The Smoking Cardinal Sisters are just one of the latest additions to the global organization of queer nuns that make up a great network of dedicated individuals focused on creating a better world by finding the joy in every day events and inspiring those around us by letting them know they are loved.
The North Carolina house has a considerably shorter history than the larger orgainizaion, but we wanted to present both of them here.
All things have their time and after talking to sisters from other houses we decided it was time for us to form a house.
Sisters from Atlanta, Nashville, and Tampa came to Greensboro to join us at Chemistry Nightclub
The Sisters went to Q Lounge and Chemistry Nightclub in Greensboro
The Sisters at Chemistry Nightclub in Greensboro
A group of our Sisters traveled to Nashville, TN for and met Sisters from Many other houses.
A wonderful evening of performances put on for the younger members of our community.
The Sisters at Chemistry Nightclub in Greensboro
The Sisters at stepping out on the streets of Raleigh
The Sisters at Chemistry Nightclub in Greensboro
The Sisters at Chemistry Nightclub in Greensboro
The Sisters at Chemistry Nightclub in Greensboro
The Sisters at Flex Nightclub in Raleigh
The Sisters at Chemistry Nightclub in Greensboro
The Sisters at Chemistry Nightclub in Greensboro
we held our First event "Community Turn About Show" at Chemistry Nightclub in Greensboro. The event was held to benefit the Triad Health Project. $520 was raised that night
We were invited to attend the CMF33 (Crape Myrtle Foundation) Grand Gala
Bar Ministry at Chemistry Nightclub in Greensboro
Bar Ministry at Chemistry Nightclub in Greensboro
UNPC Call and we became a MISSION!
Bar Ministry at Chemistry Nightclub in Greensboro
Greensboro Pride where worked the Chemistry Booth and was interviewed by the newspaper
Pre-Pride Party at Legends Nightclub in Raleigh
North Carolina Pride where we rode on the Flex Nightclub Float. Also went out to Flex Nightclub that night.
Bar Ministry at Chemistry Nightclub in Greensboro
Winston-Salem Pride
Phi Phi O'hara Show Benefiting the Sisters of Sacred Insanity's 501(c)3 fund. $590 was raised.
Bar Ministry at Chemistry Nightclub in Greensboro
Chemistry's One Year Anniversary and Red Party Starring Lineysha Sparx benefiting the Triad Health Project. We raised $1,379
Bar Ministry at Chemistry Nightclub in Greensboro
Some of the Sisters went on the Drag Race Cruise and manifested with other houses including Nashville, San Francisco, and Dallas
Chemistry Nightclub's Holiday Party
Fundraiser at Flex Nightclub with Adult Film Star Draven Torres benefiting the Alliance of AIDS Services. We raised $250
Bar Ministry at Chemistry Nightclub and Warehouse 29 in Greensboro
Durham Take Over's Anniversary at The Bar in Durham
Bar Ministry at Chemistry Nightclub in Greensboro a meeting was held that night and the name was changed to the "Smokin' Cardinal Sisters"
Some of our Sisters Traveled to Orlando for Kenya Nott's Novice Project the Perpetual Indulgence Ball
Jujubee at Chemistry Nightclub in Greensboro benefiting the Smokin' Cardinal Sisters' General House Fund. We raised $875
Some of our Sisters traveled to Nashville, TN for H8's A Drag
Stomp H8 in Nashville, TN
Bar Ministry at Chemistry Nightclub in Greensboro
Out!Raleigh Street Fair. Then that night we went out to Flex and Legends Nightclub
Bar Ministry at Chemistry Nightclub in Greensboro
Black Party at Flex Nightclub with Adult Film Star Draven Torres benefiting the Alliance of AIDS Services. We raised $302
Alliance of AIDS Services Drag Bingo
Bar Ministry at Chemistry Nightclub in Greensboro
The White Party at Chemistry Nightclub in Greensboro
We were invited to attend the CMF34 Grand Gala in Raleigh
Alliance of AIDS Services Drag Bingo
Charlotte Pride
Bar Ministry at Chemistry Nightclub in Greensboro
We were asked to tally the scores for the Miss NC Pride Pageant at Legends Nightclub in Raleigh
NvSr Raven B'Yotch was asked to Judge the Mr NC Pride Pageant at Flex Nightclub in Raleigh
Greensboro Pride Kick Off Party at Chemistry Club
Greensboro Pride & Out!Greensboro
Ladies of the 80's Drag Bingo for Alliance of AIDS Services
NC Pride Kick Off Party at Flex Nightclub
NC Pride Party at Club 15 with Seth Fornea and Flex Nightclub
North Carolina Pride ~ We had a float in the parade. That night we closed NC Pride at Flex Nightclub
Drag Brunch benefiting Alliance of AIDS Services
Bingo's A Witch ~ Drag Bingo for the Alliance of AIDS Services
Bar Ministry at Chemistry Nightclub in Greensboro for Chemistry's Freak Show. We sold Jello Shots that night for the general house fund
Bar Ministry at Flex Nightclub and Legends Nightclub
We were asked to come to Chemistry Nightclub to sell Jello Shots during a benefit show for an assault victim
Some of our Sisters sailed the high seas with other Sisters from Nashville, Louisville, and Minnesota
At Flex Nightclub and Legends Nightclub where we were joined by our new Postulant Sacralicious
We held a Drag Dinner with proceeds going to the Chatham Social Health Council we raised $580.
Studio 54 Drag Bingo for the Chatham Social Health Council
We held an HIV/AIDS educational event for the Sisters. That night we had a Bar Ministry at Chemistry Nightclub in Greensboro
Bar Ministry at Legends Nightclub
Sweetheart Bingo for Chatham Social Health Council
We were invited to attend the NC Softball League's Drag Lunch
Our 40th birthday is coming up soon and if you plan to celebrate with The Sisters the place to be is where it all started, San Francisco. You should start planning the trip early because I'm certain it's going to be a crazy good time.
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence® is a leading-edge Order of queer nuns. Since our first appearance in San Francisco on Easter Sunday, 1979, the Sisters have devoted ourselves to community service, ministry and outreach to those on the edges, and to promoting human rights, respect for diversity and spiritual enlightenment. We believe all people have a right to express their unique joy and beauty and we use humor and irreverent wit to expose the forces of bigotry, complacency and guilt that chain the human spirit.
Ken Bunch, who will later become Sister Vicious, PHB, (Vish) leaves Iowa City, Iowa, for the gay Mecca of San Francisco. Among the many treasures she brings to the City, are three nuns habits "borrowed" from a convent in Cedar Rapids.
Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Mosconi are gunned down in City Hall by Supervisor Dan White, a self-avowed Christian.
Once upon a time in a galaxy right here on Earth, three men venture into the Castro in nun's habits creating the "first manifestation" and a legend was born.
Gilbert Baker, who later became Sister Chanel 2001, creates the Rainbow Flag for the Gay Freedom Day Parade, which consisted of eight colors: Hot Pink (sexuality), Red (life), Orange (healing), Yellow (sunlight), Green (nature), Turqoise (magic/art), Blue (serenity/harmony) and violet (spirit).
This was the first gathering of Radical Faeiries called for by Harry Hay, who not only started the Radical Faeries but also the Mattachine Society in 1950 and said by some to be the grandfather of the modern LGBT rights movement. Attended by Edmund Garron (Sister Hysterectoria), and many others, who would return to San Francisco and begin building the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
The Sisters visited the San Francisco Costume Bank for the final fitting of their habits, having completed fitting of their new wimples on Feb. 29. Fourteen habits were being produced in this first run. Designed by Sister Hysterectoria, the headgear is based on a group of Flemish Nuns from the 16th century and looks like upside brassieres (to this day many Sisters refer to them as ear boobs).
The Sisters made their first public appearance at a march and rally in San Francisco against nuclear power on the first anniversary of the Three Mile Island disaster. Some organizers warned us not to participate. We were politically incorrect and drag queens, they said. We did in fact participate, jumping between the giant Mutant Sponges from the Farralon Islands and some Haight Street hippies pushing a coffin marked Capitalism. Carrying the banner created by Sister Secuba, the Sisters performed their "Rosary in Time of Nuclear Peril," a meditation on The Five Sorrowful Nuclear Realities: The U.S. bombing of Hiroshima, the U.S. bombing of Nagasaki, Karen Silkwood killed in Oklahoma, the Chernobyl disaster in Russia, and Three Mile Island. This was alternated with cheerful black and white pompom routines. That first official outing established the range of the ministry of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, from silly satire to thoughtful spirituality to political button-pushing.
Sisters on a Muni bus on their way to the group's first San Francisco Gay pride where they marched behind the Order's banner. They had just left the convent where Sisters Vish, Mish, Revernd Mother and Agnes lived on Ashbury.