Do Religious People Live Longer?

Last year during the week before Easter, I had the privilege of staying at a Franciscan Center at Mount Saint Francis, just north of Colorado Springs, Colorado. This Catholic center, home of the Saint Francis of Assisi Parish and motherhouse for the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, is nestled between the Garden of the Gods on one hand and the U.S. Air Force Academy on the other. (What contrasts in neighbors!)

I was there for a business meeting, with hosting provided by the sisters. During meal breaks it was a treat to walk the grounds. The high altitude and dry climate had once been considered ideal for victims of tuberculosis, and the grounds still featured a little model TB isolation hut where patients lived in the 40's.

The sisters at Mt. Saint Francis, like their namesake (Saint Francis, patron saint and renowned lover of nature and animals), are on very friendly terms with the area deer. You could easily walk within several feet of the deer. Frequently during our meetings we would look up to see a deer nibbling grass right outside our meeting room. What an atmosphere. Of course, the sisters admitted the deer also got too friendly with their flowers come summer, but that's another story.

On one of my walks I explored the cemetery on the grounds. There I was struck by the longevity of our hosts! The convent life certainly seemed to agree with them, because especially among the older grave makers (late 1800's) most of the sisters had lived at least until 90-many were in their upper 90's at death.

I pondered the stress-reducing aspects of life on these grounds. Even for those sisters who worked away during the day, consider these perks: retire nightly in the shade of the majestic Rockies; walk where the deer, chipmunks, rabbits and birds play; all meals provided; participate in reassuring prayers and hymns at least three times a day; no children or spouse to worry about. I can see how I might live longer with that lifestyle.Harold Koenig, a doctor and director of Duke University's Center for the Study of Religion (Durham, N.C.) has brought attention to the role religion plays in helping people live longer. Koenig and other doctors feel that religious rituals, coupled with the social aspects of our church communities, can contribute to a person's mental, and consequently physical, well-being. Plus, religious adherents generally have healthier lifestyles: limited drinking, smoking, unsafe sex.

So, do persons of faith live longer? Of course the answer has to be: not always. But at least now we are more aware of the benefits of faith toward living a long and healthy lifestyle. Rita Robinson, writing in Kiwanis magazine (Feb. 2000), quotes Mary Lou O'Gorman, religion director of the National Association of Catholic Chaplains: "After much soul searching, patient care is looking at the idea that we can't treat the disease without getting to the heart of the person."

Most of us wouldn't want, nor are we called to live in a monastery or convent. But we are wise to incorporate traditions, rituals or practices that allow us to take time apart from non-stop appointments. Perhaps you began or returned to a time of meditation in your daily routine during Lent: don't let it go just because Easter is now here.

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Contributed by Melodie Davis from her weekly columnANOTHER WAY (http://www.thirdway.com/aw/).For information on using Another Way in a local newspaper, contact:ANOTHER WAY, 1251 Virginia Ave., Harrisonburg, VA 22801-2497; or call1-800-999-3534; fax at 540-434-5556; or email me at:Melodie@mennomedia.org