The Second Vatican Council (1963-65) asked Catholic sisters to adapt their rules to the needs of modern culture. But how could they know what to keep and what to discard, if they did not understand the origins and functions of their rules? To answer these questions, Sister Ewens studied church laws of the past and their influence on the present, and analyzed sisters' roles in nineteenth-century American society. She wanted to help religious communities, including her own Dominican congregation, (of Sinsinwa, WI) to understand their rules and roles, so as to better discern future directions. Along the way she discovered that many rules dated back to medieval times. She chronicles sisters' struggles to live those obsolete rules in pioneer settings; their contributions to education, nursing and social services; their encounters with bigotry; how they transformed the public perception of Catholicism; the dangers of wearing the habit in public; and much, much more. Vatican officials who question American sisters' roles today could learn from this book why sisters' lives had to evolve in response to the call of the Council.

Within these pages Dr. Tull shares the poignant stories and rich insights that shaped his life and enriched his ministry. These "life lessons" did more than simply improve his ministerial effectiveness; they were often the difference between bitterness and forgiveness, isolation and community, burnout and renewal. Many of these insights came with an ample share of negative fallout. The author's intent in sharing his unique take on ministerial life is that readers might claim these "lessons" as their own-and do so earlier in their journey and without all the personal struggle. The author's hope for those who answer the call to ministry is not that they merely survive all the pressures, distractions, and struggles that come with the job, but that they are able to sustain, in the very midst of ministry, a sense of meaning, purpose, and passion.