Sisters: Catholic Nuns and the Making of America   by John J. Fialka

Reviewed by Vicki Carver

As a child growing up near a large metropolitan area during the 1950’s, my mother and I often rode a bus to go “downtown” for shopping or appointments. Often my mother would pull me onto her lap so that a nun who had entered the bus could sit down. The panic and fear I experienced as a young child was probably due to the severity of the black habits they wore and their generally serious demeanor.

A new book has been published called Sisters: Nuns and the Making of America, written by John J. Fialka which changes any preconceived childhood memories of what it means to be a nun. The book’s preface tells the story of Lucille Frances Lyness who left her loving family in 1935 at the age of seventeen and entered a convent. The sadness felt by Lucille’s family was visibly apparent in the photo taken two days before she entered the Sisters of Mercy in Marion, Iowa. Lucille’s father realized how seldom he would see his only daughter due to the convent’s strict visitation policies.

However, as the book goes on, it becomes increasingly apparent that nuns have had a tremendous impact on the development of the United States, particularly in the areas of education and health care.

Fialka outlines the history of a group of nuns known as the Sisters of Mercy. He traces the order’s history beginning with Mother Catherine McAuley, the founder of the Mercies, who immigrated to the United States in 1843. Six other nuns made the journey with her from Ireland. With dedication and hard work, this group of seven nuns endured many hardships and laid the foundation for the vast network of more than 3,000 schools and hospitals which were eventually started by the Mercies.

The lives of other dedicated nuns are also profiled in Sisters. Lucille Lyness eventually became Sister Mary Roberta and was a dedicated teacher for fifty one years. Mother Elizabeth Lange founded an order in New Orleans for African American nuns and worked tirelessly to improve living conditions in New Orleans during the mid-1800’s.

Fialka believes that Vatican II which began in 1962 forecasted disaster for convents around the world. He explains how the number of nuns in America dwindled from 204,000 in 1968 to around 75,000 at the present time. Loss of focus and the intrusion of modern day values and beliefs have eroded away at the appeal for young woman to enter convents.

However, reading Sisters helps to convey what a remarkable contribution nuns have made and continue to make in our county. Every American, Catholic and non-Catholic, has been positively influenced by the hard work and dedication of nuns in the United States.

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