The Great Read: Will Sister Mary Kay Turn Out the Lights?
An influential order of nuns decided to complete its mission when the last sister dies. The only question left is how to finish well.
The New York Times
The Great Read

April 15, 2026, 2:01 p.m. Eastern time

On weekdays and Sundays, we recommend one piece of exceptional writing from The Times — a narrative or essay that takes you someplace you might not expect to go.

A woman holds her hands over a bowl as water is poured onto them from a pitcher.

Michelle V. Agins/The New York Times

Will Sister Mary Kay Turn Out the Lights?

An influential order of nuns decided to complete its mission when the last sister dies. The only question left is how to finish well.

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