Feature

Radical Love

The first thing that swtruck me when I entered the cloistered Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary was the light and glow of young women in love, accompanied by an overall sense of happiness and wellbeing. One of the elder Sisters describes herself as falling <blindingly and irretrievably in love>(with God) at the age of 7 1/2. She entered the monastery at 19, and has now been there for 52 years, rarely leaving its doors. The youngest nun, 22-year-old Sister Lauren Franko, describes receiving her calling to monastic life after a marriage proposal from God, delivered via the website <YouTube>.

The Dominican Nuns of Summit, New Jersey are a Roman Catholic cloistered monastic community. The monastery of 21 Nuns range in age from 22 to 92 years. Some of the nuns have been in the monastery for as long as 62 years. At the time of starting this project, Sister Lauren had been there for just one month. This project documents the early stages of her journey into monastic life.

Photo & Text Toni GREAVES