WHO ARE THE SISTERS?

Who are the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence?

We are The South Florida Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, The House of the Rising Sun. Formed as a 501(C)(3) public charitable organization, we are dedicated to the support, education, and development of the GLBTQ+ community. The S.F.S. was founded January 24, 2009 and Fort Lauderdale was introduced to the Sisters during the weekend celebration of Pride Fest.

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence came into existence Easter weekend in 1979. Four men dressed in full traditional nuns habits went out into the San Francisco community and began what has become the Sisters' mission. "The Sisters are an order of 21st Century nuns dedicated to the promulgation of omniversal joy and the expiation of stigmatic guilt. Our ministry is one of public manifestation and habitual perpetration." Since then, many have heeded the calling and there are now hundreds of Sisters, manifesting in countries all around the world. The South Florida Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are dedicated to continuing the work started by those 4 Sisters, those many years ago. The name of SFS reflects our desire to shine upon our community through charitable acts, community outreach, and education; doing so, in a fashion that "promulgates universal joy" and "expiates stigmatic guilt".

Mission Statement and Core Values

We 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. Our Mission is: To encourage self-expression and diversity, engender acceptance, foster tolerance, and educate those within and outside of the GLBTQ+ Community by promoting love and laughter through community services and fundraising, but ultimately setting the example that to sin is human, but to indulge without shame is divine.

Our Core Concepts:

S.P.A.R.K.L.E.

S hine for Your Community
P romote Personal Growth
A spire to Elevate Others
R eflect the Sisterhood with Pride
K indness above Shade
L augh at Yourself
E xperience Life Responsibly

Get Into A Great Habit!

To become a Fully Professed Sister of Perpetual Indulgence

...is not a short and simple process. By the time a Sister or Guard recites their final vows, they are ready to represent the Order to their community and has earned the community's trust and respect. Although each House of the Sisters has different criteria for progression, it generally takes almost a year of blood, sweat, and tears (blood from the fabulous shoes that don't quite fit, sweat from the darling black wool Chanel number you thought was a good idea for "parade wear", and tears from the eyelash glue that managed to seal your eye shut). There are four levels of learning what it takes to become a Sister:

Aspirant, Postulant, Novice, and Fully Professed.

Aspirant:

An Aspirant is someone who is just beginning on their journey. As an Aspirant, you are expected to be in attendance for a minimum of three (3) months to as many Sister events as you can make, and at least one meeting each month. This is intended to give you an idea of the level of time, energy, and emotional commitment. If you feel that you can handle it, after a minimum of three (3) months, you can ask to progress to Postulant.

Postulant:

A Postulant is where the fun starts! For a minimum of three (3) months, your task is to learn about the Sisters and the House. You get to wear the tank-top black dress with a white collared dress shirt underneath, and the Postulant "visor" headpiece. You begin to experiment with the white face makeup with assistance from your Big Sister or Big Brother. As a Postulant, you may paint your eyes and cheeks, but not your mouth. Symbolically, this shows that you are learning through observation (the eyes), but you are not qualified to represent the House yet (no mouth). On a practical side, this gives you an opportunity to practice your make up skills, since everyone looks at your eyes first. When you have met the requirements, you can ask to be progressed to Novice.

Novice:

A Novice Sister or Guard is now a step away from their final vows. For the next minimum of six (6) months, having just learned about the Sisters, you now learn how to be a Sister and take your Novice vows of community service. There is a visual change as well. Gone are the tank top black dress with white collared dress shirt and the "visor" headpiece. They are replaced with the Fully Professed headpiece with a white veil and your choice of BLACK dress. And, not to forget, you now have a mouth! You get to paint lips; You will need them now, 'cause you're part of the SHOW! Actually, maybe not a show, but each Novice Sister or Guard is required to produce a Novice Project. This is an event, fundraiser, whatever, that teaches you how to utilize the resources of the House so that when you become a Fully Professed Sister or Guard, you will be a one nun fund-, awareness, hell-raising machine! At the end of the minimum of six (6) months, it is time for the big progression to become a Fully Professed Sister or Guard.

Fully Professed:

A Fully Professed (FP), or "black veil" is a full member of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. The Fully Professed headpiece remains but the white veil has been traded for black (or any other color of your choosing). You are now able to wear any "habit" of your choosing also. You then take your final vows of community service. This promotion also means that you are now qualified to represent every other member of the Order and are able to support your community to the best of your abilities and talents. Once you are a Fully Professed Sister or Guard, you are a Sister or Guard for life!

The South Florida Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, House of the Rising Sun, Inc. is a full functioning non-profit corporation in the state of Florida. All content, except where noted is © Copyright of The South Florida Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, House of The Rising Sun, Inc. The multi-pointed star, the "sister holding a heart", and with its wording are all trademarks of The South Florida Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, House of The Rising Sun, Inc.

Blessed Be!