Religious authorities surprised by success of ‘Nuns story’ video

The success of a video telling the story of Irish nuns has taken religious authorities by surprise, particularly as it has yet to be launched.

The four minute video deals with the lives of some young Irish nuns, sisters and brothers. It already had 5,000 hits on YouTube by Friday though it is not to be launched until Monday.

It marks the Catholic Church’s ‘World Year for Consecrated Life’. On Sunday, the feast of St Brigid, World Day for Consecrated Life will be marked in St Brigid’s parish in Killester in Dublin by a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin and attended by religious sisters and brothers.

Br Conor McDonough (28), who features in the video, said the reaction had been “incredible”.

He said “teachers who’ve shown it in schools are telling us their students are genuinely interested and curious in our way of life.”

It may help that the video features Br Kevin Crowley (79), soon to receive the Freedom of Dublin for his work at the Capuchin Day Centre. It serves up to 800 breakfasts and dinners a day to some of Dublin's poorest residents.

In the video Br Kevin explains his vocation. “Even though I was enjoying life I still had an unhappiness and this was because the Lord was calling me and I wasn’t answering the call.

“Being a religious brother means I have plenty of time to give to the people who attend the centre and to listen to their problems and difficulties,” he said.

Sr Louise O'Rourke (35), who also appears in the video, said: "Pope Francis asked us to 'wake up the world'. This is our Irish attempt to wake up the online world."

According to Vatican figures there are almost one million men and women in religious orders around the world. They comprise 705,000 sisters, 55,000 brothers and 135,000 priests, in addition to 280,000 dicosean priests.