In the Harvard Divinity Bulletin, national organizer Katie Gordon writes about the pull that some so-called “Nones” feel toward contemplative, social action and how it has led to this collaboration with Catholic Sisters.
"Expect surprises": Minneapolis, MN and Philadelphia, PA
There’s no one-size-fits-all model for Nuns & Nones, nor is there a “checklist” that signals success: In Minneapolis, success has looked like steady, consistent gatherings. In Philadelphia, a standalone gathering in 2017 sparked a lifelong relationship between a queer, Jewish organizer and the Sisters of Mercy. Anneke Kat, Stina Kielsmeier-Cook, and Sr. Stephanie Spandle, SSND share their stories.
Linking the inner to the outer: Washington DC
Just a week after the launch of the DC Nuns & Nones group, many sisters were involved in a national Catholic Day of Action, at which 70 Catholics were arrested during a direct action in protest of the US government’s cruel treatment of immigrants at the border. Sr. Joan Mumaw, IHM and Brittany Koteles were both involved. Here’s what they shared about their experience.
After the Honeymoon: Grand Rapids, MI
As with any dialogue across difference, there are bound to be bumpy moments. At one point, it felt like the “honeymoon phase” of the Grand Rapids group was over. But rather than view this shift as a loss, the group took an intentional “pause” in order to collectively discern how to continue to deepen in community. Ellie Hutchison Cervantes and Sr. Justine Kane, OP share their reflections.
How it all begins: Bay Area, CA
You’ve found the spiritual renegades in your community. How do you actually plan a first encounter between these people? Yi Zhang, Adam Horowitz, and Sr. Joan Marie O’Donnell, RSM shared a few of the highlights, how-tos, and secret ingredients that allowed the Bay Area Nuns & Nones group to continue thriving, 2 ½ years after its launch.
Dispatches from the monastery
Halfway through her summer with the Erie Benedictines, Nuns & Nones teammate Katie Gordon shares reflections about the future of monastic life. “How we can we all continue to expand our sense of community? In religious life, in spiritual communities, and even in civic spaces – how can a sense of expansion help stretch our hearts and our traditions even deeper?”
Love in a Time of Climate Change
Being each other's keys: Reflections from the Pilot Residency
It turns out, seriously exploring this way of life is a threat to the life one already has…which, of course, is the whole point."
Sarah Jane Bradley was one of the residents of the Nuns & Nones pilot residency. Her reflections are the inaugural blog post of our #surpriseweresoulmates storytelling campaign, highlighting the many instances of alchemy when our communities combine.
Making the Road by Walking: Nuns & Nones Find Solace and Wonder in Community
What's a Nice Jewish Boy Doing in a Convent?
From Adam Horowitz, Nuns & Nones organizer: “A long-form personal essay that chronicles the beginnings of Nuns & Nones, the unlikely path that led me to live at a convent in California, and some of the insights and future possibilities emerging along the way. Whether you’ve never met a nun or are one, I hope that there’s something in this story that speaks to you!”
