Losing the habit: the future of Catholic nuns
By Brianna Owczarzak

The future of Catholic nuns is in trouble as the number of women entering religious life declines.

There were about 180,000 Catholic nuns 50 years ago and today there are about 50,000, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University .

Sister Mary Lou Owczarzak, a Mission Sister of the Holy Spirit, entered religious life in 1964 and has witnessed the decline of sisters in her own convent. There were 12 sisters in her convent when she entered and now there are only five.

“I think we are certainly dwindling in numbers and we no longer have the sisters to staff catholic schools or hospitals, but I think the sisters who continue to remain in religious life are very active,” Sister Mary Lou said.

Sister Mary Lou believes one of the reasons for the decline in religious sisters is because people have more opportunities to get involved with ministries today than they have in the past.

“In terms of our ministry I think that has opened up to other women and they’re involved in peace and justice issues, they’re involved in social outreach, they’re involved in soup kitchens. I think in a sense that has been good because ministries have opened up to women,” Sister Mary Lou said.

Despite the rapid decline in religious sisters, Sister Mary Lou believes that religious life will always be around.

“I think the pendulum is swinging towards more conservative church and I’m not too sure exactly where that will take us with religious life, but I know that religious life will probably always exist and the numbers will certainly be smaller and maybe that’s ok,” Sister Mary Lou said.