Mary Valle, a smart, savvy writer and an editor at Killing the Buddha, recently attended a one-woman show on the life of St. Catherine of Siena, performed by an (Adrian) Dominican Sister named Nancy Murray—who is, incidentally, Bill Murray's sister. What can Catherine of Benincasa say to us? What can Sister Nancy say about Catherine? What did the show say to a thoroughly modern believer like Mary? Check our her review of this "one-nun show" in our online Culture section:
It was a bright, clear morning in mid-November, and I was rushing to an auditorium at the recently renamed Notre Dame University of Maryland, the former College of Notre Dame of Maryland. I didn't want to be late for a 0one-nun show about the life of a nun, the former Caterina Benincasa, better known as Catherine of Siena. I didn't need to be so worried. There were plenty of seats, it being Saturday morning and all. The cool people were coming that night for sure, but I'm an early bird and appreciate any and all AM activities.
I found myself a nice seat right in the center of the auditorium, in my own row. Sitting in front of me was a group of white-haired ladies, amongst them a sister wearing a short veil. A nun at a one-nun show about a nun? Why on earth could I not get anyone to come see this with me? Their loss, I sighed. My daughter said she'd come with me just to stop me from becoming a nun, as if the condition were communicable. "Too late for that," I said. "Besides, I'm just too contrary for that lifestyle."
Read the rest here.
James Martin, SJ
