“Are sisters and nuns the same thing?”
Catholic women religious fall into two basic groups — active (teaching, nursing, out in the world stuff) and cloistered/contemplative (enclosed, life devoted primarily prayer). Active women religious are called “sisters.” Contemplative/cloistered women religious are called “nuns.”
And a side note — there are quite a few communities for women religious that are absolutely flourishing. They are the ones that have retained the habit and avoided all things “woke” like “social justice.” The orders that went woke (post Vatican II) are now, thankfully, dying.
Sisters of Life: https://sistersoflife.org
Dominican Sisters of St Cecelia: https://www.nashvilledominican.org
Handmaids of the Precious Blood: https://nunsforpriests.org
Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist: https://www.sistersofmary.org/
Fairfield Discalced Carmelites: https://www.fairfieldcarmelites.org
Catholic women religious fall into two basic groups
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Your post is well and truly said. Very informative. As I recall, around the time of the Satan Council (Vatican, 1962-1965) women religious orders were inviting some hotshot psychologist to conferences where he proceeded to indoctrinate the members concerning what he contended were psychologically damaging aspects of religious order living conditions. Result: Many religious orders soon experienced an exodus of consecrated members and a decline in new vocations.
You forgot the Benedictines of Mary. Their order is flourishing and their music is widely known.
https://benedictinesofmary.org