What are the motifs in The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett?

Religion is a recurring idea in this novel because the house that Rose goes to to have her baby is run by Catholic nuns. Rose is raised Catholic, therefore she understands the religion and has already accepted its canons. However, many of the other girls who come to St. Elizabeth's are not Catholic, some not even religious. Somehow all these girls find themselves embracing the religion, however, as their bodies change to become something unrecognizable and they find themselves facing a future they dread.