Carmelite Sisters Share Monastic Life on Social MediaCarmelite Sisters Share Monastic Life on Social Media The Carmelite Sisters New Ross, a religious order of sisters, have embraced social media as a means to share their lives within the monastery walls with the wider world. Through Facebook, they post Biblical and spiritual reflections alongside captivating images of their daily activities around the monastery grounds. Sister Gwen Collins, who oversees their social media presence, explained their diverse topics, including prayers, nature, gardening, and Carmelite spirituality. They also celebrate special occasions such as anniversaries and birthdays. Posts featuring the sisters’ everyday monastery life have a strong following. Scenes of them tending to their gardens, planting roses, or caring for their vegetables resonate with followers. However, the most attention-grabbing posts are those that showcase the nuns engaging in less common activities. “I personally love horses. I’m a horse woman,” said Sister Collins. Such posts attract curious followers who marvel at the nuns’ unique lifestyle. The sisters approach their social media content with intention. Inspiration can arise from either the caption or the photograph. Sister Collins explained that a beautiful poem or image can spark an idea for a post. Sometimes, real-time observations inspire their messages. “I saw a nurse planting her roses and I said, ‘Oh, can I have a picture of that?'” said Sister Collins. She then crafted a post about the rose’s unwavering blooming, regardless of human recognition. Through their social media presence, the Carmelite Sisters aim to promote Gospel values, foster peace, and attract individuals who may be seeking a deeper connection to their faith.
The Carmelite Sisters New Ross, a congregation of religious sisters, use social media to share their lives within the monastery walls with the world. They post Biblical and spiritual statements on Facebook, accompanied by photos of the sisters performing daily activities around the monastery grounds.
Sister Gwen Collins, currently in charge of social media sharing, told The Irish Catholic that they can discuss “a wide range of topics, such as prayers, or nature or gardening or Carmelite spirituality, Carmelite saints, Scripture,” she said, adding that they also “share celebrations such as anniversaries and birthdays, so anything that we find that we think can help promote the values of the Gospel and bring peace to people.”
Posts depicting daily life in the convent are very popular among followers, Sr Collins said. “Sisters working in the garden, planting roses or tending to their vegetables, that’s definitely something people really enjoy.”
But photos of the nuns doing unusual things are what draw the most attention. “I personally love horses. I’m a horse woman,” she said. Those posts would bring new curious followers to her Facebook page. “People say, ‘God, imagine the nuns holding horses, that’s very unusual,’” the sister said.
The idea for the posts can start with the caption or the photos, Sister Collins explained. “In my own personal reading, I might come across a beautiful poem,” she said, “and it’s about a beautiful meadow or something and I say, ‘Oh, gosh, let’s go out and take a picture in the meadow and we could use this poem.’”
Or the other way around: “I saw a nurse planting her roses and I said, ‘Oh, can I have a picture of that?’ and I just posted a message about the rose’s job and how it blooms, and it doesn’t wait for people to come and admire it or anything,” the nurse said.
The sister said the messages would “attract people, girls who might also be interested in life.” She said “they would read something and then maybe make further connections.”
