Proper Prefix for Nuns

Question

I was working on the Suggestion report for Alabama and don't know what to put in the Prefix for a Nun.  It has an error now with Sr. but if I put Sister it will probably also cause an error.

What is the proper prefix?

Thanks,

Sheila

Comments

Not sure if this still occurs but if the forename wasn't a Saint name some Nuns changed their name.

Answer 1

Sheesh. The "problem" that generates the db warning has NOTHING to do with proper usage for addressing a nun.

The issue is that the computer at Wikitree+ is programmed to recognize "Sr" as an abbreviation for "Senior" that is a valid entry in the Suffix field. The computer hasn't been told that it is also an abbreviation for "Sister", and as such is appropriately placed in the Prefix field.

Get rid of the db warning by marking it as a false suggestion, or by spelling out "Sister." And maybe Ales Trtnik will consider revising the programming to make this an acceptable prefix.

Answer 2

I think the abbreviation has to be in the suffix box rather than the prefix box. This is my understanding of the correct formatting for Sisters or Brothers of religious orders.

Comments

That won't work too well.  If you put 'Sr' in the Suffix box, it acts like an abbreviation for Senior.  Like "John Smith Sr".

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The proper way to address a nun is: Sister (name), (initials of the order)

When speaking to her it is: Sister (name)

Answer 3

Birth given name - Mary
Birth surname (LNAB) - Beckman
then
"Sister Mary Whatever" in the Other Nicknames field

Comments

I agree but obviously not everyone does. Last year, a data doctor twice changed,  Mary (first name) ''Sister Mary Peter'' (nickname) to Sister (prefix) Mary (first name), Peter (middle and preferred name)  which not only created a data  error but displayed completely incorrecty.

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Thank you, I did that. I don't think it looks very good.  A sticker might be more appropriate.

Regards,

Jack Parker

Answer 4

Sr. in the prefix is in common use in Wikitree as an abbreviation for the title of Sister  /  it is only a suggestion by the checking system for you to confirm if this is correct or not , as against meaning senior, which should be a suffix as the system -  If it stands for Sister ( as in a Nun) then you can safely just mark it as false.

Answer 5

Sister is a prefix in common usage as Sist. or Sr.

Prior to about 50 years ago, Nuns took (chose or were chosen for them) different first names than their given birth names.  Since then, they generally have the option to keep or change their name.  

These name changes will sometimes show up on Social Security and other records too.

Answer 6

It probably depends to some extent on where you are and the origin of the order of nuns. If the nun was referred to as Sister that is their title.

As a person who was educated from age 5-13 in Roman Catholic convent schools, the title of a nun was Sister not Str which means what? or Sr which also has no defined meaning. The second school I attended was run by a French order, the nuns were called Mother as in Mother Margaret Mary and the head mistress as Ma Mere.

Comments

The commonly accepted abbreviation for Sister is Sr (not Str which is more likely used for Street), but it will generate a DBE "suggestion" wanting it placed as a suffix.
It just needs to be marked as a False Error when this does happen.
Ros's answer is possibly the best way to show in the data fields that she was known by a religious name, and avoids the problem of Sr as a prefix with a birth name following, especially if she was one who chose a different religious name.  Although I'd be more inclined to add the religious name to the preferred name fields, as it wasn't a nickname. (I've a cousin, Emily, who was Sister Freda.)

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I think most Nuns would prefer Sister over an abbreviation, it is part of their name, their way of life, not just a title - at least the ones I've known or have in my family tree.

The only time I've seen Str was in a few religious books from years ago that used it as S^TR which comes across differently in reading style than Str.

I attended Catholic school for a few years too, it was always Sister spelled out before the name in formal use unless they held a higher title like Reverend Mother or Mother Superior.  We were allowed to write Sist. as an accepted abbreviation if writing something informally (not often) it is probably no longer used today.  

In current listings, things like that, or on some websites, for nuns I've seen SR. in caps more than Sr. which I guess makes sense to distinguish it from the other main use of Sr. even though that is a suffix and not a prefix.

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The only priests and nuns I have known personally were Australian, and none of them would have objected to Sr as a prefix.  In fact, more than one of them signed for purchases using Sr Name, Convent/School (mid 1970s).
I guess, as with so many things, it depends on where they were, and what was standard, or acceptable, for their place and time.

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I am aware that "Sister Mary Whatever" isn't a nickname.  It's purely technical; putting it into the 'Other Nicknames' field is where it will display properly.

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Yeah, I know you know. 
It's a thing with how the field is named, rather than anything else.
So either "nicknames" or "preferred name" works with Sr Name, or Sister Name, but NOT if also using the prefix field.

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Just to get a little more clarity on this topic, I looked at correspondence from my cousin who is a nun in Australia  . She belongs to the Sisters of the Good Samaritan of the Order of St Benedict.

She signs correspondence as Sister Veronica plus her last name then SGS. The SGS for Sisters of the Good Samaritan.

She suggests put the SGS or equivalent for other orders as a suffix after the person's name and the religious name in her case Sister Veronica in the other names field.

Answer 7

Thanks for all the information, everyone!