I have been living the communal life for 14 years now. When I was a child, I always dreamed of having a bunch of older sisters. At the time, I did not think I would ever actually have them, and I was picturing a few cool older sisters who were like 5 to 10 years older. Now, I have many older sisters who are anywhere from 10 to 50+ years older than I! Nothing can quite prepare you when you enter religious life for intergenerational living with people who are not blood related to you. There are similarities because family or not, we’re all human. There are also many differences as we come from different backgrounds, different upbringings, different parts of the country and world, and different cultures and practices. As I made my first vows, I came to understand that the communal life aspect of our lives as Catholic sisters might just be our biggest blessing. At times, though, it is also a source of heartache. And sometimes that heartache has been caused by mental health issues.
Now more than ever before, due to modern psychology, medicine and practices, we know how to practice good mental health and are aware of warning signs of a mental health breakdown. As part of the application process, a woman has to complete a psychological exam in order to be able to enter a religious community. This practice has not always been in place. I am sure it evolved as common practice as communities learned the importance of self-awareness and good mental health practices.
As local community members, we need to encourage each other to practice good mental health. I believe this is one of the greatest services we can provide to each other. Community is a place of acceptance, love, care and vulnerability. If mental health issues or concerns go unchecked, life can become chaotic, isolating, sometimes abusive and get to the point where it is just miserable.
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Clare Bass is a Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet who professed final vows in 2019. She ministers as a social worker who works with families in need. Clare likes to garden, to watch all sports and root for her favorite teams, and she’s always up for a new adventure.
With thanks to the Global Sisters Report, a project of the National Catholic Reporter (NCR), where this article originally appeared.
