plus, you get free outfits...

On my way to work this morning, I saw a nun and I was suddenly shocked.
Oh yeah. Nuns. Whatever happened to them?
So I went to Catholic.org to check it out and inquire as to joining their holy ranks.
Turns out, there seems to be little information for chicks. Well, this doesn't surprise me. I've seen the DaVinci Code. But you'd think they'd want more nuns and do a better job of recruiting hopefuls such as myself.
I did, however, enjoy this section on the vows taken by priests:
Priests who belong to a religious order (e.g., Benedictine, Dominicans, Franciscans, etc.) take the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Diocesan priests make two promises, celibacy and obedience; these promises are part of the ordination ceremony. It is also expected that diocesan priests will lead a life of simplicity consonant with the people they serve.
That sounds about right. Most of the priests I grew up with didn't strike me as THAT impoverished. I remember in grammar school my classmate, Marc and I were dispatched to the rectory to deliver something to Fr. Shanahan. Father, it appeared, was indisposed so we peeked in his office while we waited.
Whoa.
That joint was tripped out. Father had this huge desk surrounded by very 80's burgundy leather furniture, a la a Southern law firm's waiting area. Lot of religious art hung on the walls and it was packed with fancy looking books and potted plants.
"I guess we just found out where our tuition goes." Marc whispered.
Diocesan priests always have cars (at my high school, a couple of 'em had Jettas) and golf outfits. I could never firgure it out, as they really shove that chastity, obedience and POVERY crap down your throat. But thanks to Catholic.org's explanation, those hooked up men of the cloth make a lot more sense. If you're going to be a priest, the trick is not to join one of those fancy orders with monasteries and rope belts, but to get assigned to some rich people parish in a gorgeous community and live a life "consonant" with the people you serve.
Sounds good to me. I'm booking myself a ticket to the Little Convent of the Holy Angels of South Hampton...