Catholic Online Forum

Hello all,

While I was looking at some of the different posts on this board concerning women's vocations, I came across the fact that there are three different types of nuns and I was wondering if someone out there more educated than I am about such matters could tell me a little more about these types and different orders of nuns belonging to each type. If I remember correctly, the three types were contemplative, semi-contemplative, and active(I think). So, if anyone knows anything, I'd like to know a little more about them since I am kind of pondering whether or not God wants me to be a nun, but I don't really want to surf the web trying to learn about all the obscure orders of nuns there are!

In Christ,

Mara

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Mara


St. Therese's last words: "OH...I LOVE HIM...MY GOD, I...LOVE...THEE

Courtesy of www.littleflower.com

I haven't heard those terms used in a while. Contemplative nuns would mean cloistered. These nuns live under a vow of Stability (or something similar in their constitution) within an enclosed community. Semi-Contemplative nuns live the contemplative life but are active within the lay community. Active nuns would be living the life similar to your local parish priest. Their vocation isn't to the contemplative life, rather, their salvation comes through work within the lay community.
They're dying fast along with most orders, both men and women.
Mike

Thanks, Mike! If anyone else has anything to add, please do!

_________________
Mara


St. Therese's last words: "OH...I LOVE HIM...MY GOD, I...LOVE...THEE

Courtesy of www.littleflower.com