Frequently Asked Questions

I've got two goodbye parties coming up - one this weekend with friends, one next Friday at work. A friend jokingly suggested that I come up with a list of Frequently Asked Questions to hand out so I don't have to have the same conversations over and over. I actually thought it wasn't a bad idea. So I give you the result ...

Answers to Questions Frequently Asked of Susan Francois

Is it true you’re becoming a nun? Yes, I am becoming a Catholic Sister. I am entering the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace.

What do the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace do? Our community’s charism (or founding spirit) is pursuing social justice as a path to peace. The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace is an international Roman Catholic Congregation of about 300 Sisters living in the UK, the East Coast (mostly in New Jersey) and the West Coast(mostly the Seattle area but also in Oregon, Alaska, California & El Salvador). We also have a dynamic and very active group of lay associate members - both men & women.

Different Sisters pursue this mission of peacemaking in a variety of ways. Sisters minister in health care, education, faith communities, social work, counseling, political advocacy, housing for women and children, retreat work, with persons living with AIDS, with Native Americans and immigrants.

In the Western Province, the Sisters sponsor a number of ministries including the Peace Health Hospital System (with hospitals in Eugene, Cottage Grove, Florence, Longview, Bellingham and Ketchikan), an affordable housing program called Intercommunity Mercy Housing, a transitional housing program for women in Seattle called the Jubilee Women’s’ Center, and the Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center.

What type of work do you hope to do? And why are you becoming a Sister anyway? For the past few years, peace & justice work has been what I do in my spare time. I feel called to do this work full time and it makes the most sense to do that both in my spiritual tradition and with the support and challenge of a group of like-minded women. I am entering the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace because they are a group of fun and committed women dedicated to working for peace & justice.

Once I profess my temporary vows in 2008, I hope to find my way into some sort of active social justice work. Figuring out what that might be is part of the discernment I will be doing during the Novitiate. At this point, I hope to return to the Northwest (probably Seattle) and work for a while in one of our sponsored justice ministries. But who knows what God has in mind.

Does “nun” mean the same thing as “sister”? Technically, they are different. But the two terms are often used interchangeably, even by religious themselves (and by me too).

Generally speaking, a “sister” is a woman religious whose work or ministry is outside the convent where she lives. Her life is not cloistered – she can go out to movies, hang out with friends, and visit family. Of course she also shares a common life of prayer, work and fun with the members of her religious community. (That’s what I’m doing)

The term “nun” is typically used to refer to a woman religious who chooses to live with others in a cloistered convent. Her activities would generally not take her outside the convent. (That’s not what I’m doing)

Will you wear a habit? No. I’ll basically be wearing what I wear now. My community wears simple everyday clothing. When I become a Novice I will be receive a “Peace Cross” which I will wear as the main identifier of my religious community.

Does the fact that you’re not going to wear a habit mean you’re not a “real sister”? My 9 year old niece asked me this question the other day! Some religious communities choose to wear a habit as an outward sign of their vocation (and for the simplicity of not having to figure out what to wear each day).

Other communities, such as mine, found that the habit created an unnecessary barrier between them and the people they served. Plus, since the habit was once upon a time the dress of the common people, it makes sense to wear street clothes, the common dress of today’s people. So in answer to my niece’s question, even though I’ll be wearing normal every day street clothes, I will still be a “real sister.”

How long does it take to become a Sister? The entire formation process takes 6 years.

For the past year I have been a “Candidate” (which used to be called “Postulant” and still is by some communities). As a Candidate I’ve spent 2 long weekends a month living with a small community of sisters in Seattle while I’ve kept my job. Candidacy is a time to get to know the community better and discern if it’s a good fit.

On August 26th I will become a “Novice.” This is actually when I will receive the title “Sister” in front of my name and the letters “csjp” after my name (I’ll be “Sister Susan Francois, CSJP).

The Novitiate is a 2 year period of continued discernment and preparation. The first year (the “canonical novitiate” or as I like to call it “lockdown”) will be a time away from daily concerns. Our focus will be study and prayer rather than work. I will be living in our Novitiate House in Englewood Cliffs, NJ with 2 other Novices and our Novice Director. The second year is the ministry year where we will have the opportunity to try out a number of different ministries and visit the various places where our sisters live.

After Novitiate, I will be able to request to take temporary vows (poverty, celibacy and obedience). At this point I would start full time ministry.

Three years after taking temporary vows, I would be able to request to make my perpetual vows as a Sister of St. Joseph of Peace.

So what’s with this poverty, celibacy and obedience stuff anyway? Being a Sister is a counter-cultural choice these days, and the vows are a big part of that. They express a Sister’s dedication to a life of service to God & God’s people.

By vowing celibacy, Sisters are free to love all God’s people equally by entering into non-possessive and life-giving friendships rather than one committed relationship.

By vowing poverty, a Sister promises to use her resources collectively with her fellow Sisters in a spirit of sharing and simplicity. This vow also calls us to work for a more just society where all have the resources they need.

By vowing obedience, a Sister promises to search actively to know God’s call as revealed through scripture, the people and events of the world, the concerns of the church, and her religious community. It’s a way to transition from looking at the world through “me” glasses to “we” glasses..