On Encouraging Religious Vocations in Maine

"With just a fifth of the number of nuns in Maine today as there were 50 years ago, the Roman Catholic church is augmenting prayer with social media in the face of declining numbers. Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and more have become a way that some convents are trying to attract new members.

"According to Dave Guthro, spokesman for the Diocese of Portland, there were 1,131 sisters in 1967 in the state and that number shrunk to 226 by 2015, the most recent year for which he had statistics.

"'Various factors have contributed to the decreasing number of sisters,' Sister Rita-Mae Bissonnette, of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary and chancellor for the diocese, said. 'Women have greater opportunities for education and careers than they did decades ago. It's also become acceptable to be a single woman without being a sister.'"

A recent article in the Bangor Daily News reported on the Diocese of Portland outreach to encourage awareness of vocations to the consecrated religious life.

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Bangor Daily News: Catholic church uses everything from prayers to Pinterest to attract women into the convent (31 JUL 17)