The Calling: A Year in the Life of an Order of Nuns

In the mid-1960s, I was a member of the order of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart. Catherine Whitney's book brought back many memories of that time. I appreciated the way she dealt with even the negative parts in a non-judgmental way. Her own journey, which she brought so movingly to life, reminds me of my own struggles for faith, and my desire, even when I had left the order, to do something important with my "calling." This book will remain in my heart and on my coffee table.

When Whitney went to the Pacific Northwest to interview the Dominican sisters who had shaped her childhood, she met far more than old teachers in a community that was struggling to find its place in the modern world. She confronted her own loss of faith and began a personal quest for spiritual identity. The Calling is a penetrating analysis of the Dominican sisters who had been a significant part of the author's life from grade school through high school. It's also a journey inward. All this said, The Calling is not a ponderous, self-absorbed examination of conscience. With honesty, humor, and an obvious affection for the nuns, the author opens the doors to a modern religious community, and lets us inside. Through the personalities she remembers, she moves from past to present with ease, and with a style that reads like chapters in a novel. It's a great experience.

This book evoked a number of emotions as I read it. There were times I laughed aloud, remembering my own Catholic school days. Many times books of this type resort to veiled "nun bashing". We tend to focus on Sister Matilda, the drill sergeant, who rapped our knuckles with the ruler! Ms Whitney, however, portrays these Nuns as real, human women who are continually growing and rededicating themselves. Though their numbers are fewer at this time, they are reaching out to others in more diverse ways. Many of the women who left the Convent seem to still have a bond with the Nuns. This speaks well for Religious life! The author's own spiritual journey, woven throughout the story, was thought provoking and touching. I found her characters, as well as the message of the book ,very believable.

As a non-Catholic, this book opened my eyes to a world I had always wondered about. Whitney not only examines her own Catholic girlhood, but also gives the reader fascinating insight into the lives of a number of nuns. A great and illuminating read.

I was captivated with the book because of the story lovingly told of the lives of the nuns today, told against the author's own quest for meaning. Vignettes of the Sisters are used to show the changes in the lives of the nuns after the Vatican 11 Council which called for renewal in all areas of the nuns lives. Despite being part fiction and part non-fiction, the author manages to capture the authentic spirit of the nuns today. Even after 2 reads, I am beginning to read the book again. There are so many pearls of description, vignettes of personalities, and witticisms that are not caught on a first read.