Active and Contemplative Religious Sisters and Brothers


Overview

Active and Contemplative Religious Sisters and Brothers

Introduction

Within the Roman Catholic Church, the titles sister and brother are given to members of religious communities. Members take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and devote their lives to God. Sisters and brothers generally view their way of life not so much as a career but as a vocation—a calling. Another term for a sister or brother is a religious.

Active religious sisters and brothers divide their time between private prayer, communal worship, and service work. Each active religious community ...

Quick Facts


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Median Salary

$20,000

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Employment Prospects

Excellent

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Minimum Education Level

High School Diploma


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Experience

No experience needed


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Skills

Interpersonal|Public Speaking|Teaching


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Personality Traits

Helpful|Social|Problem-Solving

Earnings

Contemplative religious sisters and brothers frequently have no individual earnings. Income from their cottage industries and private donations belongs to the community as a whole. All of their needs, such as food, clothing, and medical insurance, are paid for out of community funds. They are supported by their community throughout their lives. Salaries for active sisters and brothers who work ...

Work Environment

The working conditions of religious depend on their communitys location and mission. Most religious can count on a pretty conventional life in the settings they have chosen, such as the hustle and bustle of an urban mission, the steady work of a suburban parish or school, or the serenity of a monastery. Still, sisters and brothers need to be ready and willing to serve wherever they are needed.<...

Outlook

Opportunities for religious sisters and brothers are practically unlimited, for two major reasons. The first is that the Roman Catholic Church wholeheartedly encourages those who have been called to live a life completely devoted to serving God. The second reason for the great opportunities in religious life is the decline in vocations over the past few decades. A majority of todays sisters and...