We are the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, The Abbey of St. Joan, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization comprised of men and women dedicated to the support, education, and development of our community.
In 1979, the Motherhouse in San Francisco announced the reason for our existence. “We are an order of 21st Century nuns dedicated to the promulgation of universal joy and the expiation of stigmatic guilt. Our ministry is one of public manifestation and habitual perpetration. No more guilt!” That simple direction, to bring joy where there is none, and to remove the guilt that keeps you from being your beautiful self, has, over the last 25 years, spawned a world-wide phenomenon while at the same time landing us on the Pope’s list of Heretics in 1987—go figure. There exists, today, a Sister presence on five continents (there were already too many penguins in Antarctica, it would just be too confusing).
The Abbey of St. Joan, in Seattle, Washington, continues the mission of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. We chose the name of St. Joan to honor the strength, courage and self-giving of this historic woman. Over the years, we have grown, but our mission has remained unchanged. We continue to educate the public on safer sex issues, we fight for queer rights and visibility, we address women’s issues and the needs of homeless youth, and support other community organizations that share our vision.
We are often asked, “Why are you mocking nuns?” Well, we ARE nuns, silly! We recognize what “women of the cloth” have done over the centuries. They raise money for the needy, we raise money for the needy. They tend to the sick, we tend to the sick. They build their communities, we build our community. They have taken vows of celibacy, we… we have raised money for the needy. We are nuns for the 21st Century!
