Last year, the National Catholic Reporter published this little bombshell about the apostolic visitation to American nuns:

The vast majority of U.S. women religious are not complying with a Vatican request to answer questions in a document of inquiry that is part of a three-year study of the congregations. Leaders of congregations, instead, are leaving questions unanswered or sending in letters or copies of their communities’ constitutions.

“There’s been almost universal resistance,” said one women religious familiar with the responses compiled by the congregation leaders. “We are saying ‘enough!’ In my 40 years in religious life I have never seen such unanimity.”

But this week, NCR’s John Allen sat down for an interview with Mother Mary Clare Millea, who is in charge of the study, and got a different picture:

It’s been reported that some congregations either didn’t comply with your questionnaire, or didn’t comply fully. Is that accurate?

This is a very important point. We’ve been going through and analyzing the data that’s come in. In January I sent another letter to the major superiors, asking those who did not reply or who replied inadequately, to really reconsider the response to the Holy See. As of today, we have a response from virtually every congregation in the country. My office staff was just looking at that this morning, and we have just seven little tiny entities who have not responded. One of our staff persons is in the process of calling them, because they’re tiny groups that we think may be confused that they didn’t have to participate. We would like to at least have their statistical data so we can get a better picture.

I think that’s phenomenal, because it shows that virtually every congregation in the country realized that the Holy See has the authority to ask for information and that they have the obligation to respond. Were all of those one hundred percent compliant in answering every question? No. But we have excellent data on most congregations.

In the end, I can only write a report on what I know. Many congregation leaders told me in the face-to-face interviews the wonderful things their sisters are doing, and asked, “Are you going to tell this good news to the Holy See?” Of course I am. We want the Holy See to see what religious women mean for our country. I can only respond based on what I know, so every response is data.

Your point is that it’s in the interest of the congregations to respond?

I would think so, yes.

What percentage were fully compliant versus only partially compliant?

Virtually every congregation has responded, in the majority of cases satisfactorily.

You can read more of the interview with Mother Millea to get a fuller picture.