nuns, but they're American.' What I longed for was the grounded, unvarnished wisdom of Irish nuns, the kind who understand the subtleties of Irish humour and historical context of a country still reckoning with its faith. READ MORE Over the past two years, I have felt a calling to return to Christianity. I never formally left Christianity but rather lost it along the way. A clear memory I have of defending Christian churches in the past year was on a date with a guy I met on a dating app. I was discussing the importance of the sacred space within the confines of a church. He told me that churches should be repurposed into something more useful. [ Here's a job for the next pope. Deliver us from climate apathy Opens in new window ] The date ended soon after. Friends suggested that I not discuss religion on even a second date. 'Elle, wait until the fifth – at least.' Maybe they're right. I opened my phone and started scrolling and was soon checking every social media app I own. A bad habit, I know. I thought maybe I could kill two birds with one stone. A spiritual retreat and a digital detox. Maybe even throw in some hiking. I googled 'Christian retreat in Glendalough', found their email address and requested a stay there for three nights. A few weeks later I set off from the Dublin-Kildare border to Glendalough. I found myself wondering what I was doing. For years I couldn't stand silence; if it wasn't music, it was a podcast filling the air. But ever since a brief bout of tinnitus last year, brought on by a virus, I've come to understand the old phrase 'silence is golden' on a deeper level. I arrived in Glendalough and admired the stonework of the buildings as well as the beautifully kept gardens. I was shown to the library and prayer room, and told that prayer times were in the morning and the evening. Then I was escorted to my hermitage. There are five hermitages on the grounds that were built in 2000. It was equipped with everything you could need – a livingroom with a single bed and a wood-burning stove, a warm wooded kitchen and a simple bathroom. That evening I walked into the prayer room. One of its windows looked out on to the Wicklow landscape. [ Who was the real Mary of Nazareth and how did Christians come to believe she was a virgin? Opens in new window ] A woman led most of the prayers and, although not a nun, she had a godliness about her that I've only ever encountered from nuns I've met in real life (and in my dreams). She also played music on a CD player. We read a poem and she hit a gong and told us our 25 minutes of meditation would begin. It struck me how similar this space felt to the moments I find while hiking, which, of all the forms of exercise I've tried, is the one that best helps me untangle my thoughts. I hiked a lot during my stay. Though I was alone, I felt an unexpected sense of connection to the landscape, to the silence, even to passing strangers. Between prayers, hiking and the occasional small talk with others, the retreat became a welcome sanctuary from the background hum of 'progress'. My time away rekindled a quiet certainty in me: my return to Christianity is inevitable. But I find myself wondering: what exactly am I returning to? As a teenager, I felt ashamed of my faith. That shame slowly frayed my connection to it, leaving me disillusioned with what was on offer. Now, in my late 20s, there's a comforting steadiness in knowing who I am. Still, the question remains: what does it mean to reconnect with Christianity on my own terms? Maybe I won't know until I have that dream dinner with four Irish nuns, red wine, sherry and a table full of stories in a rented cottage in east Cork. Eleanor O'Dwyer is a 27-year-old Dublin-based writer
CTV News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Brazilian nuns become social media stars with dancing and beatboxing
Video Two Brazilian nuns have become online stars after showing off their dancing and beatboxing skills on television.
Vogue
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Pope-Pilled? 5 Things to Watch, Read, and Listen to Post-Conclave
While we won't be getting The Real Housecardinals of the Vatican City on Bravo anytime soon—though Andy Cohen is something of a divine power in and of himself—there's plenty more Catholic ephemera to enjoy. I'm both Irish and Italian, so alongside my Catholic guilt, internalized shame, and penchant for grandiosity comes a cultural diet that would satiate anyone who found themselves enraptured by the conclave. Through reporting on several stories about nuns and people of faith, however, I've also gathered a few monastic-approved recommendations. One young nun from Wexford, Ireland—who, when I met her, had just turned 32 and was about to receive her first solemn vows—told me about the documentary that first inspired her to explore convent life. She had seen it with a friend who was recently dumped, and wanted to watch something 'that absolutely involved no men or romance.' She also spoke to me about her love for Patrick Kavanagh's poetry. Be not afraid—below is a list of what to watch, see, and listen to if you're not ready to close the doors on papal fever just yet. Don't Forget We're Here Forever: A New Generation's Search for Religion by Lamorna Ash Don't Forget We're Here Forever: A New Generation's Search for Religion $30 AMAZON Don't Forget We're Here Forever: A New Generation's Search for Religion is out July 8. From a silent Jesuit retreat along the Welsh coastline to Evangelical youth festivals, Lamorna Ash explores why young people are turning more and more to Christianity. Is it our age of disconnection and uncertainty? A desire to return to traditional values, or seek something altogether new? Ash, who grew up with a Church of England primary school education and a scant knowledge of hymns, embarks on a journey first spurred on by two friends—comedians—who both surprisingly pursued clerical life. The book beautifully unspools a bigger picture of faith and the need to nourish the soul. Mysticism by Simon Critchley 'There is an awful lot of mysticism about. More than ever in recent years,' writes philosopher Simon Critchley in his centuries and continents-spanning book. It's a fascinating excavation of humanity's age-old—yet still very modern—quest to understand the divine, from a writer who has engaged with subjects as broad as football, suicide, humor, and David Bowie, all with equal fervor. Critchley is stylishly skeptical, but still retains playfulness and intrigue. School of Love, Would You Believe
South China Morning Post
11-05-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Chinese female-only temple run by nuns offers free food, lodging to help women, goes viral
A women-only temple in China has become a haven for working women and full-time homemakers thanks to its unique approach to addressing female anxiety and mental health issues. Advertisement Tianxian Temple is located in Fujian province in southeastern China. It has recently attracted attention online for being entirely staffed by nuns and female volunteers and offering free food and lodging. The staff include women from competitive corporate backgrounds, live-streamers striving to meet sales targets, and struggling single mothers. The women-only retreat offers healing and is fully staffed by nuns and female volunteers. Photo: 36Kr The haven has also launched a free Zen retreat to provide a space for healing and renewal, allowing participants to break free from the relentless cycle of work, family responsibilities, and societal expectations.
Daily Mail
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The vital role women play in the conclave process
In Vatican City, 133 cardinals have this week begun the highly secretive process to elect a new leader of the global Catholic church, following the death of Pope Francis last month. The centuries-old conclave ritual will, at some point in the coming days, see a puff of white smoke leak from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, signalling a new pope has been chosen. While the conclave might appear an exclusively male affair, women remain excluded in the Catholic church's upper hierarchy - they will play a crucial role in ensuring the role of choosing a new pope runs smoothly. As the cardinals, the most geographically diverse conclave in the faith's 2,000-year history, prepare to sequester from the outside world, they will be supported throughout by Vatican City insiders, including nuns who help with everything from accommodation to food. From now until the moment a new leader is elected, the nuns at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, a 100-suite guesthouse in Vatican City that is housing the cardinals in the coming days, will run the tightest of ships when it comes to cooking and cleaning. Dishes served to sustain the cardinals during the process will be prepared by the nuns, with local Italian dishes from the Lazio and Abruzzo regions likely on the menu. Italian staples such as spaghetti, minestrone and simple meat dishes such as lamb skewers, known as arrosticini , with vegetables will be prepared for the 133 men, although they won't be allowed napkins for fear of secrets being leaked. The meals eaten by the cardinals were depicted on several occasions in the film adaptation of Robert Harris' book Conclave. Isabella Rossellini played Sister Agnes in the film, which scooped best picture at this year's BAFTAs. The kitchen and dining room scenes in the film, also starring Ralph Fiennes, showed the quiet power possessed by the nuns, who enable the conclave to happen without a glitch. Whoever is elected when the white smoke rises will likely have some historic decisions ahead of them, with Robert Harris saying that allowing women a more prominent role within the Catholic church is likely to be a 'big issue'. Speaking on Sky's The News Hour with Mark Austin that whoever Pope Francis' successor is, he's likely to face pressure to take a more inclusive approach to women. He told the programmed: 'In the 21st century, can it really be the case that Christ did not intend half the world's population to play a full role in spreading his word?' Author Harris also suggested that the papacy's wealth might also face scrutiny, saying the gospel's 'necessity to get rid of all worldly wealth' didn't sit well with Vatican City's pomp and grandeur, saying: 'When I compared that to the reality of the Vatican, it's hard not to be struck by the contrast. 'And in particular, in the 21st century, can it really be the case that Christ did not intend half the world's population to play a full role in spreading his word?' Cardinals involved in the process have already surrendered their cellphones and will be forbidden from accessing communications until they find a new leader for the 1.4 billion-member church. Francis named 108 of the 133 'princes of the church,' choosing many pastors in his image from far-flung countries like Mongolia, Sweden and Tonga that had never had a cardinal before. His decision to surpass the usual limit of 120 cardinal electors and include younger ones from the 'global south' - those often marginalized countries with lower economic clout - has injected an unusual degree of uncertainty in a process that is always full of mystery and suspense. Many hadn't met one another until last week and lamented they needed more time to get to know one another, raising questions about how long it might take for one man to secure the two-thirds majority, or 89 ballots, necessary to become the 267th pope. 'Wait and see, a little patience, wait and see,' said Cardinal Mario Zenari, the Vatican's ambassador to Syria as he arrived for the final day of pre-vote discussions. The cardinals begin the day by participating in a final pre-conclave Mass in St. Peter's Basilica. The dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, celebrates the Mass, which is meant to pray for cardinals to find the wisdom, counsel and understanding to elect a worthy new shepherd. Re, 91, had presided at Francis' funeral, delivering a heartfelt sermon recalling history's first Latin American pope and the reforming 12-year papacy he oversaw. At 4.30pm local time the cardinals walk solemnly into the frescoed Sistine Chapel, chanting the meditative 'Litany of the Saints' and the Latin hymn 'Veni Creator,' imploring the saints and the Holy Spirit to help them pick a pope. Once there, they pledge to maintain secrecy about what is about to transpire and to not allow 'any interference, opposition or any other form of intervention' from outsiders to influence their voting. Standing before Michelangelo's vision of heaven and hell in 'The Last Judgment,' each cardinal places his hand on the Gospel and swears to carry out that duty 'so help me God and these Holy Gospels, which I touch with my hand.' After the cardinals take their oaths, a senior cardinal delivers a meditation. The master of papal liturgical ceremonies, Archbishop Diego Ravelli, calls out 'Extra omnes,' Latin for 'all out.' Anyone not eligible to vote then leaves and the chapel doors close, allowing the work to begin. The cardinals don't have to take a first vote on Wednesday, but they usually do. Assuming no winner is found, the Vatican said black smoke could be expected out of the Sistine Chapel chimney at around 7 p.m. The cardinals retire for the night and return Thursday morning. They can hold up to two ballots in the morning and two in the afternoon until a winner is found. While cardinals this week said they expected a short conclave, it will likely take at least a few rounds of voting. For the past century, it has taken between three and eight ballots to find a pope. John Paul I - the pope who reigned for 33 days in 1978 - was elected on the third ballot. His successor, John Paul II, needed eight. Francis was elected on the fifth in 2013.
