Monday, March 29, 2010

Entering the Convent~

When I was a young girl I was fascinated with Nuns, the "Sisters", those that must be obeyed!

I entered the Academy of Saint Joseph as an eighth grader.

The school is no longer. I do think that fewer and fewer women chose this life for some obvious reasons. Still I was so taken with these women.

I naively entertained the thought {albeit very briefly} of becoming a nun while away at school

* I cannot begin to think of how many times I have seen this movie- The Nun's Story-with Audrey Hepburn.*


I have accumulated a small but interesting collection of "Nun" paraphernalia.


{oooppps! Two words that should hold space in the same sentence}

Most items have been gifts from friends that still love to hear some of the tales and troubles that I was able to get myself into...


This is where I learned the entire mass in Latin, arose each morning to prayers spoken only in Latin and attended Mass every day for the whole school year...
and went to confession every Saturday afternoon.

Still leaving time to accumulate a couple of ouchies before Mass on Sunday morning.



My daily chore was to empty the trash receptacles throughout the private residences of the nuns.

Can you even imagine where I'm headed with this?


After Vespers and we were properly tucked in, the sisters had their hour of power prayer.


That left the door wide open for me to take a few curious friends on a little tour of the Sister's bedrooms. After all, it was pretty safe. Those ladies were fully engrossed in nightly prayer.



~Nunzilla and Sister Cabrini~

We tip-toed into several bedrooms and poked around a little.


Then as the finale', I escorted my friends into the Mother Superior's bedroom.

I had to show them just how enormous her undies really were...


By the time we heard the clomp-clomp-clomp of the black oxfords-there was no place to hide!



Needless to mention Mary and Milo {my Mom and Dad} received a phone call the next morning informing them that their dear daughter would not be coming home for a scheduled weekend.

I was GROUNDED!

Some of my fondest memories of my youth are wrapped up in the year that I 'pretty-pleased' and begged my parents to let me attend a Catholic school.
~*~

No disrespect is intended in this post. I am remembering the events as they happened-through the innocent and sometimes jaded eye of an eighth grader.


Images:

The Nun's Story {the movie}
My own



13 comments:

  1. ...and you would actually look stunning in a habit.
    My favorite was "The Flying Nun!"
    I had a good to honest laugh, my Aunts are Nuns, or as we call them "Sisters"
    pve

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  2. I loved the movie "The Singing Nun" with Debbie Reynolds, and also the "Flying Nun" w/Sally Fields.

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  3. I really enjoyed your story and I can so relate to this post! I spent a lot of years in Catholic school (grade school and high school) and I have a nun collection too! Here is a link to a post I did: http://prettyneatdesigns.blogspot.com/2009/07/nun-other-than-collection.html
    Have a great day!

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  4. That was pretty amazing! At first I thought the top image was the flying nun, but I soon realized that was Audrey. I have never seen that movie, think I may need to find it! Love your collection, and your stories are priceless! Happy Monday!

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  5. LOL... I love this story! I also enjoyed your collection. I grew up as a Lutheran (became Catholic shortly b4 I got married) and went to a Lutheran school up till 8th grade and wanted to be a missionary. I liked to and still the flying nun and the singing nun. Thanks for a great way to start off the week my friend. xo

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  6. Debra...I had a big smile all the way through this post. I am not sure which amazes me more, that I have not seen this movie or that you learned an entire mass in Latin! You did all that and went to Mass everyday...as our friendly Irish Priest says...'God bless you, my child'.
    I was the oldest of six in 8th grade planning every which way that I could to escape from Mass. I am so impressed....and loved the post!
    Now, to track down the movie:)
    Jeanne
    PS...thanks for link, I added it to my post:)

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  7. Mother Superior had "Nun Radar"... during Power Prayers she was moved by the Spirit to check on you young ladies!! Love your nun tscotchkes! I was terrified of them. One time after mass, the nun seated next to me grabbed my arm as I prepared to leave the church. She thought I was escaping from Sunday School. I was in my 20s at the time!! I almost had an asthma attack from stress from her grabbing me!

    Oprah had a wonderful program recently featuring a convent in Michigan and women who had left jobs, fiances, etc. to enter the calling. It was fascinating. xoxoxo

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  8. hehehe - the nunzilla had me laughing :) I love the chalware nun pictured last - beautiful! I am going to be keeping my eyes open from now on when I am out junking!!

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  9. you are hilarious. what a fun collection!

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  10. I LOVE YOUR STORIES, DEBRA. WELL TOLD. XO

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  11. Wonderful! I went to Catholic school for 12 years - and I am 52 now so I had my fair share of nuns in the 1960's. When I was in college, as an adult, I met a nun (no habit anymore, of course) & she became one of my greatest teachers & mentors. Thanks for sharing the memories.

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  12. this is the best! i should get you together with one of my friends here. you´d have a lot of fun sharing stories:)

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  13. "The Nun's Story" with Audrey Hepburn had a profoundly terrifying effect on my chidhood! It shaped my view of the insane (you remember the scene...) Great post. Happy Easter!

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