Catholic Nuns and Embraced Motherhood

Abstract Motherhood, often equated with biological childbirth, extends beyond mere procreation to encompass nurturing, caregiving, and transformative relationships. This paper extends traditional notions of motherhood by examining how Catholic nuns redefine maternal roles through their autobiographical writings. Drawing on Julia Kristeva’s concept of ‘virginal maternal’, the paper highlights how nuns navigate the tensions between submission and resistance within patriarchal ecclesiastical structures. The paper explores the autobiographical texts by Catholic nuns from Kerala, India, and analyses how nuns assert their agency and craft narratives that empower them and amplify their voices in spaces where they have historically been marginalized. The autobiographical texts explore themes of mother-daughter bonds, relational motherhood among nuns, spiritual motherhood, and virgin motherhood. By engaging with these themes, the paper underscores how autobiographical narratives serve as acts of liberation and agency, enabling nuns to challenge traditional gender norms and reimagine their roles. These narratives do more than recount personal histories; rather, they construct counter-publics, offering a profound redefinition of motherhood and womanhood within and beyond the Church.