The Sisterhood: Becoming Nuns

Last updated
The Sisterhood: Becoming Nuns
The Sisterhood Becoming Nuns logo.png
Genre Reality
Written by Eric Evangelista
Shannon Evangelista
StarringFrancesca DiPaola
Eseni Ellington
Clair Halbur
Stacey Jackson
Christie Young
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes6
Production
Executive producersMary Donahue
Eric Evangelista
Shannon Evangelista
Colleen Conway Grogan
Eli Lehrer
Running time40 minutes
Production companyHot Snakes Media
Release
Original network Lifetime
Original release25 November (2014-11-25) 
16 December 2014 (2014-12-16)

The Sisterhood: Becoming Nuns is an American reality television series that debuted on Lifetime on 25 November 2014. [1] [2] Written by Eric Evangelista and Shannon Evangelista, the show follows five young women as they visit communities of nuns and religious sisters and discern their religious vocations.

Contents

Synopsis

The Sisterhood: Becoming Nuns follows five young women in their 20s as they visit different communities of women religious– both nuns and religious sisters. Nuns are cloistered and contemplative, meaning they have little contact with the outside world and spend much of their time in prayer. Religious sisters, on the other hand, are active, meaning they work in ministry outside the convent in addition to prayer.

The five young women visit three communities of sisters over the span of the series. The first community was that of the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm in Germantown, New York. [1] The second convent visited was home to the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence in Chicago, Illinois. [1] The third and final community visited were the Sisters of St. Joseph the Worker in Walton, Kentucky. [1]

At these communities, the women work in a variety of different ministries, as well as interacting with the sisters and experiencing community life in the convents. [1] The women also have to deal with homesickness, the leaving behind of most of their possessions, as well as quarrels amongst themselves.

Production

The Sisterhood: Becoming Nuns was written and executive produced by Eric Evangelista and Shannon Evangelista. [1] [2]

Filming was done on site at the convents in Germantown, New York, Chicago, Illinois, and Walton, Kentucky. [1]

Cast

Episodes

No.TitleOriginal air date
1"I'm Not Ready!"November 25, 2014 (2014-11-25)
Five young women in their 20s begin a six-week journey to discern whether to become Catholic nuns. They first visit the convent of the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm in Germantown, New York.
2"We're All Broken"December 2, 2014 (2014-12-02)
Eseni is conflicted between her discernment and her boyfriend back home, but is comforted by Sister Maria Therese's story of past love. Francesca is overcome with memories of her grandmother while volunteering at the Carmelite Sisters' nursing home. Stacey is touched while visiting a dying woman at the home. Christie is no longer having visions of Jesus, and Claire confides in Sister Cyril about Eseni's twerking.
3"Navy Seals for Christ"December 9, 2014 (2014-12-09)
The women leave the Carmelite Sisters and move on to the convent of the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence in Chicago, Illinois where Claire and Christie thrive. Francesca and Stacey deal with issues that have haunted them before, and Eseni reconsiders her discernment when her boyfriend visits.
4"The Road Not Taken"December 9, 2014 (2014-12-09)
Eseni considers leaving after an unexpected visit from her boyfriend, Darnell. She decides to stay after talking to Francesca, angering Darnell. Christie reveals to Stacey that she has made a decision, while Claire is optimistic about the next convent in rural Kentucky.
5"Too Pretty to be Nuns"December 16, 2014 (2014-12-16)
The women arrive at the final convent in Walton, Kentucky, home to the Sisters of St. Joseph the Worker. Discord is created when Stacey and Christie accuse Eseni and Francesca of lying. Meanwhile, Claire has an important question to ask the mother superior.
6"Revelation"December 16, 2014 (2014-12-16)
The women end their six-week discernment and return home to their families to reveal their decisions about whether or not to become nuns.

Reception

Negative critics included Jo Piazza, who wrote in The Huffington Post that The Sisterhood will "turn nuns into Kardashians," and "is only going to serve to drag their vocation through the mud." [8] The National Catholic Reporter criticized the series' inaccuracy about religious life, calling it a "glorified speed-dating version of a ' Come and See .'"

In addition, the show came to the attention of many nuns and religious sisters themselves. The International Business Times wrote, "For the most part, the show's first episode was met with positive reviews, although some nuns were hesitant about how the show will unfold." [9]

Nancy deWolf Smith of The Wall Street Journal called the series "entertaining but illuminating". [10] Hank Stuever of The Washington Post called the series is "an illuminating exploration of convent life," writing that the show "conducts itself with reverence and curiosity." [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nun</span> Member of a religious community of women

A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religion, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent. The term is often used interchangeably with religious sisters who do take simple vows but live an active vocation of prayer and charitable work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">School Sisters of Notre Dame</span> Female Roman Catholic religious congregation

School Sisters of Notre Dame is a worldwide religious institute of Roman Catholic sisters founded in Bavaria in 1833 and devoted to primary, secondary, and post-secondary education. Their life in mission centers on prayer, community life and ministry. They serve as teachers, lawyers, accountants, nurses, administrators, therapists, social workers, pastoral ministers, social justice advocates and more.

The Daughters of St. Paul, also known as the Media Nuns, are an international Catholic religious congregation of consecrated women founded in 1915 in Italy.

The Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM), founded as the Daughters of the Most Holy and Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a Catholic religious teaching institute for women. The institute was founded in the Catalan city of Olot, (Spain) in 1848 by Father Joaquim Masmitjà i de Puig as a means of rebuilding society through the education of young women. A daughter house of the community was founded in Los Angeles, California, USA, in 1871, and in 1924 formally separated from the Spanish congregation and was established as a distinct institute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anglican religious order</span>

Anglican religious orders are communities of men or women in the Anglican Communion who live under a common rule of life. The members of religious orders take vows which often include the traditional monastic vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, or the ancient vow of stability, or sometimes a modern interpretation of some or all of these vows. Members may be laity or clergy, but most commonly include a mixture of both. They lead a common life of work and prayer, sometimes on a single site, sometimes spread over multiple locations. Though many Anglicans are members of religious orders recognized by the Anglican Communion, others may be members of ecumenical Protestant or Old Catholic religious orders while maintaining their Anglican identity and parochial membership in Anglican churches.

The Tabernacle Societies were lay Eucharistic Adorative associations within Roman Catholic parishes, principally in America and Australia, forming part of the Archassociation of the Eucharist under the guidance of the Association of Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

The Community of the Holy Cross (CHC) is an Anglican religious order founded in 1857 by Elizabeth Neale, at the invitation of Father Charles Fuge Lowder, to work with the poor around St Peter's London Docks in Wapping. The Community moved to a large convent in Haywards Heath.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franciscan spirituality in Protestantism</span> Influence of the spirituality of Catholic saint Francis in Protestant Christians

Franciscan spirituality in Protestantism refers to spirituality in Protestantism inspired by the Catholic friar Saint Francis of Assisi. Emerging since the 19th century, there are several Protestant adherent and groups, sometimes organised as religious orders, which strive to adhere to the teachings and spiritual disciplines of Saint Francis of Assisi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khloé Kardashian</span> American television personality (born 1984)

Khloé Alexandra Kardashian is an American media personality and socialite. Since 2007, she has starred with her family in the reality television series Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Its success has led to the creation of spin-offs, including Kourtney and Khloé Take Miami (2009–2013) and Kourtney and Khloé Take The Hamptons (2014–2015).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kris Jenner</span> American media personality, socialite, and businesswoman

Kristen Mary Jenner is an American media personality, socialite, and businesswoman. She rose to fame starring in the reality television series Keeping Up with the Kardashians (2007–2021).

The Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) is one of two associations of the leaders of congregations of Catholic women religious in the United States. LCWR includes over 1300 members, who are members of 302 religious congregations that include 33,431 women religious in the United States as of 2018. Founded in 1956, the conference describes its charter as assisting its members to "collaboratively carry out their service of leadership to further the mission of the Gospel in today's world." The canonically-approved organization collaborates in the Catholic Church and in society to "influence systemic change, studying significant trends and issues within the church and society, utilizing our corporate voice in solidarity with people who experience any form of violence or oppression, and creating and offering resource materials on religious leadership skills." The conference serves as a resource both to its members and to the public who are seeking resources on leadership for religious life.

The Convent of the Epiphany, Truro, Cornwall, UK, was the home of the Community of the Epiphany (1883-2001). The founder of this community was George Wilkinson, Bishop of Truro. The sisters were involved in pastoral and educational work, the care of Truro Cathedral and St Paul's Church, and church needlework.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benedictine Sisters of Bethany</span>

The Benedictine Sisters of Bethany (EBSB) is a religious order for women within the Anglican Church in Cameroon, West Africa. Its mother house is in Bamenda. Its principal work is the care of orphaned street children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Former religious orders in the Anglican Communion</span>

Former religious orders in the churches of the Anglican Communion are those communities of monks, nuns, friars, or sisters, having a common life and rule under vows, whose work has ended and whose community has been disbanded. In a very few cases this is due to the termination of the work for which the community was established, but in most cases it is due to amalgamation or the death of the final remaining member of the community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa</span> Missionary society founded in 1869 that operates in Africa

The Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa, often called the White Sisters, is a missionary society founded in 1869 that operates in Africa. It is closely associated with the Society of the Missionaries of Africa, or White Fathers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harriet Starr Cannon</span>

Harriet Starr Cannon was a nun who founded the Sisterhood of St. Mary, one of the first orders of Augustinian nuns in the Anglican Communion and which remains dedicated to social service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franciscan Hospitaller Sisters of the Immaculate Conception</span> Catholic religious institute

The Franciscan Hospitaller Sisters of the Immaculate Conception are members of a Roman Catholic religious institute of consecrated women, which was founded in Portugal in 1871. They follow the Rule of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis. and, as the term “hospitaller” indicates, focus their ministries on a spirit of medical care. Their charism emphasizes hospitality and service under the model of the Good Samaritan. In this congregation, the postnominal initials used after each sister's name is "F.H.I.C."

Jane Christmas is a Canadian writer from Hamilton, currently based in the UK, who was twice a nominee for the Stephen Leacock Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religious sister</span> Woman who has taken public vows in a religious institute

A religious sister in the Catholic Church is a woman who has taken public vows in a religious institute dedicated to apostolic works, as distinguished from a nun who lives a cloistered monastic life dedicated to prayer. Both nuns and sisters use the term "sister" as a form of address.

Alicia Vacas Moro is a Spanish-born nurse and a leader of the Comboni Missionary Sisters in the Middle East and Asia. She served as a nurse in Egypt and in Bethany in the West Bank. During the pandemic she returned to help in Italy. She was awarded the International Women of Courage Award in 2021 on the recommendation of the Holy See for her work.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "About The Sisterhood: Becoming Nuns". myLifetime.com. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  2. 1 2 "The Sisterhood: Becoming Nuns Full Episodes, Video & More | Lifetime". mylifetime.com. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  3. "Francesca". myLifetime.com. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  4. "Eseni". myLifetime.com. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  5. "Claire". myLifetime.com. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  6. "Stacey". myLifetime.com. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  7. "Christie". myLifetime.com. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  8. "New Lifetime Reality Show Will Turn Nuns Into Kardashians". The Huffington Post. 2014-11-26. Retrieved 2016-05-19.
  9. "'The Sisterhood' Reviews: Nuns React To Lifetime Reality Show's Debut". International Business Times. 2014-11-26. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  10. Smith, Nancy deWolf (2014-11-20). "Can They Take the Veil?". Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  11. "TV review | 'The Sisterhood: Becoming Nuns' is an illuminating exploration of convent life". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2016-05-18.