BBC News presents an article, “The US socialite who gave it all up to become a Carmelite nun.” The article recounts the story of Sister Mary Joseph, a Carmelite nun who died recently at age 92. Her story is compelling, “far from traditional.” “Until she dedicated herself to a life of prayer she was known as Ann Russell Miller, a wealthy San Francisco socialite who hosted lavish parties, had season tickets to the opera and was the mother of ten children.”
After her husband’s death, Ann Miller joined the Carmelite order, dropping her hundreds of former friends and her family, her swirling social life and contacts with dozens of philanthropic interests. She lived in cloistered isolation for over thirty years until her recent death. The article details her life, including insights from one of her children.