Editing Nun (section)

==== United States ====
{{main|Catholic sisters and nuns in the United States}}

Nuns and sisters played a major role in American religion, education, nursing and social work since the early 19th century.<ref>Margaret M. McGuinness, ''Called to Serve: A History of Nuns in America'' (2015) [https://www.amazon.com/Called-Serve-History-Nuns-America/dp/0814795579/ excerpt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204212832/https://www.amazon.com/Called-Serve-History-Nuns-America/dp/0814795579 |date=2017-02-04 }}</ref> In Catholic Europe, convents were heavily endowed over the centuries, and were sponsored by the aristocracy. There were very few rich [[American Catholics]], and no aristocrats. Religious orders were founded by entrepreneurial women who saw a need and an opportunity, and were staffed by devout women from poor families. The numbers grew rapidly, from 900 sisters in 15 communities in 1840, 50,000 in 170 orders in 1900, and 135,000 in 300 different orders by 1930. Starting in 1820, the sisters always outnumbered the priests and brothers.<ref>{{cite book|last1=O'Toole|first1=James M.|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780674034884|title=The Faithful: A History of Catholics in America|publisher=[[Harvard University Press]]|year=2008|isbn=9780674034884|page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780674034884/page/104 104]|url-access=registration}}</ref> Their numbers peaked in 1965 at 180,000 then plunged to 56,000 in 2010. Many women left their orders, and few new members were added.<ref>Margaret M. McGuinness, ''Called to Serve'' (2013), ch 8</ref> Since the [[Second Vatican Council]] the sisters have directed their ministries more to the poor, working more directly among them and with them.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sisters of Mercy: Spirituality, Resources, Prayer and Action|url=https://www.sistersofmercy.org/spirituality/|access-date=2018-02-14|website=Sisters of Mercy|language=en|archive-date=2017-01-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170131081851/http://www.sistersofmercy.org/spirituality/|url-status=live}}</ref>