‘I want to give it all to God’: Young women train to become nuns in Wilkes-Barre

When Sister Jane Frances told her parents she felt called to become a Sister of Christian Charity, “they found it hard to process, even though they had great faith. It wasn’t what they expected for my life.”

When Sister Philomena shared similar thoughts with her friends, they were puzzled.

And when “Miss Therese,” who doesn’t yet have the title “Sister,” mentioned her plan at Allentown Central Catholic High School, where she was a student, she recalls, “My teacher was incredibly appalled and said, ‘You haven’t had any real life experience. You haven’t gone to college. You haven’t had a job’.”

But the three young women, who recently arrived at the Sisters of Christian Charity Convent on the grounds of St. Nicholas – St. Mary Parish in Wilkes-Barre, are undeterred. They want to continue trying to discern God’s plan for them as they live together in community with several established Sisters.

“We start answering less to what others are saying,” Sister Jane Frances said. “And focusing on what God is saying.”

So, who are these young women who say their minds and hearts are focused on God?

Sister Philomena, 19, comes from Central Pennsylvania, where she was homeschooled. Sister Jane Frances, 27, grew up in New Jersey, studied information systems in college and has worked as a data analyst. These two young women are novices and wear white veils, which they expect to exchange for black veils when they become full-fledged Sisters.

Miss Therese, as she is known at the local parish, is 19 and in her second year as a postulant—a word that derives from Latin, meaning “to ask.” She is not as far along in her training as the other young women, and doesn’t yet wear a veil.

Until recently, novices and postulants would have lived at the Sisters of Christian Charity’s Motherhouse in Mendham, N.J. But this year, the superiors decided aspiring Sisters could better prepare if they lived in a smaller convent, perhaps with 7 or 8 other sisters.

“As opposed to 70,” Sister Jane Frances said.

So they have come to the local convent in downtown Wilkes-Barre, where they are studying and praying, learning what it means to live as a Sister, sharing household duties of cooking and cleaning, and getting to know the parishioners.

“We are so happy and excited to be here,” said Sister Jane Frances.

Members of the parish choir, comprised mostly of lay people, seemed equally happy and excited — applauding as they welcomed the trio to share their voices, along with Miss Therese’s violin playing, with the music ministry.

Miss Therese’s high school teacher, by the way, need not worry — college is very likely in the future for these young women as they prepare for work as Sisters of Christian Charity who might become teachers or serve in health care, social work, or other fields.

Of course, their lives will be different in some ways from the lives of lay people.

“I’m at an age where some of my friends are getting married,” said Sister Jane Frances, who expects she will forgo that possibility herself when she takes the vows of poverty, obedience and chastity.

“Marriage is beautiful and fruitful,” she said. “But I can’t see myself dividing my heart between God and another person. I want to give it all to God.”

Some might see that as a sacrifice. But, Miss Therese said, “If you get married, you have to sacrifice, too. Love involves change and sacrifice. You can’t do what you want all the time.”

As for poverty, Sister Philomena mentioned one aspect of the Sisters’ lack of material possessions that she sees as beautiful. When they profess their final vows, each Sister will receive a wedding ring, symbolic of her union with God. It will not be a new ring, Sister Philomena said, but one that previously belonged to a Sister who passed away.

Before she came to live with other Sisters, Sister Jane Frances said, “I thought they’d be super-holy,” perhaps in an eccentric kind of way. But she’s been reassured, she said. “It’s more like normal, balanced holiness.”

“The great joy and absolute charity I’ve seen in every Sister has been very moving to me,” Miss Therese said.

Reading Scripture has drawn her closer to the spiritual life, Sister Jane Frances said. “If you read the Old Testament, it can seem like God is harsh. But if you read the gospels, you see Jesus is good and kind and gentle, Love Incarnate.”

According to statistics from the National Catholic Register, the number of religious Sisters in the United States peaked in 1965 at 178,740 and has decreased to 33,135 in 2025. Another Catholic publication, the National Catholic Reporter, estimates that “only 13% of sisters, priests and brothers who have taken final vows” are younger than 60.

So the aspiring Sisters know that as far as worldly society is concerned, they’re mavericks.

And while some other orders of Sisters no longer wear habits, the young women who anticipate taking vows as Sisters of Christian Charity said they will be happy to wear that order’s simple, distinctive black and white habits.

“For sure,” Miss Therese said. “A habit is a visual symbol of my consecration to God.”

”When we went on a mission trip to Argentina, people would look at Sister Maria Angeline,” Miss Therese continued. “They would stop and cross themselves. It reminded them that there is something greater.”

Sister Maria Angeline, who entered religious life more than 20 years ago, recently returned from Mendham, N.J., to the convent in Wilkes-Barre herself, and has been guiding the aspiring Sisters in her role as vocation director. She’s grateful for the chance to have the young women sharing in parish and community life, and she believes their presence may inspire other vocations.

The Sisters of Christian Charity, who were founded in 1849 in Paderborn, Germany, by Mother Pauline von Mallinckrodt, have a long history in the United States. Their first motherhouse in the United States dates back to 1873, in a small wooden house on the grounds of St. Nicholas Church in Wilkes-Barre. The pastor at the time, the Rev. Peter Nagel, had invited the Sisters to come and establish a school.

So many young women wanted to become Sisters during the order’s early years in the United States that, Sister Maria Angeline said, there wasn’t enough room for them to sit around a table for a meal. They would sit on a staircase to eat.

Local journalism matters, and your support makes it possible. You can help sustain this work by making a donation or choosing one of our subscription options. Subscribers enjoy valuable benefits, including full access to our e-edition, a reduced ad experience on timesleader.com, and more.

Your support helps ensure independent, high-quality local news remains available today and for future generations. Thank you for standing with local journalism.

Click for subscription offers.