A.M. writes: I am in graduate school. It seems like my peers are very materialistic. They are in their 30s (so am I). What age are most of the people who are joining the SDS sisters?

S. Patrice responds: The age women join the SDS Sisters varies widely. In the US Province, we're particularly excited about women between age 20 and 40 who are interested in starting the process of discernment. And, we accept, on an individual decision basis, women who are both younger and older than that.

But, in some of our provinces in South America, in Africa, and in India or Sri Lanka , the average age of women entering is very much younger- in the late teens and 20s. Of course, age has a very different meaning in countries where the average person does not live past age 50!