I've written very briefly about the feminist-fruitcakes of the LCWR (I can't bear to describe their antics, but Fr. Z has plenty of examples.)
The problem is that it's the nutcases which attract attention. There are plenty of religious sisters who do wonderful work, and the ones who are faithful to the Church's Magisterium tend to be the orders which are flourishing. They also tend to be the orders which don't attract much in the way of media attention: "Nuns faithful to vows!" and "Sisters do good work for poor!" aren't the most gripping of headlines...
But we do need to make sure that these "proper" nuns get their share of attention, especially when it comes to promoting their charitable work.
This evening after Mass we had a visit from a Sister of St. Elisabeth's Convent, Belarus. The charitable works covered by this order of Orthodox Nuns are truly remarkable - they seem to help everyone from drug and alcohol addicts to orphans, from sufferers of mental disorders to ex-prisoners. As well as practical assistance, they offer spiritual support and prayer too.
If you want to support the work of the St. Elisabeth Convent, do have a look at their website and especially their online shop.
These nuns visited our parish in the North East of England a couple of years ago. I was very impressed with them. The Benedictine monks of Belmont Abbey in Herefordshire have formed a close connection with them.
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