Continuity in the Lives of Elder Catholic Women Religious

Abstract

Data from life review interviews with thirty-nine elder Catholic women religious (68-98) show these women's lives do not conform to a sequential pattern of late life developmental stages. Their lives can best be understood in terms of continuous themes throughout individual lives. The majority of the women reach ego integrity in young old age and continue to reestablish this by adhering to themes in their life stories. Themes serve as a framework of the self. The main themes of the participants are: faith, family, education, friends, community, caring for others, and prayer. Communal aspects of religious life support the women in their continuous development of identity. Generativity is evidenced in their lives as an ongoing component of self-identity. These data show the continuous process of establishing ego integrity throughout late life. The life review data can best be explained using the continuity theory of identity development.

Religiousness, Religious Coping, and Psychological Well-Being in Nursing Home Residents

“…Finally, although this study demonstrates the association between religiousness and well-being, the conceptual model was not sufficient to explore a particular causal pathway, which might include reinforcing social cohesion,30 buffering the effect of depression among a high-risk population,36 facilitating an integrative life review,37 or, conversely, reinforcing feelings of shame or hopelessness based on negative or harmful religious beliefs and experiences 12…”

Age and Gender Differences in Adaptation and Subjective Well-being of Older Adults Residing in Monastic Religious Communities

“…Melia (1999Melia ( , 2001 reported that older women in religious orders maintain a continuous framework of self-identity and generativity. Spiritual activities, such as prayer act as modified social events in strengthening personal ties with God and a larger social community (Krause, 2003;Krause, 2004b;Melia, 2001).…”

“…Older women express greater feelings of life satisfaction relative to maintaining friendships external to the religious community (Melia, 1999(Melia, , 2001. However, older men in religious vocations find closeness to God is a more salient source of subjective well-being (DeJong & Donovan, 1988;Verdieck et al, 1988).…”

“…However, older men in religious vocations find closeness to God is a more salient source of subjective well-being (DeJong & Donovan, 1988;Verdieck et al, 1988). Although men and women in the religious life seem to acquire improved perceptions of well-being with advancing age (DeJong & Donovan, 1988;Melia, 1999Melia, , 2001Mercier et al, 1996;Verdieck et al, 1988), more evidence is needed to determine how well-being is differentiated by age or gender.…”

Spiritual Expressions of Coping in Adults with HIV: Implications for Successful Aging

“…This may mean growing to the point of switching religious affiliation or taking on a new religious role such as pastor, teacher, or deacon. Similarly, Melia (1999) studied the lives of 39 elderly religious Catholic women. Data support the idea that these women remained in a stage of stable development.…”