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In Once Upon a Time season 1 episode 14, the plotline revolves around "the nuns" trying to sell candles, and one of the main stories is Leroy/Grumpy falling for Sister Astrid/Nova the fairy. When Mary Margaret/Snow White finds out about this, she has exactly the reaction one would expect about a man falling for a nun. (Basically: "She's a nun. What part of unavailable did you fail to understand?")

However, we've repeatedly heard people refer to Snow herself as Sister Mary Margaret, but nobody bats an eyelash at the fact that she's in love with David/Prince Charming. Well, they do, but only because she's seen as a homewrecker, not because she's a nun who broke her vows.

So, what gives? Exactly what is Mary Margaret's occupation in Storybrook?

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    Mary Margaret is a teacher at Henry's school.
    – DJClayworth
    Commented May 18, 2012 at 14:51
  • @DJClayworth: and your point is...?
    – Martha
    Commented May 18, 2012 at 16:04
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    Giving an answer to the question "Exactly what is Mary Margaret's occupation in Storybrook?".
    – DJClayworth
    Commented Jun 19, 2012 at 17:09

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She's been referred to in the media as Sister Mary Margaret, but in the show itself, I can't recall anyone ever referring to her as Sister. There was a leak before the show began that she would be a nun, but the actual show has never shown her to be a nun.

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  • Hmm. I do seem to recall hearing "Sister" within the show, but it was in one of the earliest episodes, so it's possible that my brain is making things up. Anybody own these on DVD and can confirm or deny?
    – Martha
    Commented Oct 15, 2012 at 22:15
  • The OUaT-Wiki links the (original) Pilot script: zen134237.zen.co.uk/Once_Upon_A_Time_1x01_-_Pilot.pdf wherein MM is in fact a school teacher AND a nun, but that was dropped for the actual show (I assume, since it is never mentioned). Otherwise her ONS with Whale would have had her freak out more than it already did.
    – BMWurm
    Commented Jul 28, 2014 at 12:01
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To pull from a Catholic website, it is possible to be a "Sister", but not a nun:

First, let’s look at the difference between nuns and sisters. A nun is a woman who belongs to a religious order and takes the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Their vows are publicly accepted by superiors in the name of the Church and solemn. In general, solemn vows are professed by members of religious orders after a period of temporary, simple vows. When bound by solemn vows, a woman is a nun but is commonly called "Sister" (although some orders use another formal title, like "Dame" or "Mother"); when bound by simple vows, a woman is a sister, not a nun, and thereby called "Sister."

This would seem to imply that she's a teacher at a Catholic school, and her temporary vows have to do with being allowed to work there. Alternatively, given the quote above, she may become a nun in a future episode.

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