A Testimony to God's Grace [ex-nun's true story]

Catholic concerns ^ | October 2003 | Mary Ann Collins (A Former Catholic Nun)

[Petronski]

Does “Mary Ann Collins” even in fact exist?

[big'ol_freeper]

One more heretic.

[ArrogantBustard]

It certainly wouldn’t be the first case of folks who wish to slander the Church inventing fictional characters in order to do so.

[Petronski]

Lying heretic who might not exist at all.

[Petronski]

Or the last no doubt.

[ArrogantBustard]

That calls for speculation, of course, and mind-reading.
We’re not allowed to do that here.

[HarleyD]

Great testimony G-C. Thanks for the ping.

[maryz]

inventing fictional characters

And whoever invented this one is really crappy at it! ;-)

[ArrogantBustard]

It may (or may not, who knows?) be a poor quality fabrication.

But one thing’s for sure ... true, false, or some grotesque admixture of the two, it’s Great Testimony (tm)!

[Petronski]

It IS Great Testimony (tm)!*

*whether true, false, or some grotesque admixture of the two

[Campion]

When threads about Scott Hahn and his ilk are posted, as least the Bible-believers discuss the reasons Hahn is wrong

He's wrong because he's a Catholic, and Catholics are always wrong. Everyone knows this.

[Campion]

Does “Mary Ann Collins” even in fact exist?

Of course she does; she's Maria Monk's great-great-granddaughter.

[stfassisi]

""Does “Mary Ann Collins” even in fact exist?""

She is about as real as this doll

;

[Petronski]

That might well be her driver’s license photo.

[ArrogantBustard]

You realize, of course, that next time some conversion to Catholic story is posted somebody will question whether the person actually exists.

I have no doubt that we’ll be able to prove in the affirmative.

[BlueDragon]

Did you read the article? Here;

" Some people have asked me why I call myself a former nun when I never made vows.
According to "The Catholic Encyclopedia," if a monk or a nun has been accepted by a religious order (which I was)
and has been given a religious habit (which I wore), then he or she is a monk or a nun in the broad sense of the term.
[Note 1] So I refer to myself as a former nun."

No lies in evidence, there. Perhaps you should apologize to her?

[BlueDragon]

"...don't look too closely or you begin to smell the sulfur."

Hugo! how are 'ya? didn't know you were a freeper! How's things in Venezuela?

[Deo volente]

Assuming she even exists, for every one like her who left the Church, there are untold numbers of Catholic nuns who HAVE found God’s grace and deep fulfillment in their vocation.

So what does it prove about the Catholic Church that this particular “nun” fell away? Nothing. It proves nothing.

[maryz]

has been given a religious habit

Nuns (even in the broad sense; properly speaking, there's a difference between nuns -- largely contemplative orders, I think -- and sisters, those in the more familiar teaching an nursing orders) don't get the habit without taking vows. Postulants don't take vows. After the six-month or so postulancy, they take simple vows (i.e., for the length of the novitiate) and actually get a habit -- "take the veil," as it were, though novices generally wear white veils instead of the black. After the novitiate, they take solemn vows -- for life. But simple vows are real vows.

[thefrankbaum]

Now, others have mentioned this woman may be a fictional construct. I can't speak to that. But this:

As I learned more about the Bible, I began to realize that some Catholic teachings are contrary to Scripture.

With NO elaboration? Now, I don't doubt there are some who have left the Church for other Christian denominations, but I would imagine they give a reasoned (if flawed, IMHO) explanation for it. Not just a run-of-the-mill attack on the Church with nothing to back it up.