Roman Catholic nuns based in Massachusetts and New York talk about their vocations in Women of Faith, which explores the decision to choose a life of spiritual service, and also looks at controversies related to power, tradition, and change. Devoted to contemplation, Sister Mary Francis Hone of Jamaica Plain's Monastery of St. Clare recalls the church before the groundbreaking 1962 Vatican II meeting as being tied to a more rigid era, whereas now “we're constantly growing, developing, and changing our teachings.” Sister Patricia Murray and Sister Dolores Geier of Ossining's Maryknoll Sisters were attracted by the idea of travel to foreign countries, like El Salvador, Nicaragua, Korea, and the Philippines. The women were looking for adventure as missionaries rather than contemplation, although some colleagues didn't survive their tenures in war-torn Central America. Director Rebecca M. Alvin also interviews Donna Heitzman, a lesbian who left the convent in the 1970s, and Rev. Marie David, a “womanpriest” in a breakaway order. Interspersed throughout the personal accounts is archival footage of the monasteries (some of the clips contradict popular stereotypes by showing the inhabitants having fun sledding and engaging in other “normal” activities), and of a women's protest at a bishop ordination conference. Other topics discussed include celibacy, marriage, children, contraception, and the firmly entrenched male hierarchy of the church (most of the interviewees seem open to the idea of female priests but don't see the point in agitating for immediate change). Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)
Women of Faith: Women of the Catholic Church Speak
(2009) 60 min. DVD: $89: public libraries; $295: colleges & universities. Women Make Movies. PPR. Closed captioned. Volume 26, Issue 5
Women of Faith: Women of the Catholic Church Speak
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