Nuns Adopt Stray Dog To Live in Their Convent, Now Called 'Sister Jennifer'

Monica Clare, Sister Superior of the Community of St. John Baptist, New Jersey, has captured the attention of millions online after sharing a video of a rescue dog that resides at her Northeastern convent and the sweet relationship the Episcopal nuns there have fostered with the pooch.

The nun told Newsweek: "The sisters got Jennie the convent dog, sometimes referred to as Sister Jennifer, through a local rescue shelter but she was born in North Carolina and her birthday is July 7, 2011."

Clare's video, which has been viewed over 800,000 times since it was first shared to TikTok on November 16, introduced viewers to 'Sister Jennifer' and her devotion to attending chapel services.

The nun revealed in the post that even though the convent runs six chapel services a day, Jennie the rescue dog is always guaranteed to be in attendance at every single one of them.

The viral video, which has warmed hearts across the Internet, features footage of Jennie snoozing on blankets and observing guests while watching the convent's daily chapel services from the sidelines.

Clare had shared in the post that the border collie mix breed likes to "count" all those in attendance to make sure that the other nuns in the convent are present too.

"She gets really peeved if someone is missing," Clare said.

The nuns' community was formed in the Church of England in 1852 and many animals in need have been welcomed as convent pets over the last 171 years. Sister Jennifer is just the latest in a long line of companion pets ranging from birds to ponies who have benefitted from their embrace of animals.

Clare told Newsweek that the nuns at the convent forge close relationships with the animals they rescue, getting to know all their likes, dislikes, and quirks over the years they reside together.

"She has a favorite song, it's 'Happy Birthday'," Clare said. "Whenever we sing it, she goes completely nuts and wags her tail so hard we think she's going to fall over."

"Although Jennie is a rescue dog, she required very little training when she came to us. She is extremely well-behaved and she really does attend all six of our daily chapel services," she said.

The TikTok-savvy nun said that Jennie got her penchant for 'herding' the nuns owing to her border collie characteristics. Clare hopes that the convent's love and respect for animals is evident through the TikTok post which has become an unlikely hit online.

She told Newsweek: "We dote on our pets and they provide a wonderful ministry to us and our guests. One of our Sisters wrote a book about a convent pony we had. He started out as a neighborhood stray pony and the Sisters took him in. He was here for 27 years!"

What Do the Comments Say?

Since it was shared on the social media platform by @nunsenseforthepeople on November 16, the TikTok post has been liked by over 160,000 users and commented on more than 1,100 times.

"She's even dressed like the Sisters. Black and white," one user observed.

"I believe St. Francis would approve," another user said.

The post appears to have united TikTokers of all religious backgrounds, as numerous users have taken to the video's comments section to share how their own pets interact with their chosen way of worship.

"My cat is obsessed with my dad's prayer mat (we're Muslim). We got him his own mini mat, but he only sits on my dads, right after my dad prays," one user wrote.

Another user wrote: "My friend's synagogue has a cat that likes to hang out with the minyan at morning prayers. I love seeing animals in religious spaces."

"My cat likes to sit on my lap for Torah study," wrote a different user.

A fourth user shared: "The Monsignor at my Catholic School had a good boy that went with him everywhere."

The post had been captioned: "We have six chapel services a day, and Jennie the Convent dog is so devout she attends them all. Unless she is otherwise occupied by napping on her chair."

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