How to Become a Nun

The decision to become a nun is a life changing commitment. Therefore, the process you must undergo in order to fill the position is quite lengthy and intense and generally requires giving up all romantic relationships and material goods.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Evaluate your current lifestyle to see if you are eligible to become a nun. In order to become a nun, a woman must be an unmarried virgin. If you are divorced, it is required that your marriage have been annulled by the Catholic Church, meaning the church has officially recognized it as null and void.
2. Graduate from college. Most religious orders require a college education, at minimum in the form of a bachelor's degree. This is particularly true for orders that offer education services within their communities to children or the general public. It may be necessary to have concentrated your studies on religion.
3. Choose a religious order that best aligns with your own personal mission to serve God. There are a variety of different groups of nuns with different missions. Some prefer to practice their religious beliefs in a private, contemplative manner while others choose to be active in the community, spreading their beliefs as activists. Traditionally, nuns spend the majority of their time inside the convent and those who are more active are instead referred to as sisters.
4. Decide the area of work you would like to devote your time to by exploring the work done by different orders. Nuns perform a variety of jobs, including teaching and counseling, library studies, nursing, winemaking and political activism. While most nuns work directly within the community in which their convent is located, others choose to travel throughout the world to countries in need of aid.
5. Live in a convent on a trial basis to decide if the religious life is for you. This is a process encouraged by most religious orders, since it is a period of serious contemplation about becoming a nun. Women in this situation, referred to as novices, are often allowed to continue their current jobs in the outside world while living in the convent. Generally, it is perfectly understandable and acceptable to choose not to become a nun after this period, so feel free to use this as a real learning experience without fear of making a commitment before you are completely sure.
6. Make vows of poverty and chastity after you officially decide to become a nun. Be aware that these vows are considered permanent and this decision is intended to be a lifelong commitment.

Tips & Warnings

• Widows are allowed to become nuns, despite their previous marriages.