Extern Sisters

[sistersintigo]

This is not my own experience, but a carefully edited re-telling of what has been shared, and posted, by someone else. This individual entered a cloistered monastery; was asked/directed to leave, which they took very painfully; shares today about their experience which lasted a year or two.

This discerner, who I guess went from postulant and novice and then no further, shared what they observed at their monastery.

This monastery, besides the "Choir" monk/religious, had individuals participating at three other levels. One at a time, let's start from outside the enclosure and work our way in, back to the "choir" solemn-professed religious.

One individual could be observed outside, in secular dress. The person lived away from the monastery, and never entered the enclosure during the time our observer/discerner was trying their vocation. However, everybody inside, all the community members in the enclosure, knew this person well. Those who knew the secular-dressed person best, were those who needed to be driven to appointments at: clinics, hospitals, dentists, doctors, and so on; also those who ran errands under obedience, like shopping or negotiating of some sort. It emerged, that this driver, in secular dress, had entered the monastery some time ago, to try their vocation; then, a parent became critically ill, and the person was allowed to return to the outside world, to take care of said parent. In the end, the person decided voluntarily not to return to the enclosure, and made neither public vows, nor private promises. However, there were no hard feelings whatever, and this person, while no longer under obedience, was regarded as a member of the family, in a way. This individual was/is referred to as a "FAMILIAR."

Our next individual wears the habit, and moves back and forth through the access to the monastery enclosure. Lives in the enclosure, and at the same time, is under obedience to represent the community to visitors, relatives from outside, the driver who does the driving for outside errands, in truth anyone who communicates to the monastery approaching from the outside. This is a professed religious under vows; although not the "solemn-professed" vows of the choir religious, the vows are perpetual, and part of their vow of obedience is to respond to needs of the monastery that require access to the world beyond the enclosure. This is the "EXTERN" religious.

The reason our third example confuses people outside, is that this third participant is better known on the inside of the enclosure, really, than in the external/secular world. This third community member has agreed to make the gift of themselves to this monastery. However, Number Three has not professed vows at all. The community has accepted, with gratitude, the voluntary gift of this person's presence and participation in their contemplative, monastic vocation. Number three is not, however, under obedience as such; and expectations/requirements are rather gentler in the demands of, say, the asceticism of the life. For example, Number three attends prayer in daytime, but the Night Office to which the others are bound, which breaks nightly sleeping time into two short periods, is not required of Number Three who remains quietly in cell while the others pray the Night Office and the Matins (eg, Carthusians). Number three, when the community members fast, like as not is permitted to eat, although in the privacy of their private space. So the rule of the life is relaxed for this person, who nevertheless prefers, and has agreed, to give entirely of themselves to the enclosed life. This voluntary gift may be made one year at a time, then renewed every year. And this individual is a "DONATE."

[brandelynmarie]

Nooooow I get it!

[sistersintigo]

[quote name='brandelynmarie' date='28 March 2010 - 12:52 PM' timestamp='1269791538' post='2081970']
Nooooow I get it!
[/quote]
Many thanks to YOU, Brandi. You made my day.

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

[quote name='Indwelling Trinity' date='13 March 2010 - 02:57 PM' timestamp='1268510272' post='2072456']

Even though my typing is lousy..LOL I feel in a very tiny way and i say tiny( for I am no writer) Some of the conflict that i think Merton did. He was a true monk and hermit in an order known for speaking only a few words: yet he generated prolific number of writings which stemmed from his own life in Christ. It was a fire in him that had to be let out and given to others. If he did not, He could never be the monk he was called to be.

[/quote]

You are definitely a writer! And, I will pray that your MS stays in remission (or partial remission)--whatever its status is now.

I wanted to give your post a +1 but the computer told me I had used up all my +1's for the day! I don't remember giving any at all today, but maybe I did. I guess as a newbie I am limited to only one +1 day. So, consider your post "plussed." LOL

[brandelynmarie]

[quote name='sistersintigo' date='28 March 2010 - 02:15 PM' timestamp='1269796524' post='2081999']
Many thanks to YOU, Brandi. You made my day.
[/quote]

I'm so very glad What orders have donates? Is it just the Carthusians?

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

[quote name='brandelynmarie' date='28 March 2010 - 12:42 PM' timestamp='1269798140' post='2082016']
I'm so very glad [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/blush.gif[/img] What orders have donates? Is it just the Carthusians?
[/quote]

The sisters across the street from me, Sisters of Christian Charity (not to be confused with the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity) have a number of volunteers. (That is what Sister Helen calls them.) They help the elderly sisters in non-medical ways. Although Sister Helen calls them volunteers, I think many of them are "Companions of Pauline" who are called "associate members" of the Order. The volunteers also do a lot of driving of the elderly sisters to the doctor, on errands, etc. None of the volunteers live in the convent.

Granted, this is an active order, not a contemplative one, but it provided a definition of what an "associate" might be.
And, although the elderly sisters have not taken a vow of enclosure, all except for a few are essentially "enclosed" for health reasons.

The elderly sisters themselves take turns answering the door and the phone, each one for an hour at a time. This works well for me, because I know that I can call Sister Helen during the 5:00 pm hour, and I won't be taking her away from prayers or work.

Edited March 28, 2010 by IgnatiusofLoyola

[sistersintigo]

[quote name='brandelynmarie' date='28 March 2010 - 02:42 PM' timestamp='1269798140' post='2082016']
What orders have donates? Is it just the Carthusians?
[/quote]
I only know of Carthusian donates myself.
With other monastic contemplatives, like the Camaldolese Benedictines who have hermits as well as cenobites, these places may have oblates which are different than donates. Actually I don't think it is possible or practiced for anyone to have BOTH donates and oblates. I guess it has something to do with stability and abbeys...you can hear my back scraping against the wall at this point. Reaching the limits of my info.

[AccountDeleted]

The Norbertine nuns in Tehachapi California have Donatas as well.

[truthfinder]

There are the Passionists in Whitesville who have a claustral oblate who would be very similar to a donate, but I believe that she takes no vows; the community just comes to an understanding as found in their Rule and Constitutions.

[Totus Tuus]

[quote name='truthfinder' date='29 March 2010 - 01:21 AM' timestamp='1269840065' post='2082432']
There are the Passionists in Whitesville who have a claustral oblate who would be very similar to a donate, but I believe that she takes no vows; the community just comes to an understanding as found in their Rule and Constitutions.
[/quote]

The Passionists also don't take a vow of papal enclosure. I visited this community but I don't remember talking to them about the claustral oblate...

[brandelynmarie]

[quote name='nunsense' date='28 March 2010 - 07:37 PM' timestamp='1269815832' post='2082220']
The Norbertine nuns in Tehachapi California have Donatas as well.
[/quote]

I think I am going to be looking into this...just being open to new ideas Thanks!

[truthfinder]

[quote name='Totus Tuus' date='29 March 2010 - 05:32 AM' timestamp='1269862351' post='2082550']
The Passionists also don't take a vow of papal enclosure. I visited this community but I don't remember talking to them about the claustral oblate...
[/quote]


Whoops, I used the wrong term. I meant Passionist Affiliate Oblate. You can read their definition [url="http://www.passionistnuns.org/blog/?p=133"]here[/url] in the bottom half of the post, and see Christie signing her committment [url="http://www.passionistnuns.org/blog/?p=130"]here[/url]