What is the primary difference between a nun and a sister?

The primary difference is that a nun lives a cloistered, contemplative life inside a monastery, while a sister lives an active life serving the community through work like teaching or nursing.

Are the terms nun and sister interchangeable?

No, the terms are not interchangeable because a nun takes solemn vows and remains enclosed, whereas a sister takes simple vows and works directly in the outside world.

Which is better for someone who wants to serve the poor, a nun or a sister?

A sister is better for serving the poor directly because her active vocation allows her to live and work among those in need, unlike a nun who stays within monastery walls.

Does it cost money to become a nun or a sister?

No, it does not cost money to become a nun or a sister because religious orders typically cover formation expenses, though candidates may need to resolve personal debts before entering.

Is there a safety risk in joining a convent as a nun or sister?

No, there is no inherent safety risk in joining a convent, as communities maintain secure living environments, though sisters working in remote areas may face standard local risks.

Can a sister become a nun later in her religious life?

Yes, a sister can become a nun later if she feels called to a cloistered life, but she must seek permission from her order and undergo new formation for the stricter enclosure.

What is a common beginner mistake when distinguishing a nun from a sister?

A common beginner mistake is assuming all female religious are nuns, when in fact most are sisters who live and work outside the cloister in active ministries.

What is the real-world use case for a sister versus a nun?

A real-world use case for a sister is running a hospital or school, while a nun's use case is dedicating her life to constant prayer and silence within a monastery.

Are nuns and sisters compatible in the same religious community?

No, nuns and sisters are not compatible in the same community because their distinct vows and lifestyles require separate governance and living arrangements under canon law.

Can I switch from being a sister to a nun if I change my mind?

Yes, you can switch from being a sister to a nun if you change your mind, but the process requires a formal transfer approved by both the Vatican and the leaders of each order.

Difference Between

Difference Between Nun and Sister

Written byNex Virox Team

Editorial Team

Reviewed byVarshal Nirbhavane

Senior SEO & Organic Growth Professional · 5+ years

Published: September 2, 202619 min read

Quick answer

The main difference between Nun and Sister is that a Nun lives a cloistered, contemplative life within a monastery, while a Sister serves actively in the community through works like teaching or healthcare. Nun is a woman religious bound by solemn vows and strict enclosure, while Sister is a woman religious with simple vows who engages in apostolic ministry.

Key takeaways

Core distinction: A nun lives a cloistered, contemplative life in a monastery, while a sister serves actively in the community.
Vows and focus: Nuns take solemn vows focused on prayer and enclosure; sisters take simple vows centered on ministry and service.
Living arrangement: Nuns reside within a convent’s walls, whereas sisters live in apartments or houses among the people they serve.
Best-fit use: Use "sister" for teachers, nurses, or social workers; use "nun" for those in perpetual adoration or monastic orders.
Common mistake: Calling every Catholic woman religious a "nun" is inaccurate; most in the U.S. are sisters, not nuns.

Table of Contents18 sections

Difference Between Nun and Sister: Comparison Table

Aspect	Nun	Sister
Definition	Woman in a monastic order living enclosed, contemplative life.	Woman in an active religious order serving communities through works.
Primary Vows	Takes solemn vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience permanently.	Takes simple vows, often renewable annually or for fixed periods.
Living Arrangement	Resides within a cloistered monastery or convent enclosure permanently.	Lives in community houses but works outside in public settings.
Daily Schedule	Centers on fixed hours of prayer, silence, and manual labor.	Balances prayer with teaching, nursing, social work, or ministry.
Canonical Status	Bound by papal cloister and stricter papal approval for order.	Governed by diocesan bishop or order's constitution with local oversight.
Habit Style	Wears full traditional habit, veil, and often scapular daily.	May wear modified habit, simple dress, or secular clothing.
Typical Orders	Carmelites, Poor Clares, Trappists, and Dominican nuns.	Franciscan Sisters, Sisters of Mercy, and Maryknoll Sisters.
Public Interaction	Minimal; communicates through grilles or during designated visiting hours.	Extensive; works daily with students, patients, and parishioners.
Formation Period	Postulancy, novitiate, then solemn profession after 6-9 years.	Postulancy, novitiate, then temporary vows for 3-6 years.
Papal Cloister	Required to remain within monastery walls except for medical needs.	Not subject to papal cloister; travel freely for ministry assignments.
Historical Origin	Emerged in early Christianity with desert mothers and monastic rules.	Developed in 16th-17th centuries for active apostolic works.
Prayer Focus	Contemplative prayer, Liturgy of Hours, and intercession for Church.	Active prayer integrated with service, plus communal liturgy.
Financial Support	Relies on monastery income from goods, donations, or pension.	Earns salary from employers or receives stipends for services.
Community Size	Typically smaller, often 10-30 members per monastery.	Often larger congregations with hundreds or thousands worldwide.
Leadership Role	Abbess or prioress holds authority over monastery's spiritual affairs.	Superior general or provincial leads congregation's broader mission.
Vow Perpetuity	Solemn vows are perpetual and cannot be dispensed easily.	Simple vows may be temporary and renewed or made perpetual later.
Work Type	Handicrafts, gardening, baking, writing, or iconography inside walls.	Teaching, healthcare, social justice, advocacy, or parish ministry.
Clothing Symbolism	Full veil signifies complete separation from worldly affairs.	Shorter veil or no veil indicates active engagement with world.
Ecclesiastical Title	Often addressed as "Mother" or "Reverend Mother" in orders.	Commonly called "Sister" followed by religious name.
Geographic Presence	Fixed location; rarely transfers to other monasteries.	Mobile; assigned to different missions, cities, or countries.
Entrance Age	Usually requires mature age 18-30 with strong contemplative calling.	Accepts candidates from 18 up to 45 or older depending on order.
Education Requirement	High school diploma sufficient; advanced study for specific roles.	Often requires college degree for teaching, nursing, or social work.
Retreat Practice	Life itself is permanent retreat; no separate retreat periods.	Attends annual retreats or days of recollection for renewal.
Media Presence	Rarely appears in media; maintains strict anonymity.	May engage in public speaking, writing, or social media outreach.
Canon Law Reference	Governed by Code of Canons 607-609 for monastic life.	Governed by Canons 710-716 for societies of apostolic life.
Liturgical Role	Chants Divine Office daily in choir; participates in full liturgy.	Joins communal prayer but not bound to choral obligation.
Vocation Emphasis	Focuses on hidden sacrifice and prayer for Church's sanctification.	Focuses on visible charity and addressing societal needs directly.
Transferability	Rarely transfers; requires papal permission for order change.	May transfer between congregations with bishop's approval.
Best-Fit Scenario	Choose if called to silence, solitude, and intercessory prayer life.	Choose if called to active service, community engagement, and outreach.

What Is Nun?

Nun is a woman who takes solemn, perpetual vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience within a cloistered religious order. She dedicates her entire life to prayer, contemplation, and service inside a monastery. Nuns exist to devote themselves fully to spiritual life, separating from ordinary society to focus on divine worship and communal living.

Definition of Nun

Nun is a female member of a religious order who has professed solemn vows and lives a cloistered, contemplative life within an enclosed monastery. She follows a strict rule of life, such as the Rule of Saint Benedict, and observes papal enclosure. Her primary work is liturgical prayer, meditation, and manual labor within the convent walls.

Key Characteristics of Nun

Characteristic	What It Means in Practice
Solemn vows	She makes permanent, lifelong promises of poverty, chastity, and obedience that the Church cannot dispense easily.
Cloistered life	She remains within monastery walls, leaving only for medical care or approved essential business.
Papal enclosure	Her monastery follows strict Vatican rules limiting outside contact to protect her contemplative silence.
Liturgical prayer	She chants the Divine Office daily, praying the Psalms at fixed hours from early morning to night.
Habit and veil	She wears a full religious habit with a veil, symbolizing her complete separation from worldly fashion.
Community living	She shares meals, work, and recreation with sisters in a common life under one roof.
Manual labor	She supports herself through baking altar breads, gardening, sewing vestments, or making handicrafts.
Contemplative focus	Her primary mission is intercessory prayer for the Church, not active teaching or nursing.
Elected superior	Her community elects an abbess or prioress to govern them according to their constitutions.
Stability vow	She promises to remain in her specific monastery for life, not transfer between convents freely.

Common Examples of Nun

Saint Teresa of Ávila – a 16th-century Carmelite reformer who founded the Discalced Carmelites and wrote mystical classics.
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux – a 19th-century Carmelite nun known for her "Little Way" of spiritual childhood.
Saint Hildegard of Bingen – a 12th-century Benedictine abbess, composer, and visionary who wrote theological works.
Saint Clare of Assisi – a 13th-century follower of Saint Francis who founded the Poor Clares order.
Saint Scholastica – a 6th-century Benedictine nun and twin sister of Saint Benedict, founder of Western monasticism.
Saint Catherine of Siena – a 14th-century Dominican tertiary who counseled popes and influenced Church politics.
Sister Maria Celeste Crostarosa – an 18th-century Redemptoristine nun who founded the Order of the Most Holy Redeemer.
Saint Rose of Lima – a 17th-century Dominican nun in Peru, the first canonized saint of the Americas.
Mother Mary MacKillop – a 19th-century Australian nun who founded the Sisters of Saint Joseph, now Saint Mary of the Cross.
Saint Teresa of Calcutta – a 20th-century nun who, though active, began as a Loreto nun and lived cloistered vows before founding Missionaries of Charity.

Advantages and Limitations of Nun

Advantages	Limitations
Deep contemplative life offers uninterrupted daily prayer and silence for spiritual growth.	Strict enclosure cuts her off from family events, friendships, and modern social participation.
Clear, stable rule of life removes daily decision fatigue about career, money, or relationships.	She surrenders personal autonomy; an abbess directs her work, reading, and even correspondence.
Strong communal bonds with sisters provide lifelong emotional and practical support.	Isolation can breed loneliness, especially for older nuns whose original community members die.
No personal property means freedom from debt, mortgages, and consumer pressure.	She cannot own a car, phone, or personal savings, limiting independence and emergency options.
Her intercessory prayer is valued by the Church as a hidden but powerful apostolate.	Her work is rarely visible, so outsiders may dismiss her life as useless or unproductive.
Fixed daily rhythm of prayer, work, and rest protects mental health through routine.	Monotonous manual labor like sewing or baking can feel tedious and intellectually unchallenging.
No romantic partnership or childbirth means freedom from marital conflict and parenting stress.	She forfeits biological motherhood and intimate companionship, which some find emotionally painful.
Vows are permanent, offering lifelong security of food, shelter, and belonging.	Leaving the cloister after many years is extremely difficult, requiring papal dispensation and re-entry into society.
Contemplative orders preserve ancient traditions of chant, manuscript copying, and liturgical art.	Modern technology is restricted, so she may lack access to the internet, news, or medical advances.
Her life directly models the Gospel call to renounce worldly goods for heavenly treasure.	Strict silence and enclosure can suppress personal expression, creativity, or leadership ambitions.

What Is Sister?

Sister is a title used within Christian religious communities, primarily for women in apostolic orders who serve the world through active ministry. Sisters live in community, take vows, and dedicate their lives to education, healthcare, and social justice work rather than cloistered contemplation.

Definition of Sister

A sister is a woman religious who belongs to an apostolic congregation, taking perpetual vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience while engaging in active works of charity, teaching, or nursing outside monastery walls. Unlike cloistered nuns, sisters focus on external service and typically live in smaller community houses.

Key Characteristics of Sister

Characteristic	What It Means in Practice
Apostolic vocation	Sisters serve in schools, hospitals, and missions rather than remaining inside a cloister.
Community living	Sisters share housing, prayer, and resources in small convents or houses.
Active ministry	Daily work involves direct contact with the public in teaching, nursing, or advocacy roles.
Vows taken	Public promises of poverty, chastity, and obedience are made to the congregation.
Simple habit	Modern sisters often wear plain clothing or a modified veil instead of full medieval garb.
Congregational governance	Sisters answer to a superior general and local leaders within their own order.
Flexible schedule	Prayer times fit around work commitments rather than fixed monastic hours.
Professional training	Most sisters hold degrees in education, nursing, social work, or theology.
Public engagement	Sisters participate in civic life, social movements, and interfaith dialogue.
Global presence	Many congregations operate across multiple countries with international membership.

Common Examples of Sister

Sister Teresa of Calcutta – founded the Missionaries of Charity to serve the poorest in India and worldwide.
Sister Helen Prejean – American nun whose anti-death-penalty advocacy inspired the film Dead Man Walking.
Sister Mary Joseph Dempsey – established a pioneering hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota, serving the working poor.
Sister Corita Kent – artist and educator whose pop-art serigraphs combined faith with social commentary.
Sister Joan Chittister – Benedictine author and speaker on peace, women's rights, and church reform.
Sister Simone Campbell – led the Nuns on the Bus campaign advocating for economic justice in the US.
Sister Mary Ignatius – fictional character from Christopher Durang's play satirising rigid Catholic education.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe – gospel singer and guitarist whose style heavily influenced early rock and roll.
Sister Mary Scullion – co-founded Project H.O.M.E. in Philadelphia, providing housing for the homeless.
Sister Dorothy Stang – murdered in Brazil while defending rainforest communities from illegal logging.

Advantages and Limitations of Sister

Advantages	Limitations
Sisters directly serve marginalised populations through hands-on daily work.	Active ministry leaves limited time for extended contemplative prayer and solitude.
Apostolic congregations adapt quickly to emerging social needs like refugee aid.	Many orders face severe age demographics with few new vocations joining.
Sisters hold professional qualifications that make them credible in secular workplaces.	Vows of obedience can restrict personal autonomy in career and life decisions.
Community life provides built-in emotional and spiritual support networks.	Living in small convents may mean fewer resources than large monastic institutions.
Sisters can engage with public policy and advocacy without parish constraints.	Financial dependence on salaries or donors creates vulnerability during economic downturns.
Flexible structures allow sisters to relocate where ministry needs are greatest.	Lack of cloister means less protection from burnout and work-related stress.
Modern dress allows sisters to blend in and build trust in secular environments.	Without distinctive habits, sisters are often invisible and their role misunderstood.
Congregations pool resources for healthcare, retirement, and mission funding.	Centralised governance can slow decision-making on urgent local matters.
Sisters model lay collaboration by working alongside non-religious colleagues.	Church hierarchy sometimes marginalises sisters' voices on doctrinal questions.
International networks enable rapid response to global humanitarian crises.	Cultural differences within global congregations can create communication friction.

Similarities Between Nun and Sister

Shared Aspect	How Nun and Sister Are Alike
Religious Vows	Both a nun and a sister profess lifelong vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience within the Catholic Church.
Core Purpose	Both a nun and a sister dedicate their lives to serving God through prayer, community life, and active ministry.
Community Living	A nun and a sister both live in intentional religious communities, sharing resources, meals, and daily prayer together.
Prayer Foundation	Both a nun and a sister prioritize daily liturgical prayer, including the Liturgy of the Hours and Eucharist.
Church Membership	A nun and a sister are both fully recognized members of the Catholic Church's consecrated life.
Formation Process	Both a nun and a sister undergo postulancy, novitiate, temporary vows, and final profession before permanent commitment.
Spiritual Authority	Both a nun and a sister answer to religious superiors and ultimately to the Pope through their order's governance.
Habit Wearing	Both a nun and a sister may wear a religious habit or a distinctive symbol, depending on their order's customs.
Charism Focus	A nun and a sister both follow a specific charism, such as teaching, healing, or contemplation, from their founder.
Canonical Status	Both a nun and a sister are consecrated persons under canon law, with rights and obligations defined by the Church.
Vow of Poverty	Both a nun and a sister renounce personal ownership of property and share all goods in common.
Vow of Chastity	Both a nun and a sister commit to celibacy, dedicating their capacity for love entirely to God and neighbor.
Vow of Obedience	Both a nun and a sister promise obedience to God, their superior, and their order's constitution.
Daily Schedule	Both a nun and a sister follow a structured daily timetable balancing prayer, work, study, and rest.
Ministry Engagement	Both a nun and a sister serve others, whether through teaching, nursing, social work, or hospitality.
Lifelong Commitment	Both a nun and a sister intend their vows to be permanent, with no planned end date to their consecration.
Spiritual Formation	Both a nun and a sister receive ongoing spiritual direction, theological education, and retreat opportunities.
Order Affiliation	Both a nun and a sister belong to a specific religious institute, such as Benedictines, Franciscans, or Carmelites.
Ecclesiastical Approval	Both a nun and a sister belong to orders approved by the Vatican, ensuring their way of life meets Church standards.
Prayer for Church	Both a nun and a sister intercede daily for the Pope, bishops, priests, and the universal Church.
Sacramental Life	Both a nun and a sister regularly receive the sacraments of Eucharist and Reconciliation as spiritual nourishment.
Service to Poor	Both a nun and a sister prioritize outreach to marginalized, poor, and vulnerable people in society.
Community Accountability	Both a nun and a sister are accountable to their community for their conduct, finances, and ministry decisions.
Ongoing Education	Both a nun and a sister pursue continuous learning in theology, scripture, and professional skills for ministry.
Spiritual Warfare	Both a nun and a sister engage in spiritual battle through fasting, prayer, and intercession against evil.
Witness to Gospel	Both a nun and a sister serve as visible signs of God's love through their radical way of life.
Global Presence	Both a nun and a sister may serve internationally, crossing cultural and geographic boundaries for mission work.
Retirement Care	Both a nun and a sister receive care from their order in old age, with community support for health needs.
Legacy of Faith	Both a nun and a sister contribute to the Church's heritage through prayer, works, and inspiring future vocations.
Vocational Calling	Both a nun and a sister discern a divine call to religious life, responding freely to God's invitation.

Nun or Sister: Which Should You Choose?

The single variable that decides it is your vow of enclosure. A nun lives a cloistered, contemplative life inside a monastery. A sister lives an active life serving the community outside convent walls. Choose based on whether you seek prayer seclusion or public ministry.

When to Use Nun

Choose Nun when you feel called to strict cloistered prayer, away from the outside world. Choose this path if you seek contemplative silence and a life of intercession. Nuns take solemn vows, live inside monastery walls, and rarely leave. This suits those who prioritize solitude over active service.

When to Use Sister

Choose Sister when you feel called to active public ministry, like teaching, nursing, or social work. Choose this path if you need daily community interaction and flexible living arrangements. Sisters take simple vows, live in convents, and work directly with people. This suits those who serve God through outward action.

Common Misconceptions About Nun and Sister

Common Myth	The Reality
All nuns are sisters, and all sisters are nuns.	The terms are not interchangeable; a nun lives a cloistered, contemplative life, while a sister serves actively in the community.
A nun must live inside a convent wall forever.	A nun takes solemn vows and lives in a monastery or convent, but a sister lives and works in the wider world.
The Catholic Church officially uses both words to mean the same role.	Canon law formally distinguishes them: a nun takes solemn vows, while a sister takes simple vows and does apostolic work.
A sister can never become a nun later in life.	A sister can transfer to a cloistered order and become a nun, though the process requires formal permission and new vows.
Both nuns and sisters must wear a full traditional habit at all times.	Many sisters wear modern clothing or simple veils, while most nuns in cloistered orders still wear the full habit daily.
Nuns and sisters both take the exact same three vows.	Both take poverty, chastity, and obedience, but a nun adds stability and a stricter enclosure rule to her solemn vows.
You can become a nun right after high school without any training.	Both nuns and sisters complete a multi-year formation period, including postulancy, novitiate, and temporary vows before final profession.
A sister is always younger than a nun in the same community.	Age does not define the roles; a sister can be older than a nun, and both roles include women of every generation.
Protestant women who lead churches are called nuns or sisters.	Protestant female clergy are pastors or ministers, while the terms nun and sister apply specifically to Catholic or Orthodox religious women.
Nuns and sisters cannot own any personal property at all.	They cannot use personal income freely, but many religious orders legally hold property in common trust for the community's needs.
Every woman in a convent is automatically a nun.	A convent may house sisters, nuns, novices, and postulants, and only those with solemn vows are technically nuns.
The word sister only refers to a biological sibling in religious life.	In Catholic usage, sister is a formal title for a woman in an apostolic order, not a reference to family relation.
Nuns never leave their monastery for any reason whatsoever.	Cloistered nuns may leave for medical care, voting, or approved family emergencies, though they normally remain inside the enclosure.
Sisters work only as teachers in Catholic schools.	Sisters serve as nurses, social workers, lawyers, chaplains, and administrators in hospitals, prisons, and missions worldwide.
Becoming a nun requires a college degree in theology.	No formal degree is required to enter, though nuns and sisters often study theology or other fields during their formation.
A nun prays all day and never does any practical work.	Cloistered nuns balance prayer with manual labor like baking altar breads, gardening, sewing vestments, or writing icons.
Sisters are less holy than nuns because they work outside.	Holiness is not measured by enclosure; a sister's active service is a valid and equal vocation within the Church.
You must be a virgin to become either a nun or a sister.	The Church requires chastity going forward, but a widowed or divorced woman with a nullity decree can enter religious life.
Nuns and sisters cannot vote in national elections.	They are full citizens and vote in elections, though they may choose to abstain for personal or religious reasons.
All nuns and sisters belong to the same single global order.	There are hundreds of distinct orders, like the Dominicans, Franciscans, and Carmelites, each with its own rule and charism.
A sister takes a vow of silence and cannot speak to outsiders.	Most sisters speak freely in daily work; only some cloistered nuns observe periods of silence, not a permanent vow.
Nuns and sisters are the same as monks, just female versions.	Monks are men in monastic orders; nuns are cloistered women, and sisters are active women, so the terms are not gender swaps.
You can call any Catholic woman in religious life "Mother".	Mother is a title for a superior or abbess, while most women religious are correctly addressed as Sister or Nun depending on their order.
Nuns and sisters cannot use the internet or social media.	Many sisters run websites and social accounts for ministry, and some cloistered nuns use email for ordering supplies or communicating.
Leaving religious life means you were never truly a nun or sister.	A woman who leaves after valid vows was genuinely a nun or sister; dispensation from vows does not erase her past vocation.
Nuns and sisters are all elderly because no young women join now.	Young women still enter both cloistered and active orders, though numbers vary widely by region and community.
A sister cannot pray the Liturgy of the Hours alone.	Both nuns and sisters pray the Divine Office daily, either together in choir or individually when their work prevents communal prayer.
Nuns and sisters must give up all contact with their families forever.	Most nuns and sisters maintain contact with family through visits, phone calls, and letters, subject to their order's customs.
The habit a nun wears is identical to the habit a sister wears.	Each order has a distinct habit; a Carmelite nun's brown tunic differs sharply from a sister's modern suit or simple veil.
Being a nun or sister is just a job you can quit anytime.	It is a lifelong consecrated vocation; leaving requires a formal process of dispensation from the Vatican or local bishop.

Conclusion

Difference Between Nun and Sister is that a nun takes solemn perpetual vows and lives strictly enclosed, while a sister takes simple vows and serves actively in the world. Choose nun for cloistered prayer; choose sister for community ministry and outreach.

FAQs on Difference Between Nun and Sister

What is the primary difference between a nun and a sister?: The primary difference is that a nun lives a cloistered, contemplative life inside a monastery, while a sister lives an active life serving the community through work like teaching or nursing.
Are the terms nun and sister interchangeable?: No, the terms are not interchangeable because a nun takes solemn vows and remains enclosed, whereas a sister takes simple vows and works directly in the outside world.
Which is better for someone who wants to serve the poor, a nun or a sister?: A sister is better for serving the poor directly because her active vocation allows her to live and work among those in need, unlike a nun who stays within monastery walls.
Does it cost money to become a nun or a sister?: No, it does not cost money to become a nun or a sister because religious orders typically cover formation expenses, though candidates may need to resolve personal debts before entering.
Is there a safety risk in joining a convent as a nun or sister?: No, there is no inherent safety risk in joining a convent, as communities maintain secure living environments, though sisters working in remote areas may face standard local risks.
Can a sister become a nun later in her religious life?: Yes, a sister can become a nun later if she feels called to a cloistered life, but she must seek permission from her order and undergo new formation for the stricter enclosure.
What is a common beginner mistake when distinguishing a nun from a sister?: A common beginner mistake is assuming all female religious are nuns, when in fact most are sisters who live and work outside the cloister in active ministries.
What is the real-world use case for a sister versus a nun?: A real-world use case for a sister is running a hospital or school, while a nun's use case is dedicating her life to constant prayer and silence within a monastery.
Are nuns and sisters compatible in the same religious community?: No, nuns and sisters are not compatible in the same community because their distinct vows and lifestyles require separate governance and living arrangements under canon law.
Can I switch from being a sister to a nun if I change my mind?: Yes, you can switch from being a sister to a nun if you change your mind, but the process requires a formal transfer approved by both the Vatican and the leaders of each order.