Speed-dating nuns? The Sister Café aim to change the way many see vocations

Eight female congregations collaborate to open pop-up café.

The popularity of speed-dating inspired eight nun congregations to create The Sister Café in Dublin, Ireland.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Before you rip your hair from your head and tear your clothes, calm down. Take a breath. Irish nuns haven't gone insane - they're just using the secular world as inspiration to spread vocation awareness.
"We thought it would be great to have a space for meeting and for people to be able to share their faith stories and to hear the stories of religious," Margaret Cartwright, the Vocations Ireland Director, told The Irish Catholic.
"We looked at speed-dating where people would come in and have the opportunity to hear from different people and it took off from there. 
"Young women regularly approach us about potential vocations and yet there is no open forum which enables them to really explore their options. We believe our little café will allow women to get to know our lifestyle a lot better."

Dominican Sr. Edel Murphy explained the café would be a social place for women. They "can get a real sense of the impact we make and what faith can bring to a broader community.
"We are aware that many people don't have an understanding of our work - this gives us an opportunity to share what our life is really like. Women who are interested in education, health, society and parish work will get a first-hand insight into the life as a sister."
Though the nuns are aware that not everyone understands what their goals are, they continue with their plans of encouraging women to step into their vocations.
The pop-up café is set to open February 25 from 7:30-8:30 p.m. in the Dominical Adult Education Centre, where Sisters Carmel Ryan, Deirdre Twomey and Julie Buckley will speak, among others, at the inaugural café.

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