Imagine a life of prayer and quiet routine, but one preceded by a career in aeronautical engineering and punctuated by a taste for good ale. This is the life of Sister Gabriel, a Poor Clare Franciscan nun who has spent 30 years in a cloistered monastery in England. Her journey from the technical world to the contemplative one gives her a remarkably down-to-earth voice, especially when discussing the vow that most fascinates the outside world: celibacy.
“It can be challenging,” Sister Gabriel admits openly when asked about living without sex. She rejects the idea that such a life is statically easy or impossibly hard. Instead, she describes it as a dynamic journey where her innate capacity for love has been redirected and magnified. The love isn’t gone; it’s transformed, expressed through her spiritual devotion and community life. The difficulty, she implies, is a part of the commitment, not a negation of it.
This balance between the sacred and the human is vividly clear in her lighter confessions. She loves watching films and doesn’t deny appreciating a handsome actor, playfully musing about having a “celebrity crush” on Bradley Cooper after watching A Star is Born. “His eyes are certainly ones that I could stare into,” she says with a laugh. This glimpse into her personality reveals that her vows haven’t stripped away her ability to find joy and beauty in popular culture.
Yet, Sister Gabriel’s candidness extends to sobering truths. Addressing the abuse scandals that have rocked the Catholic Church, she speaks with palpable grief. “I am ashamed of that,” she says, offering a direct apology to victims. Her hope is for justice and healing, emphasizing that those who have been harmed must be listened to. Here, her faith is not a shield but a call to accountability and compassion.
Sister Gabriel’s narrative dismantles simplistic notions of monastic life. She is not an ethereal figure, but a relatable woman who chose a radical path. Her life shows that celibacy is not an absence of feeling, but a different way of engaging with love, beauty, and even struggle. It’s a life that includes prayerful silence, the clink of a beer bottle, and the sincere hope for a more righteous church.
