Rebel Hearts

By: Jennifer Vinzileos

True sisterhood is alive and well, especially when it comes to the sisterhood of nuns. Rebel Hearts pays homage to The Sisters of the California Institute of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary (The Immaculate Heart of Mary) and the controversy they dealt with during the 1960’s in the height of the cultural revolution. Amid push-back from the church and an old-school methodology after they were given the chance to reform their station, these women proved that it was time for a change—and they were willing to give up everything for that goal.

During his time as archbishop of Los Angeles, California, James Francis Cardinal McIntyre made it his mission to establish new parochial and high schools, over eighty in total. When it came time to staff the schools Cardinal McIntyre turned to The Immaculate Heart of Mary to staff them to save money on labor. As the Sisters were living on the grounds of their own established institution, Immaculate Heart College (IHC), they took to their new teaching positions and had to learn on the job skills. With no prior training in education, many Sisters would take classes on Saturdays to earn their teaching degrees and by the 1960’s, the nuns had more degrees than the men who chose to wore the cloth.

Many women who took their vows were looking for an independence that just wasn’t probable during the 1950’s and 1960’s. Post-World War II and into the 50’s and 60’s, women were encouraged to be housewives, to hold very little interests outside of their home and serve their spouse. The Immaculate Heart of Mary was considered a safe-haven for independently minded women, proven by the caliber of nuns that were teachers at IHC and Immaculate Heart High School. They were free thinkers, movers and shakers who were ready to bring the sisterhood up to date. With the changing of the times the nuns also took to changing the way they viewed their lifestyle, something that did not sit well with Cardinal McIntyre as he sought to rein in any type of reform. When Vatican II made the decision to allow the Sisters of Immaculate Heart of Mary to experiment with change, the results ended in the closing of the schools and over three hundred and fifteen nuns dispensing their vows—later forming a nonprofit community to continue their work for God.

Directed by Pedro Kos, Rebel Hearts delves deep into the sisterhood and teaches us that the cultural revolution affected everyone, even those with religious convictions. The testimonies of the nuns paint a picture of emerging independence within their profession. Everything was evolving and even the sisterhood wanted to be there with it. They were joining demonstrations and getting arrested with fellow protestors, speaking up about being forced into their educational roles in the schools, creating art that spoke to the counterculture and realizing that the rules of their institution were due for a change. Even when the church sent Priests and Bishops in to interrogate and rein them in after the experiment was over, most were ready to defend and refused to back down from what they believed was right. And, in extreme circumstances, even leave the very institution where they had pledged their vows to God.

As pointed out in the documentary there were many women who were outspoken and well-educated that chose to wear the habit, yet one stood out amongst the bunch, Sister Corita (also known as Corita Kent). Originally running the art department at IHC, Sister Corita used artistic expression to bring social justice to the surface. It was clear she ruffled the most feathers—or should I say robes. Kos takes the time to highlight Sister Corita’s contribution to not only the Immaculate Heart of Mary, but also in being a revolutionary. Her art reflected bold choices and had dabbled in “forbidden” areas of the church. She was one of the three hundred and fifteen individuals who left the church and continued to create, despite her exit. Today the Corita Art Center honors the memory of Corita who passed away in 1986 and allows her work to live on within the Immaculate Heart community.

The battle for social justice is ongoing, even as the times change. And for the “unruly flock” of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, they were ready to join the charge.

For more information on Rebel Hearts, please visit https://www.rebelheartsfilm.com/.