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A Change of Habit: The Autobiography Of A Former Catholic Nun

by Joanne Howe , Lynn Paul Coffman (Foreword)

3.33 of 5 stars 3.33 · rating details · 12 ratings · 3 reviews

"A Change of Habit" weaves a tapestry of zeal, rigorous discipline and shattered beliefs of a mature woman who left her vows as a nun to search for spiritual fulfillment. Joanne Howe's narrative brims with emotion, and the richness of her experience will linger long after the book is closed.

Joanne Howe is a retired elementary school teacher and a popular speaker at women's ...more

Paperback , 120 pages

Published December 1st 1996 by Gospel Advocate Company (first published 1996)

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Jul 31, 2015 Wayne S. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Joanne Howe was born on Oct. 11, 1935, in Pittsburgh, PA, to devout Roman Catholic parents, the oldest of eleven children. Her father was a teacher. At six weeks, her twin sister Jeanne died, and when Joanne was ten her nine year old brother Raymond went missing and was later found killed by a molester. At age thirteen, she determined to become a nun, and after attending Catholic parochial schools through eighth grade, she entered high school at the Preparatory School of the Sisters of St. Franc Joanne Howe was born on Oct. 11, 1935, in Pittsburgh, PA, to devout Roman Catholic parents, the oldest of eleven children. Her father was a teacher. At six weeks, her twin sister Jeanne died, and when Joanne was ten her nine year old brother Raymond went missing and was later found killed by a molester. At age thirteen, she determined to become a nun, and after attending Catholic parochial schools through eighth grade, she entered high school at the Preparatory School of the Sisters of St. Francis of Millvale, PA, but because of difficulties finished her senior year at the all girls’ Sacred Heart High School. Then she entered the Postulancy at the Motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Baden, PA, where she ultimately became a Novitiate, later serving as a teacher in several local Catholic mission schools.

During all this time, Joanne’s only desire was to serve God, but she continually felt empty, unfulfilled, and conflicted, so after nineteen years as a nun, she decided to leave her vocation in 1968 and, moving to Baltimore, MD, she worked with a Catholic educational organization and started dating, but continued to experience depression, headaches, tension, and anxiety. A teacher friend named Barbara suggested that she see a counselor, Paul Coffman, who was also “a preacher of the Gospel.” He began teaching her the Scriptures and leading her to discover the truth. She resisted for a good while, but four years later she found her peace as she learned the error of Catholicism, accepted the teachings of God’s word, obeyed the gospel, and became a New Testament Christian, exchanging her old habit of the nun for a new life-changing habit of obedience to God’s will.

A Change of Habit is not always easy to read and follow, but anyone interested in learning what it takes to become a nun and how nuns live will find it fascinating. It does mention the problem of lesbianism among nuns. Of course, Roman Catholics will not like this book. One person who had been a “Protestant Christian” for twenty plus years but became a Catholic some years ago felt that Ms. Howe is a bitter, angry woman. I did not get that sense at all. Another person hoped that “she would finally develop a deep relationship with God to help her get through all of the struggles in her life; instead she consulted a minister that read tarot cards and predicted her future.” Uh, there’s absolutely nothing like that in the book I read. The last chapter and the Epilogue present a rousing contrast between the teachings of Roman Catholicism and the teachings of the Bible, much of which led Joanne to renounce the error and follow the truth. She is now a retired elementary school teacher and a popular speaker at women’s retreats. ...more

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Aug 05, 2015 Josephine rated it 3 of 5 stars

I felt so sorry for Joanne Howe as I read of her struggle to remain in the religious community of St. Joseph during the turmoil of the second Vatican Council in 1962. Joanne had longed for nothing else than to become an nun since the age of six, and this I think was strongly reinforced by the devout belief of her mother that she had had a sign at Joanne's birth that she should be a nun. Joanne persisted in trying her vocation and was happy until she entered the noviciate, it was then for the fir I felt so sorry for Joanne Howe as I read of her struggle to remain in the religious community of St. Joseph during the turmoil of the second Vatican Council in 1962. Joanne had longed for nothing else than to become an nun since the age of six, and this I think was strongly reinforced by the devout belief of her mother that she had had a sign at Joanne's birth that she should be a nun. Joanne persisted in trying her vocation and was happy until she entered the noviciate, it was then for the first time that the extremely strict rules of the order started to make her want to go home, her parents came to the convent and her mother having discussed it with Joanne urged her to continue. I do wonder if at this point, as a mother I would have said "come home". Joanne fought to be the perfect nun and was eventually fully professed, (meaning that she was promising to stay for life).
Joanne took the names of her two dead siblings for her name as a nun, Jeanne Raymond, she persisted in her vocation for an admirable 19 years. At the time of the Vatican Council many in the religious life found all the changes disturbing and upsetting and Joanne eventually decided to apply to the Vatican to have her vows annulled.
Of course, coming back into the secular world after so long was such a shock and Joanne was continually searching for (I think) something to hold on to and to take the place of the rigid regime of her past life ever since childhood. During her search Joanne does make a few mistakes and the she is recommended to a pastor of the New Testament Church and she starts reading the Bible with him, her views change dramatically and she then rejects all her belief in her Catholic faith and decides to live by the Bible and her own conscience. That is all fine but I did feel that at that stage in the book that she became a little 'preachy'. I know how zealous a convert can be and I understand that Joanne felt that she had found the right answer to her own particular questions, however, I do wonder how, having had such a strong faith for so long and having been a teacher of that faith and a Catechist Joanne was able to then completely reject all that teaching. What about all the children and adults that she had instructed in the faith? Do they feel now that they have been let down or misinformed?
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Jul 01, 2015 Pam M rated it 4 of 5 stars

True story. Joanne Howe is retired elementary school teacher. During early teen years, she wanted to become a nun. Which she did and served for 19 years.

This is the story of her journey in trying to serve our Lord as a Nu

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