It's one of those stories that really reminds me that "popular culture" means more than just what's on TV, and at its best can mean something like a whole town coming together for something that's purely celebratory.

The monk/friar identification is understandable, as is the nun/sister mixup, which is much more common. Monks and nuns live in communities apart from the world and devote themselves to prayer and contemplation. Friars and sisters live in the world, preach the word of God, solicit alms for good works, and travel from place to place. The Franciscans and the Dominicans are friars, for example, and they're pretty easily encountered. But even a religious nerd like me has rare monkspotting opportunities.