A first-generation college graduate, Camacho currently serves as a campus ministry aide at Christian Brothers University while discerning a vocation with the community in their Midwestern province.
Though the numbers of religiously unaffiliated young adults continue to grow, some data suggest that the majority still consider themselves religious, though skeptical of organized religion.
Catholic religious institutes have adapted their approach to reach these younger demographics. Where once seekers might have contacted an aunt who was a nun or asked the local priest for advice, they are equally if not more likely today to check out communities online or participate in Zoom discernment groups.
Sister Deborah Borneman. (Submitted photo)
“The message to follow Jesus hasn’t changed,” said Sister Deborah Borneman, director of member relations and services at the National Religious Vocation Conference. “Discernment has changed. It continues to evolve.”
Since 2006, the online ministry A Nun’s Life has used videos, road trips, interviews and digital media to make the life of a sister less mysterious, while encouraging readers and listeners to explore their callings.
“I think people are more comfortable reaching out on social media,” said Sister Réjane Cytacki, executive director of A Nun’s Life and a member of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, Kansas. “I get a lot of listeners who aren’t Catholic, so we have to talk through that.”
To become a sister, you have to become Catholic first, she tells them. Inquirers from other countries are often directed to look either at religious organizations in their own country or the international community. One high school student asked if she could be a sister and an astronaut too.
“The sky’s the limit, go ahead,” she assured her.
Sister Pat Johanssen, left, and Sister Réjane Cytacki of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, Kansas. (Submitted photo)
This article originally appeared here.
