A nun who took a vow of poverty nearly 40 years ago says many people misunderstand what it means

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July 23, 2017 3:06 PM

Sister Amy Hereford told Wealthsimple that being a nun in modern-day America is about communal living.

Minimalism is catching on. Amy Hereford is not pictured.

Nearly 40 years ago, Amy Hereford took a vow of poverty.

She lives in an ecovillage outside of St. Louis, Missouri, along with four other women, where it costs her about $100 to garden and to eat for a month, and where possessions like her computer are "for her use" — but not hers.

It's all part of being a nun.

Hereford, a Sister of St. Joseph, explained to Wealthsimple what it means to take a modern-day vow of poverty.

She said it isn't exactly like people may think. It's not so much scraping by as it is living communally. "I'm a simplicity freak," she said. "I don't need or want a lot of stuff."

In her day-to-day life, she:

She told Wealthsimple that generally, she loves not having to worry about what she'll eat or what she'll wear. Her only concern is retirement. Communities like hers, rather like the populations of some countries, are becoming top-heavy, with more older members dependent on the earnings of younger workers than there are younger people to earn. "

Read the full interview at Wealthsimple »

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