#PopeMania 2015

Now that Pope Francis' historic U.S. visit has come and gone, I'm taking stock of the many Pope-related stories I've filed in recent months. Among the many interesting people and groups I profiled, churches I visited and cute kids I interviewed, these women who got to meet the Pope stood out. They are the sisters of the Lord and Virgin of Matara at the Monastery of the Precious Blood in Borough Park (what a mouthful!). They live a contemplative life, which means they never leave the grounds of the monastery. The only exceptions are for doctor appointments and major family events (funerals, weddings). They have little to no contact with the outside world, and were selected to send Pope Francis off when he departed JFK for Philly.

Who knew that in 2015 in the heart of the buzziest borough in the world, dozens of women are living a cloistered life? And they have no regrets.