To be sure, the book Lesbian Nuns: Breaking the Silence is not meant to titillate the senses. It is a collection of real people’s stories, a serious exploration of a subject everybody knew, but was never talked about: there are many lesbians in the convents. I grew up wanting to be a nun, and so did my ex. I guess you could say that was a sign.

A lot of the stories in the book are set in the 1960’s - the decade of sexual revolution. In 1966 after the Second Vatican Council, the church was eager to embrace a more liberal stand on issues in keeping with the spirit of the times. Catholic nuns and priests expected that the doctrine on celibacy was about to be lifted. The prevailing atmosphere encouraged people to get in touch with their inner selves and shun all inhibitions.

During this tumultuous time, the leading psychologist was Carl Rogers, a champion of the “self”. He was invited by the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) of California to facilitate Encounter Workshops, sessions of truth-telling and ice-breaking group exercises that broke down social inhibition. And thus, all the trouble began.

Nuns of the IHM began to resent authority. Seeing their superiors as dictatorial, they started disobeying orders and challenging rules of the convent. If you’re not familiar with convent life, try watching “The Nun’s Story” starring Audrey Hepburn. A critic described it like so: “The near military discipline of the novices in The Nun’s Story (1959), trained to proclaim their guilt for breaking the rules and abase themselves in penance, has the psychological reality of enduring boot camp in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket (1987), if not the same idiom.”

Through these intense encounter groups with Carl Rogers and his team of therapists, the nuns experienced heightened emotions which led to exploration of sexual feelings between these women. What started as a trickle became a flood of nuns filing for a release from their vows. In due time, no one was left at the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It has ceased to exist.

This is but one case. The book talks about the life of former nuns from all across America, from their varied reasons for going into the convents, to their awakening and motivations for leaving. I am glad to note that after parting with the church, all of these ex-nuns are now living fulfilled happy lives.