A 25-year-old nun, Sister Cristina Scuccia, wowed judges this week on Italy's version of
The Voice with her rendition of Alicia Keys's "No One," according to reports from
Catholic News Agency.
A member of the Ursuline community, Sister Cristina sang in a traditional habit, and she was accompanied to the performance by four other nuns and her parents.
When asked if she was really a nun, she replied, "Yes, I am truly, truly a sister."
"I came here because I have a gift and I want to share that gift. I am here to evangelize," she added.
New fans of the singing sister took to Twitter, using the hashtag
#suorcristina. Among them was Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, who expressed support for her performance.
She said she's hoping for a phone call from Catholicism's biggest star, Pope Francis.
According to the
New York Daily News, Sister Cristina advanced to the next round. See her performance below.
MICHAEL O'LOUGHLIN is The Advocate's religion writer. Follow him on Twitter at @mikeoloughlin.