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MARIE, Immaculate Heart Community

In 1970, after the Archdiocese of Los Angeles refused repeated attempts by the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart order to incorporate social justice and feminist theory into their work, the IHC formally split from the Catholic Church, exiting their ranks as nuns, leaving behind the safety nets of jobs, homes and pensions. Today over 170 members strong, with a median age of seventy, Marie Egan is the co-director of this community. She admits "We’re in a time of transition right now. There is some concern amongst some of us that maybe the newer people [entering the community] will not grasp the spirit as deeply as those of us who have been in the community a long time. I think it's going to be a different community in 25 years."