Dominican Nuns in Gozo, Malta
Faculty Mentor
Julia Smith
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
4-14-2026 2:00 PM
End Date
4-14-2026 4:00 PM
Location
PUB NCR
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Anthropology
Abstract
This paper explores the lives of nuns in Gozo, Malta and how their religion is a cultural system- shaping identity, a role in the community, and lived vocation. In July 2025, I conducted ethnographic fieldwork involving interviews and participant observation within a local convent. As trust developed across a language barrier, I learned about nuns’ childhoods, spiritual journeys, and the meaning they find in their motto: To give to others the fruit of our contemplation. Viewed as a call to compassionate service and a desire to give each individual respect and dignity, caregiving is seen as “not just a job, but a vocation”.
Recommended Citation
Hill, Keisha, "Dominican Nuns in Gozo, Malta" (2026). 2026 Symposium. 11.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2026/ps_2026/p3_2026/11
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Dominican Nuns in Gozo, Malta
PUB NCR
This paper explores the lives of nuns in Gozo, Malta and how their religion is a cultural system- shaping identity, a role in the community, and lived vocation. In July 2025, I conducted ethnographic fieldwork involving interviews and participant observation within a local convent. As trust developed across a language barrier, I learned about nuns’ childhoods, spiritual journeys, and the meaning they find in their motto: To give to others the fruit of our contemplation. Viewed as a call to compassionate service and a desire to give each individual respect and dignity, caregiving is seen as “not just a job, but a vocation”.
