The SINGING NUNS

       Pictured:    Dawn, Lynda, Norma, Charlotte, Bernice, Beverly, Marge, Phyllis, Linda, Paula, Jackie (last names are not given to protect the guilty) Two of the originals, Karen and Patti, are not pictured.  Picture copied from the newspaper, it was taken in the 1990s.


      In St. Patricks Parish in Washington, Il, we had CEW weekends.  CEW stands for Christian Experience Weekend.  It was very similar to Cursillo but  on a local parish scale.  We slept on cots in the basement of the school, ate, prayed and laughed and prayed some more.  A wonderful experience.  Here in St. Thomas Parish, they do a similar weekend called WATCH.

     Every year we had a Christmas party at the Knights of Columbus Hall that started with a prayer service and then a meal and after the meal, everyone got up and left.  The group above was in charge of the dinner one year and we felt we should have some entertainment to encourage people to stay around and socialize.  My friend, Sharon Durkee, had  told me that a group of women at St. Bernard's in Peoria had dressed like religious sisters and sang along with the songs to the movie "Sister Act".  When I suggested this to the group, they were on board immediately.  In one of the Church's 'Cry Room' closets were some old gray choir robes and about every five years, the Washington High School Theater Department does "The Sound of Music", so we asked to borrow the scapulars, wimples and veils and they gave them to us to use.   We originally called ourselves "The Moron Nab An Apple Choir" and instead of a cross on a chain as many religious orders wear, we hung a red apple on a brown cord.  Someone felt that the name was not politically correct, so we just became "The Singing Nuns"
    After the meal and some lovely other entertainment, the room darkened,  the tape player began to play a Gregorian Chant from the soundtrack of "Sister Act"  and in we walked, heads down lip syncing along.  At first, people were quiet and respectful, and then they began to realize who we were.  We started our set with "My Guy", and then "I will Follow Him" - appropriate chorography included - and by the time we exited with "Shout", the crowd was with us.  Lots of fun!
   Now here's the rest of the story......Florence Linsley was in the KC bar that evening and when she heard the laughter, peeked in and saw us.  She asked us to perform at the store's annual Christmas party and we said for $100.  She said:  "You got it!"   That was the start.  Someone else would see us perform and want us for an event.  We performed for Archbishop Myers several times and an event at OSF.  The $100.00 fees went into a 'kitty' and when we heard someone was going through a particularly hard time or there was a fund raiser for something special, the  money was contributed.     After about a year, I dropped out of the group but new people joined and the  'nuns' continued to perform around the area for several years and contribute their fee to good causes.   The choir robes remained, but they made their own  veils, etc. instead of borrowing the High School's.   We had a lot of fun, 'pee-run' laughter, and met some interesting people along the way.  When we get together, we still laugh at some of our performances.    I love women, especially those with adventure in their souls.