A monk and a nun in the United Kingdom quit their celibacy to get married to each other after seven years of being in love. Sharing their unusual love story, the BBC reported that twenty-four years after becoming a nun, Lisa Tinkler, who was known as Sister Mary Elizabeth, found her entire world shifted on a rather ordinary day.
As per the outlet, Ms Tinkler had been living as a nun since the age of 19 at a convent in Preston, Lancashire, belonging to the Carmelite Roman Catholic religious order. She met Friar Robert, a Carmelite monk from Oxford, in 2015 at her convent and they accidentally brushed sleeves - a small gesture that caused them to leave their lives behind and chase love.
Ms Tinkler revealed that when Mr Robert was visiting from a priory in Oxford, she went to check if he wanted anything to eat. During this time, Ms Tinkler was left alone with Mr Robert. The two had never interacted before this, and she had simply heard him preach at mass during his occasional visits to the priory.
But when Mr Robert moved to leave the room, Ms Tinkler's sleeve brushed against his, which she said unleashed a jolt of energy. "I just felt a chemistry there, something, and I was a bit embarrassed. And I thought, gosh, did he feel that too. And as I let him out the door it was quite awkward," Ms Tinker told the BBC.
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After Mr Robert too felt the spark, the pair began thinking about each other more and more than developed romantic feelings. A week later, Mr Robert then sent Ms Tinkler a note asking her if she would leave the order to marry him.
"I was a little bit shocked. I wore a veil so he never even saw my hair colour. He knew nothing about me really, nothing about my upbringing. He didn't even know my worldly name," she recalled.
Further, Ms Tinkler revealed that after mustering courage, she disclosed her love for the monk to the prioress who left in utter disbelief. "The prioress was a little bit snappy with me, so I put my pants and a toothbrush in a bag and I walked out, and I never went back as Sister Mary Elizabeth," she said.
The couple said that transition was really hard for them. They were devastated and even read a book about nuns who quit the monastery for several reasons. Ms Tinkler said that the stories were so relatable that they both started crying. However, the couple revealed that although they struggled with their decision to leave the Carmelites, they don't regret it.
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According to the BBC, they are now married. They live in a home in the village of Hutton Rudby in North Yorkshire. Mr Robert revealed that he did receive a letter from Rome saying he was no longer a member of the Carmelite order. But now, While Ms Tinkler works as a hospital chaplain, Mr Robert got accepted into the Church of England and has been made a vicar of the local church.
