Spanish Cloistered Nuns See Surge In Vocations

[four_waters]

I think you all have pinpointed it. This seems to be often the case whenever there is a new boom in vocations in a certain community, that is; it usually seems to be traced back to the faithfulness of one person, who allowed the plan of God to unfold in their lives (as Saint Faustina stated; [i]"Let no soul, even the most miserable, fall prey to doubt; for, as longas one is alive, each one can become a great saint, so great is the power of God's grace. It remains only for us not to oppose God'sactions."[/i])[i].[/i]

A similar circumstance occurred in the Philippines with a priest who joined the FI. Wherever this priest was sent, he would draw many new vocations. Today there are over 60 postulants to the FI in the Philippines alone, whereas in America and Italy (where the FI have the most houses) there are maybe just 4 or 5.

In this way, we see the great efficacy in the holiness of just one person, who, with his love for God alone, can help inspire that love in others. The holiness of one person is enough to inflame not just a community, but an entire region to new fervor of sanctity. As it is said, it only takes a tiny spark to generate a sweeping conflagration.

Edited November 7, 2009 by four_waters

[HisChild]

[quote name='four_waters' date='07 November 2009 - 10:14 AM' timestamp='1257614080' post='1997754']


Another factor may also be that the the culture in certain countries is more disposed to abandoning oneself to grace and to trust, whereas in more 'advanced' countries like America (where there is greater spirit of independence [or, self-will] and less trust), the mentality is naturally more opposed to the action of grace.
[/quote]


And here it is in a nutshell, that abandonment of self will. We've been taught at such a young age to 'look out for number one' that knowingly or unknowingly, we're disallowing grace... and what's even sadder is that there are many who recognize this but don't know where to go from that point, how to allow Grace back in.

[four_waters]

bump (for the interest in charismatic religious communities).

[sistersintigo]

[quote name='Orans' date='06 November 2009 - 02:29 AM' timestamp='1257485355' post='1996975']
There is a story told about the brother [color="#ff8c00"][[/color][color="#ffa500"][color="#ff8c00"]s[/color]ibling][/color] of B[b]rother Rafael [color="#ff8c00"][Saint Brother Raphael OCSO[/color][/b] [color="#ff8c00"]canonized[/color] [color="#ff8c00"]Oct'2009][/color][b] ,[/b]who was a Carthusian monk living for some time in the Trappist monastery of Dueñas due to his work in promoting the process of beatification of his brother. As novice [master] when a candidate would show up he would ask: [i]"Do you have a girlfriend?".[/i] If the answer was no, he would ask again [i]"do you have a job?"[/i] And if the answer was [i]"no"[/i] he said, [i]"then go to the world, and when you have something to leave behind then come again."[/i]

Somehow the Poor Clares of Lerma make good what was said about the [b]Jesuits,[/b] "who is not suited for the world is not suited for the Company."
[/quote]

Off the top of my head, I am guessing that the newly canonized Trappist brother Raphael must have been one of the martyrs in Northwest Africa, where Muslims predominate; that entire group of religious was a group of Trappist [OCSO] monks.
So, his birth-brother entered the Carthusian order? There is more than one monastery of Carthusian monks in Spain alone, wonder if the two brothers were of Spanish origin. Oh, dear. I am resisting a temptation to digress and ramble on the topic of Spanish charterhouses...don't go there, it would take all day.
Regarding Spain: a recent report from the Order of Preachers' [Dominican order -- St Dominic would not permit the order to be officially named for him] Promoter of [cloistered] nuns, fr. Brian Pierce OP, observed that Spain has more communities of contemplative nuns than any other country in the world....and they are rapidly dying out. What he says is certainly true where monasteries of cloistered OP [Dominican] nuns are concerned, and as their Promoter it is he who has to help the nuns to relocate/merge/suppress/shut-down their communities as need be. I don't see how the surge in young Poor Clare vocations could possibly be too much, given these circumstances.

[sistersintigo]

I was wrong. I apologize. My bad....
Just checked out the OCSO/Trappist monks known as The Atlas Martyrs. Not a Raphael in the lot. Brother Raphael must be somebody else entirely.
Moreover, my post presumed that the Atlas Martyrs were from Spain...wrong, they were French Trappists.
Okay, I'll see if I can scare up this Saint Brother Raphael OCSO, whoever he was. Sorry about that.

[sistersintigo]

[quote name='Orans' date='06 November 2009 - 02:29 AM' timestamp='1257485355' post='1996975']
There is a story told about the brother [color="#ff8c00"][[/color][color="#ffa500"][color="#ff8c00"]s[/color]ibling][/color] of B[b]rother Rafael [color="#ff8c00"][Saint Brother Raphael OCSO[/color][/b] [color="#ff8c00"]canonized[/color] [color="#ff8c00"]Oct'2009][/color][b] ,[/b]who was a Carthusian monk living for some time in the Trappist monastery of Dueñas due to his work in promoting the process of beatification of his brother. As novice [master] when a candidate would show up he would ask: [i]"Do you have a girlfriend?".[/i] If the answer was no, he would ask again [i]"do you have a job?"[/i] And if the answer was [i]"no"[/i] he said, [i]"then go to the world, and when you have something to leave behind then come again."[/i]
[/quote]

Once more, with feeling! The saint is Trappist/OCSO Rafael Arnaiz Baron. A Spanish bishop who helped with his canonization was interviewed, and answered the interviewer's question: "What role did his family play in his sainthood?" The bishop answered (this was all in Spanish):
He had very religious parents, very pious people, daily Mass, daily communicants. Rafael had a brother who became a Carthusian monk, and with this latter, I myself had a number of conversations. Once I asked Rafael's brother: "Why did you enter the Carthusian order?" He replied, "I became a Carthusian in order to become a saint. My brother Rafael went to 'La Trappe' because he was already a saint."
When Rafael's brother spoke to me about their birth-family, he said:
"What a saint was my brother --
but, oh, how much greater a saint was our mother."

Edited August 6, 2010 by sistersintigo

[DevotedtoHim]

Praised be to God!

[LadyOfSorrows]

What a beautiful, beautiful order! I saw this video a few months ago. Spain needs this terribly!

[Rising_Suns]

For the men here,

Apparently this community has a male branch as well. I do not know anything about them other than what the sisters told me in a letter. But if they are anything like the sisters, they will be passionately in love with Our Lord (the way it should be!).

.

[Religious-Vocation]

Just an update for anyone who may be interested, this community changed its name to Iesu Communio, and is an order of pontifical rite (https://iesucommunio.com/).

Here is a brief explanation of their story (see below). It is really quite remarkable, how one young holy woman can save a convent from extinction and attract a wave of new vocations; 

http://fatherdavidbirdosb.blogspot.com/2011/09/iesu-communio-remarkable-story.html

As an aside, they seem to have a unique charism, like "come and see what the Lord does for us."  Interesting idea of allowing lay visitors to see the nuns singing and praising God. I'm sure it no doubt helps spark new vocations as well. If I ever get a chance to visit Spain, it would be nice to stop by and visit the community in person.

-Davide

Edited November 16, 2020 by Religious-Vocation

[Guest]

What a remarkable story!  I really like the simplicity of their habits too (with a tear in my eye).

Thank you for sharing.

Scroll down on the following link and see the remarkable number of nuns in their chapel. https://iesucommunio.com/  (I think it is a chapel while big enough to be a parish church).

 

 

Quote

"Sr. Pureza de Maria Lubian, 70, now abbess of the convent in Burgos, was her formation director and remembers her Sr. Veronica as "a lovely girl.”

“Very noble and very good,” recalls Sr. Puerza de Maria. Sr. Vernoica “was 18 and had a future. She left everything. She followed the call of God. She had a rich personality. She was always a leader. And, spiritually, she had a great vocation.” (cut and paste from the opening post to this thread by @laetitia crucis

 

Edit.  From the same opening post "Sr. Puerza de Maria also notes that though Sr. Veronica faced many “struggles and difficulties,” she perservered and submitted to God's plan for her life.'

[andibc]

Similar to what happened at the Carmel of JMJ in Valparaiso Nebraska, but on a smaller scale.  No vocations, aging community, 18 year old enters and a few years later vocations start pouring in. Fifteen years later so many vocations that new Carmelite foundations were established in Kensington, Elysburg, Idaho, Australia, Fairfield and the refounding of the Carmel in Philadelphia, which has now seen many entrances and a few professions after dozens of years with no vocations.  God cannot be outdone in generosity!

[Guest]

1 hour ago, andibc said:

 God cannot be outdone in generosity