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Sisters: Catholic Nuns and the Making of America

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Boy, if this isn't an eye-opener! Not a particularly scholarly treatise (thank God), the book nonetheless chronicles well the incredible story of the impact on our American history and way of life "the Sisters" have had. Living in the "heyday" of the 50's - early 60's, and having had the blessings of a parochial education, I was not only mesmerized by Fialka's exploration of the scope and breadth and depth of the impact nuns in America have had, but deeply saddened to get a fuller sense of the decline of this influence in our society. I'm no feminist, but if any women in our history deserve greater recognition and honor for what they contributed to our lives it's these women. Fialka's narrative bounces around a little, but he keeps you focused on the mostly selfless dedication many of these Sisters lived by. The stereotypical nun whacking your knuckles with a ruler obscures the realities Fialka chronicles in case after case of the love and devotion so many of these Sisters lavished on their students (or patients). His discussion of the causes of the decline of the Sisters as a force in our society cites numerous influences, not least of which were the upheavals in all corners of our social fabric in the mid-late-sixties, nor the disruption (my word) of the "Catholic eco-system" resulting from so much misguided interpretations of Vatican II doctrine. Good book. Read it, revel in your memories, and weep for its demise -- America's great loss.

Sisters: Catholic Nuns and the Making of America is an
overview of the influence and contributions of nuns in the
vast American land. There are a few statistics, some
interviews, and a great deal of history. History can be
a very slow read. It can be to dense to wade through.
But Fialka does a great job of presenting history in a
way that is not only interesting, but also enjoyable to
read. The only sad part, of course, comes in the latter
part of the book when he writes of the decline of so
many of the sisterhoods. Some of the decline was fast and
intense, some has been slower - but all of it seems to
be painful. There are a few glimmers of hope, though.
Some of the work done by the Dominican Sisters of Nashville
and the Oblate Sisters of Providence is wonderful.

By the time I entered a Catholic elementary school in 1980, only one elderly sister was rumored to be residing in the church's convent. Two years later, the building was used for storage and our music room. Today, daily obituaries show how accomplished many of these women were - receiving an education that would have been unheard of for most women in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. It was not until I read this book that I really understood just how important these brave women -- and in many cases, young girls -- were in the development of this country, the nursing of its sick, and the education of its youth. This book skillfully explained the complex reasons for the sudden demise and division in the sisterhood today. Even the non-Catholic will be moved to feel concern for aging nuns and gratitude for their efforts. This book also offered a glimmer of hope as it investigated the growth of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of reading this book as much as I enjoyed learning what it had to tell me.

"Sisters" is a comprehensive look at how Catholic sistes contributed to the development and growth of the United States of America. From hospitals, to schools to homes of refuge for prostitutes, one can see that Catholic sisters are a fearless cadre of determined women who work long hours, sacrifice much and give without counting the cost. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and learning about the Sisters of Mercy in particular, and what it means to be a religious in general. Even the famous Mayo Clinic had its beginning with a Catholic nun, Sr. Roberta, who encouraged Dr. Mayo to create a world-class clinic in the middle of nowhere. He was skeptical, but she was sure she had a mandate from God. Thank you Sr. Roberta for encouraging the Mayo family in this regard.

I felt thankful to all of the sisters who had worked diligently in the Catholic schools I attended as a child and I am glad that Mr. Fialka wrote this book to give nuns recognition which they neither desire or expect, but certainly deserve.

It should be a part of our American history curriculum.

The old saying "Don't judge a book by its cover" is certainly appropriate with this one. I assumed that it would chronicle the history of all the major orders of nuns but it doesn't. This is a great book sharing with the readers the history of the Religious Sisters of Mercy from its founding to the present. To be honest, the author does include a few anecdotes concerning sisters from other religious orders that make this book even a better read. Being a Traditionalist in the Catholic Church, I didn't spend too much time on the chapters concerning the Vatican II and post Vatican II periods except the parts dealing with the Orders self-demolition. The RSMs liberation from the yoke of the Roman Church cost them dearly and it was the very elderly nuns who paid the price! It probably won't be too many more years until they die out. That is too bad for the wonderful group of nuns that I remember from St. Peters School in Omaha, NE.

This has to be one of the most inspiring books I have ever read. It clearly demonstrates the dedication of self-sacrificing women of various religious orders who helped form the consciences of Americans, not to mention the educational and hospitals they built (literally in some cases) when the quality of America's educational system was sporadic, and hospitals' existed in a less-than-desirable hygienic environment. They raised both institutions to a whole new level. These women were educators and nurses par excellence without regard to one's race or creed. Their nursing of and tending to both the Union & Confederate soldiers, and bold presence on the battlefield during the Civil War astonished the soldiers of both sides. By their example, they were able to obtain the affection of even some of the most hardcore bigots of the Catholic Church which especially permeated American society in the 18th & 19th centuries.

I love nun books, and this one was no exception. Instead of covering a number of different orders, as most nun books tend to do, this one chose to focus primarily on the Sisters of Mercy. I was excited to learn that this order, the first one to come to America, initially settled in my native city of Pittsburgh! There were so many fascinating stories and women covered in these pages, from the order's amazing founder Catherine McAuley and her successor Fanny Warde to more modern nuns, such as Sister Sharon Burns, the schoolteacher turned musical performer, and the author's own former teacher, Sister Mary Roberta. Since the order's inception in early 19th century Ireland, the Sisters of Mercy have set up shop in numerous states and cities, founded or assisted at numerous schools and hospitals, and gone through the same changes many other orders went through in the wake of Vatican II, but the one constant has been their guiding principles of helping the less fortunate, regardless of their station in life, and doing it without the expectation of receiving fame and fortune in return. The Sisters of Mercy literally helped to build America, as Mr. Fialka describes, as they served in the Wild West, served as nurses during the Civil War, nonviolently stood up to anti-Catholic Know-Nothing prejudice in the mid-19th century, turned swamps and wildernesses into thriving cities and towns, taught countless children during the decades when parochial schools were at their height, and today continue to serve in such capacities as teaching in inner-city schools and nursing AIDS patients in hospitals. Modern nuns might be habitless (or at best wear a modified habit) for the most part, but that doesn't take away their continuing impact on American society. And during it all, they, like many other orders of nuns, had to deal with prejudice from their higher-ups, such as bishops and cardinals who often treated them like stupid children or people they thought they could get away with bossing around because they were "only" nuns, not male clergy.

As much as I loved the book, though, I thought it could have used a closer proofreading job. A number of times I noticed the misuse of commas and apostrophes, along with some embarrassing errors, such as a line that says a ship set "sale" or another that describes how a nun "wrapped" on the door.

This is a great expose of the many contributions by Catholic religious to the founding of America. A little heavy on the Sisters of Mercy, but the stories of the contributions could be of most congregations. Nursing homes, orphanages, hospitals, schools and universities: all tributes to the hard work and dedication of the religious communities who quietly contributed to the history of the United States. Having learned more about Catherine McCauley, I now understand why the Mercy Order is in such a shambles and the final chapters show that the liberal orders still don't get it. The more traditional orders are the ones that will continue to grow and continue the work of the SISTERS because they continue the work and run the schools, hospitals and nursing homes. The other communities will continue to die out until they are all gone. The author doesn't take sides either, he just lets the story tell itself.

This book is at once fascinating and heartbreaking. As a non-Catholic, I was amazed at the accomplishments of Sisters in the US. I used to see them when I was a child, knew they existed but they were mysterious and hidden to me. Reading this book, I feel we have lost something so precious and powerful. As Christianity declines, it is not so much the religion itself I miss, but some - like these - of it's powerful institutions to help others.