March 31 – May 3, 2009
Written by Maripat Donovan with Marc Silvia
Directed by Marc Silvia
Nun Notes
So what exactly is a nun? Basically, a nun is a woman who has taken special vows committing her to a religious life. In essence, she has voluntarily chosen to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent.
The term "nun" is applicable to Roman Catholics, Eastern Christians, Anglicans, Lutherans, Jains, Buddhists, and Taoists. The terms nun and sister are often used interchangeably, but properly speaking a nun lives a contemplative life of prayer and meditation within a monastery, and a sister (in the Christian religions) lives an active vocation of service to the needy, sick, poor, and uneducated.
In Roman Catholicism, a nun is a female monastic who has taken solemn vows (the male equivalent is a "monk"). Nuns are cloistered to the degree established by the rule of the religious institution they enter. In the Roman Catholic tradition, there are a number of different orders of nuns each with its own charism or special character.
When a woman first enters a convent, she undergoes an initial period of testing the life, known as “postulancy,” for a period of six months to a year. If she, and the order, determine that she may have a vocation to the life, she receives the habit of the order (usually with some modification to distinguish her from professed nuns). Then she undertakes the “novitiate,” a period of living the life of a nun without yet taking vows that lasts one to two years. Upon completion of this period she may take her initial, temporary vows. Temporary vows last one to three years, typically, and will be professed for not less than three years and not more than six. Finally, she will petition to make her "perpetual profession," taking permanent, solemn vows.
Catholic School Enrollment
The United States had 7,498 Catholic schools in 2006-07, including 6,288 elementary schools and 1,210 secondary schools. In total there were 2,320,651 students, including 1,682,412 students in the elementary/middle schools and 638,239 in high schools.
The New York Times recently reported that enrollment in the nation's Catholic schools has steadily dropped by more than half from its peak of five million 40 years ago. At its peak in 1965, the number of U.S. parochial schools was more than 12,000, and roughly half of all Catholic children in America attended Catholic elementary schools, according to the National Catholic Educational Association. The same share in 2009 is about 15 percent. Among Latinos, the fastest-growing church group (soon to comprise a majority of Catholics in the United States), it is three percent.
The Hollywood Catholics
- Jim Calviezel played Jesus in The Passion of the Christ
- Mel Gibson, director of The Passion of the Christ, is Traditionalist Catholic and doesn't accept the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.
- Nicole Kidman, star of the film The Golden Compass (which is said to have a basis in Christianity and which some people are calling anti-Catholic), was raised Catholic and returned to her Catholic roots after divorcing Scientologist Tom Cruise.
- Mary Pickford, producer, actress, and star of over one hundred movies between 1909 and 1933 was raised Catholic but converted to Christian Science later in life.
- Bridget Bardot, blonde bombshell and star of And God Created Woman
- Actor and singer Dean Martin
- Carmen Miranda, samba singer and actress
- Sir Anthony Hopkins, award winning actor (Silence of the Lambs)
- Actress Susan Sarandon was raised in a large Catholic family and attended the Catholic University in Washington, D.C.
- Will Smith was born in a Baptist house, went to a Catholic school and is now a Scientologist.
- Alfred Hitchcock was raised a strict Catholic and despite the macabre theme of his movies, he did incorporate much religious imagery in them.
- Brooke Shields is a Catholic although she did recently come under some harsh criticism for her choice to have an IVF baby.
- Actor Sean Penn is a Catholic and was raised by a devout Catholic mother and a lapsed Jewish father.
- Al Pacino, Academy Award winning actor
- Bill Murray was raised in a Catholic family and his sister, a Dominican Sister, made headlines with her one-woman show on Saint Catherine of Sienna.
- Sophia Lauren was Catholic and caused a scandal in Italy when she married a divorcee.
- Ben Afleck, star of the movie Dogma, was raised by a Protestant father and a Catholic mother.
- Antonio Banderas was raised Catholic but now describes himself as agnostic.
- Martin Scorcese, director, producer and actor once considered entering the priesthood but is now a lapsed Catholic.
- Nicolas Cage, who stars as a Catholic policeman in The Wicker Man, was raised Catholic.
- Sylvester Stallone was raised a Catholic and has recently heavily returned to the faith after a period which he describes as being lost in the temptations of the modern world.
- Bela Lugosi, renowned for his work in horror movies and in particular as Dracula, was raised a Catholic.
Singing Catholics
- Christina Aguilera was raised Catholic.
- Despite her "Like a Virgin" tour, which enraged several Catholic organizations, Madonna was raised Catholic, though she is now of the Kabbalah faith.
- Cyndi Lauper attended Catholic schools as a child and describes herself as a "recovering Catholic."
- Bob Geldof, singer, songwriter, actor and political activist
- Luciano Pavarotti returned to his Catholic roots shortly before he died.
- Celine Dion comes from a large Catholic family.
Books and Movies featuring Nuns as Key Characters
- Agnes of God
- Anna
- The Bell of St. Mary’s
- Black Narcissus
- Change of Habit
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
- Dark Waters
- Dead Man Walking
- The Devils
- Doubt
- Father Dowling Mysteries
- The Flying Nun
- Girls Town
- Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison
- Killer Nun
- Lilies of the Field
- Madeline
- The Magdalene Sisters
- Mother Joan of the Angels
- A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child
- Nunsense
- Nuns on the Run
- Quiet as a Nun
- Sacred Flesh
- Saving Silverman
- Silent Night, Deadly Night
- Sister Act
- Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit
- Sister Joan Mysteries
- Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You
- The Song of Bernadette
- The Sound of Music
- A Time for Miracles
- The Trouble with Angels
- Two Mules for Sister Sara
- Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows
Wedding Traditions
Garter Toss/Bouquet Toss: In the 14th century, it was customary for the bride to toss her garter to the men, but sometimes the men got too drunk and impatient, and would try to take her garter off ahead of time. Eventually the groom got into the act and saved his bride from the unruly mob. Now, grooms throw the garter while brides toss the bridal bouquet instead.
Shoes on the Bumper: Tying shoes to the bumper of the car represents the symbolism and power of shoes in ancient times. Egyptians would exchange sandals when they exchanged goods, so when the father of the bride gave his daughter to the groom, he would also give the bride's sandals to show that she now belonged to the groom. In Anglo-Saxon times, the groom would tap the heel of the bride's shoe to show his authority over her. In later times, people would throw shoes at the couple. Now, thankfully, folks just tie shoes to the new couple's car, although that practice is now starting to wane.
Wedding Cake: Like most any other ritual handed down from the ages, a wedding wouldn't be complete without fertility symbols, like the wedding cake. Ancient Romans would bake a cake made of wheat or barley and break it over the bride's head as a symbol of her fertility. (Whether this meant cracking the cake above the bride's head or actually bonking her on the noggin with it is rather unclear.) Over time, it became traditional to stack several cakes atop one another, as tall as possible. The bride and groom would then be charged to kiss over this tower without knocking it over. If they were successful, a lifetime of good fortune was certain for the new couple.
Bride on the left, Groom on the right: When the groom fought off warriors who also wanted his bride, he would hold onto her with his left hand, while fighting them off with his sword in his right hand, which is why the bride stands on the left, and the groom on the right.
Diamond Engagement Rings: These lavish gifts were given by medieval Italians in the belief that the diamond was created in the Flames of Love.
Wedding Bands: It is unknown when wedding bands were first worn. As far back as the ancient Romans, there was a belief that the vein in the third finger ran directly to the heart, so the wearing of rings on that finger joined the couple's hearts and destinies.
Something old, something new
Something borrowed, something blue
And a silver sixpence in her shoe.
Each item in this poem represents a good-luck token for the bride. If she carries all of them on her wedding day, her marriage will be happy. "Something old" symbolizes continuity with the bride's family and the past. "Something new" means optimism and hope for the bride's new life ahead. "Something borrowed" is usually an item from a happily married friend or family member, whose good fortune in marriage is supposed to carry over to the new bride. The borrowed item also reminds the bride that she can depend on her friends and family.
As for the colorful item, blue has been connected to weddings for centuries. In ancient Rome, brides wore blue to symbolize love, modesty, and fidelity. Christianity has long dressed the Virgin Mary in blue, so purity was associated with the color. Before the late 19th century, blue was a popular color for wedding gowns, as evidenced in proverbs like, "Marry in blue, lover be true."
And finally, a silver sixpence in the bride's shoe represents wealth and financial security. It may date back to a Scottish custom of a groom putting a silver coin under his foot for good luck. For optimum fortune, the sixpence should be in the left shoe. These days, a dime or a copper penny is sometimes substituted, and many companies sell keepsake sixpences for weddings.
The Newlywed Game
The Newlywed Game was a television game show where newly-married couples answered questions to find out how well the husband and wife knew each other. Produced by Chuck Barris, the show became famous for some of the arguments that couples had over incorrect answers and even led to some divorces. The show orginially aired on ABC in 1966 and eventually went into syndication until it ended in 2000. A new version is slated to begin production on the Game Show Network sometime in 2009.
Bob Eubanks is the host most often associated with The Newlywed Game, and at the time the show signed on, the youngest M.C. (age 28) to host a game show. Other hosts included Jim Lange, Paul Rodriguez and Gary Kroeger.
For the first round, the wives were taken off the stage while the husbands were asked four questions. The wives were then brought back on stage and were asked for their answers to the same questions. Once the wife gave her answer, the husband revealed the answer that he previously gave, which was written on a blue card. A match for that question was worth 5 points for the couple.
The roles were reversed in the second round, where the husbands were taken off the stage and the wives were asked four questions before the husbands were brought back on stage to give their answers. The first three questions in this round were worth 10 points each, and the final question was worth 25 points.
The grand prize included appliances, furniture, home entertainment systems, trips (complete with luggage and camera), and other items.
