A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experience of Roman Catholic Sisters and Successful Aging

Abstract

Purpose: To gain an understanding of how religious and spiritual practices might enable Catholic Sisters to age successfully. Design: A purposive sample of 12 retired Roman Catholic Sisters aged 75 years and older from two convent settings were interviewed. Method: Using a semistructured recorded interview, the Roman Catholic Sisters shared their lived experiences of aging, and practices of religion, spirituality, and meditation. Data analysis utilized thematic analysis of the interview texts. Findings: Thematic analysis identified the following themes: daily engagement in religious and spiritual practice and meditation; self-contentment and positivity regarding the meaning of successful aging; life acceptance; sense of faith and positivity regarding the afterlife; and intersection of meditation, prayer, spirituality, and cognitive engagement. Conclusion: This research contributes to the body of aging research and presents successful aging as understood and more specifically as experientially influenced. The findings of the study provided insight regarding the meaning and experience of successful aging, and the role of everyday religious and spiritual practices in the lives of the Catholic Sisters which influenced their individual life experiences as they age.