Who are these Sisters and what do they do?

The Portland Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, The Order of Benevolent Bliss, Inc. is a fully professed House of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. As a 501(C)3 public charitable organization, we are dedicated to the support, education, and development of the GLBT community. The Order was founded June 18, 2005 at the beginning of Portland's Pride weekend. With the help of our Sistes from The Abbey of St. Joan in Seattle, Portland was introduced to the Sisters during that weekend celebration. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence came into existence Easter weekend in 1979. Four men dressed in full traditional nun habits went out into the San Francisco community and began what has become the Sister's mission. The Sisters 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. Since 1979 many have heeded the calling and there are now hundreds of Sisters, manifesting in countries all around the world. Some people say we are mocking nuns. We don't mock them, we honor them. We are the nuns of the gay community. We take our vows very seriously and, like our counterparts, we strive to educate, care for the sick, and help others through charitable acts and fundraising. The Portland Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are dedicated to continuing the work started by those 4 Sisters 30 years ago. The name of our House reflects our desire to help our community through charitable acts, community outreach, and education; doing so in a fachion that promulgates universal joy.

Sisters Love A Party!

Part of the Order's mission is to help other charitable organizations raise money. The Sisters help
put Fun back into Fundraising. If your organization would like the Sisters to help out, just fill out the online
Event Request Form or send us an email at events@portlandsisters.net at least one month before your event.

What does it take?

	Becoming a Sister is a process that takes a year, or more, to complete. There are four stages to a Sister's journey. Even after going through the process, a Sister continues to learn from her community, and from her fellow members every time she goes out.
	Aspirant - The first step is to get to know us. You'll need to talk with the Mistress of Novices. She'll assess your motivations for wishing to join the Order and will try to determine if you will be a good fit. Remember, desire isn't enough to be a Sister and it truely isn't for everyone. An Aspirant is just beginning their journey. They have seen the Sisters, watched the work we do, and have felt the calling. This is a period to give you an idea of the time, energy, and emotional commitment being a Sister requires.

Postulant- A Postulant is where the fun starts. The Postulant's task is to learn about the Sisters and of The Order. Postulants wear a black robe and Gray cowl, as well as the signature white face makeup. Postulants have 2 Big Sisters (Sponsors) who help guide and train them during this part of their journey.

Novice- There is a visible change between the Postulant and the Novice. Gone is the grey cowl. Novices wear a black robe with a white bib, scapular, and veil. The white veil signifies the Sister is still in training.

Fully Professed Sister-A Fully Professed Sister, or" Black Veil", is a full member of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. She dresses how ever her imagination takes her, while wearing the signature white face of a Sister of Perpetual Indulgence. A fully professed Sister takes vows, and is given a black veil as a symbol of her progression.