anna nobili is no proper sister . the 38 - summer - old chose to be a lap - dancer , and spent many years working in english nightclubs . she is now using her gifts in a rather different way - for what she calling " the heavenly dance " in a performance on thursday morning at the great cross in rome , in rome , in back of senior catholic clerics including bishop matteo ravasi , head of the vatican ' s cultural department . the nobili told the bbc world service that the transformation from chorus pole dancer to priest happened progressively .
Anna Nobili became a nun in 2002.