Some Americans may have preconceived ideas about nuns due in no small part to one-dimensional or even scary depictions in Hollywood movies, but the Daughters of St. Paul, also known as the #MediaNuns, are combining their love of God with their social media skills to show TikTok users the “deep joy and deep peace” that comes from serving the Lord.
Though titles like “The Conjuring,” its horror-filled sequel, “The Nun,” or the sadistic character of Jessica Lange’s Sister Jude in “American Horror Story: Asylum” are recent examples of nuns’ less-than-desirable depiction in cinema, Hollywood’s choice portrayal of sisters dates back decades. Titles from the ’70s and ’80s, like “The Other Hell,” “Killer Nun,” and even “The Exorcist,” have painted nuns in a particular light.
Now, they’re using social media to show a different side to the world. One nun by the name of Sister Chelsea Bethany Davis spoke with Fox News Digital to address what she calls a “misconception” and explain why TikTok might be the new platform on which to show audiences a more authentic truth. She said, “There’s a lot of misconceptions (that) nuns are mean, or we can’t talk to anybody, or that we’re just really somber all the time, or that we’re scary because of all those awful horror movies. I’m personally trying, on social media, (to) show people that being a follower of Jesus Christ is intrinsically joyful, and that should show on our faces and in the way that we laugh and the way that we are.”
@daughtersofstpaul #Catholic #Nuns #MediaNuns #Jesus #FYP ♬ original sound – Alexandra Karadimas
She continued, “Religious life, for those who don’t know, is just belonging totally to God in a consecrated way. It’s a deepening of our baptismal calls. What we’re called to do is really just to let people know that you’re made for more and that you’re loved.” Sister Bethany explained that different orders of nuns serve the church through praying, teaching in schools, ministering to the poor, visiting the sick and working in orphanages. The Daughters of St. Paul strives explicitly to bring Christ to others by using social media platforms to evangelize and pray for media professionals who deeply influence the culture.
The order tries to “speak the language of the people” on different platforms and bring the message of Christ tailored to their needs. Sister Bethany told Fox News Digital she believes Hollywood depicts nuns as scary because there is an “element of mystery” and “counter-cultural” calling to religious life. She said, “There are parts of our life that we don’t invite people into, like certain parts of the cloister, even when young women are visiting, because there are just certain things that are reserved for us and Jesus alone.”
Still, she said she hopes the media will move forward to depict religious life healthily and accurately, pointing to the British TV show “Call the Midwife,” which she believes accurately shows Anglican nuns praying vespers. She also pointed to the “good” mother superior in the “Sound of Music” who cares for Maria’s needs.
She concluded by sharing a quote from St. Catherine of Sienna on the beauty of being your authentic self: “Be who God made you to be, and you will set the world on fire.”