The call to vocation: life histories of elderly women religious

Thirty elderly women religious (Catholic nuns) were studied using a phenomenological interview technique. This paper discusses the women's "call to vocation"--the remembered life events that influenced their decisions to enter the convent as young girls. The women talked about romantic and pragmatic motivations as well as spiritual direction. Remembrances of three of the study participants are used to demonstrate circumstances and emotions that led the women to choose their life course. The recollections have significance for the women religious in late life; they provide a source of satisfaction and commitment. They also offer researchers a means of viewing the worlds of this population of women.