A nun’s life: conversion from actress to nun a portrait of joy

With the current COVID crisis curtailing my social life, I have found myself watching far more television than heretofore ... and found many popular television series tedious, annoying, and far from beguiling – often formulaic, dark, and horror-filled, certainly not what one is looking for in such difficult times. 

On the other hand, I have discovered programs such as PBS’s Amanpour and Company, which provides stimulating and informed interviews with a variety of impressive speakers. I rarely leave the program, a new addition to my daily routine, without having discovered another book to order from the library. I am also incredibly grateful to the Burnaby Public Library for their wonderful pick-up service. Books as varied as My Name Is Why and People, Power, and Profits have proved both stimulating and diverting. 

Above all, I have welcomed the advice of others who have similarly discovered ways of dealing with the lifestyle imposed by the epidemic. And here I would like to thank one of our readers, Jamie Chan, for recommending the film All or Nothing, available on YouTube. Films about nuns have been a steady part of cinema fare for decades. In this vein, the documentary All or Nothing presents a moving and impressive portrait of a real-life nun, Sister Clare Crockett.

The film, in many ways, depicts the life of a nun as once idealized in Hollywood movies such as Come to the Stable and Going My Way (both of which are also available on YouTube).

In Hollywood films, Loretta Young or Ingrid Bergman faces the economic realities of attempting to build a hospital or school, ultimately being successful as the result of an unlikely “miracle.” The valiant (and, of course, singularly beautiful) sister finally wins over her wealthy, ungenerous, and curmudgeonly opponent as he undergoes an unlikely change of heart. The transparent emotional manipulation leaves one less than satisfied by the feel-good ending. Here is an idealized version of the way one would like life to be. 

By contrast, in the portrait of Sister Clare one sees the ideal wonderfully actualized in a life of faith. Here a woman finds the miraculous in the joys of everyday life.

Sister Clare was a young Irish girl who, as the film reveals, turned her back on a promising career as a film actress when she underwent a totally unexpected conversion and decided to become a nun. Dedicating herself completely to her vocation, she was filled with the desire to do whatever was asked of her in service to her Lord; that she did this with unquenchable happiness is an oft-repeated theme of the film.

An amalgamation of amateur footage shows much of Sister Clare’s life as she makes her vows, teaches in schools, plays games with children, leads others in song, works in the kitchen, and throws herself wholeheartedly into whatever situation she finds herself in. Scattered throughout the film are interviews of her family, priests who knew her, and members of her order. 

These days of scarce vocations to the religious life, All or Nothing reminds us of that calling in all its beauty as, ideally, it has been lived by members of religious orders since St. Benedict established his first monastery and formulated his Rule. 

At the same time, Sister Clare guides us all as we attempt to deal with whatever vicissitudes confront us. Her reliance on her Saviour, her dedication to her faith, and her constant joy in every moment of every day, regardless of crisis and circumstance, serve us well. The film invites us all to find happiness in the moment, whatever that moment brings.