It’s introduction time. The Sisters of the Precious Blood are describing themselves and their work to a gaggle of reporters in their Regina monastery.

We meet their mother superior, Sister Annabella, then Sister Rose Marie, the treasurer — who grins mischeviously and rubs her right thumb and two forefingers together in the traditional symbol of the bean-counter.

The room erupts into laughter — nobody laughing louder than the other sisters.

Leave behind your stereotypes about a contemplative order of nuns. These ones are funny, feisty, and thoughtful about the human condition.

The prayers that precede our interview, for example, seek God’s help for people in troubled lands, for the victims of human trafficking, for the poor and for their visitors.

They have email accounts and their order, headquartered in London, Ont, has a new website, www.pbsisters.on.ca.

No cellphones, though. “We have a vow of poverty,” quips one nun.

After supper each day, they watch a little TV news — CTV reporter Wayne Mantyka was no stranger to them — and their library ranges from religious works to Peter C. Newman’s business sociologies.

But it’s prayer that’s most important for this order, which began in Quebec 150 years ago and came to Regina in 1930.

It had residences at 2161 Cameron St., then 3238 Albert St. before moving into a large residence on 25th Avenue east of Albert Street around 1960. But falling numbers prompted the sisters to sell it to the archdiocese in 1984, then move into a smaller residence at the back of this property — which is quiet. Very quiet.

Serene, not spooky. In two hours there, the only outside sound was from a jet. And that’s important for a contemplative order, whose members cherish the silence that helps them focus on prayer. 

They pray for priests and for vocations — new nuns and priests. The nuns find today’s young people are afraid of any commitment, certainly a lifetime one. Sister Annabella is encouraged that the order has some new members, all but one from the Filipino and Vietnamese communities. They also pray for people who ask for their help. Sister Theresia, who manages the monastery’s correspondence, says there are about 1,200 communications a year from individuals seeking their prayers. Terminal diseases, marital breakups, children, you name it. And cards or letters go to other people just needing a friendly word. “They’re very grateful,” she said.

All were drawn to this order by a need to help people, one that refused to go away. When Sister Annabella, for example, entered it after 10 years in accounting, it was as if “I came home”.

A typical days sees the sisters rising early and spending five hours in prayer, in 30- and 45-minute chunks mixed with work, chores, meals and time for rest, reading or relaxation. “Contemplatives have more hours of prayer because other orders, if they’re teachers or nurses, have other work,” says Sister Margaret.

The sisters have their own work. For example, two pick hymns and music for daily masses and prayers. Sister Barbara Marie oversees the distribution of altar bread, made in Hamilton, to Catholic dioceses around Regina.

Sister Margaret has a speciality in helping prepare members of Catholic religious orders for the end of life. “That,” she concedes, “gives a lot of food for thought.”

It involves “lots of reflection and praying that you will welcome death as a friend, not with fear and misgivings — all because of the merciful love of our God.”

Contemplative doesn’t mean silent, though. The sisters shop for essentials, go to medical appointments and the like. They just don’t noisily seek out others. During their daily recreation breaks, “we go for walks,” said Sister Marie Charles, adding, “we pray for the drivers!” 

wchabun@leaderpost.com

Notes about nuns:

* The Sisters of the Precious Blood have members in residences in Calgary, Regina, Hamilton and London, where its headquarters is. A separate French arm exists in Quebec.

* The walled monastery on 25th Avenue in whch the sisters lived and prayed from 1960-84 later became the Roman Catholic archdiocese’s John Paul II Centre, sort of a community college. The diocese sold it last year to the Nicor Property Group, which plans to renovate it into apartments.

* Monastery is derived from “monastic”, which means living apart from the secular world under religious vows.

To watch the CTV video of the Sisters, click here