Yay! I'm Finally Here!

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

It took me a lot more than 10 posts to finally be allowed to post in Vocation Station. I'm wondering whether perhaps the posts I made on the "Lame" Board didn't count toward the 10. (They WERE lame.)

I live across the street from a convent of 50 retired religious sisters. Now I have to figure out the technology so I can post a picture of "my" sisters.

I know many of you will disapprove, because "my sisters" wear a modified habit, instead of the full habit. But, they all wear identical clothes (black skirt--slightly below knee length, white blouse, black jacket or sweater, black stockings and shoes). In the summer they sometimes substitute the black skirt and jacket/sweater for a cooler light blue. And, yes, they wear black veils--somewhat short, but definitely veils. These are the first religious sisters I've ever met personally, and they sure look like "real" religious to me! My favorite sister is Sister Helen, who has just celebrated her 60th jubilee. I suspect she'd have some terse words for anyone who intimated that she was less than a "real" religious sister because she no longer wears a long habit. LOL I've never asked her how she felt when the order switched from the traditional habit. She never minces words, so I know she'd tell me, but I feel like it might be an invasion of privacy to ask. Some day perhaps.

[osapientia]

[quote name='IgnatiusofLoyola' date='21 March 2010 - 12:07 PM' timestamp='1269184054' post='2076890']
It took me a lot more than 10 posts to finally be allowed to post in Vocation Station. I'm wondering whether perhaps the posts I made on the "Lame" Board didn't count toward the 10. (They WERE lame.)

I live across the street from a convent of 50 retired religious sisters. Now I have to figure out the technology so I can post a picture of "my" sisters.

I know many of you will disapprove, because "my sisters" wear a modified habit, instead of the full habit. But, they all wear identical clothes (black skirt--slightly below knee length, white blouse, black jacket or sweater, black stockings and shoes). In the summer they sometimes substitute the black skirt and jacket/sweater for a cooler light blue. And, yes, they wear black veils--somewhat short, but definitely veils. These are the first religious sisters I've ever met personally, and they sure look like "real" religious to me! My favorite sister is Sister Helen, who has just celebrated her 60th jubilee. I suspect she'd have some terse words for anyone who intimated that she was less than a "real" religious sister because she no longer wears a long habit. LOL I've never asked her how she felt when the order switched from the traditional habit. She never minces words, so I know she'd tell me, but I feel like it might be an invasion of privacy to ask. Some day perhaps.
[/quote]

I'm sure "your" sisters are delightful...they certainly have given good witness to you. As for Sr Helen, speaking only for myself anyone with 60 years in religious life is invited to be as terse as they like in regard to any intimation I might make.

Welcome!

*edited because I forgot to say "Welcome"

Edited March 21, 2010 by osapientia

[CatherineM]

Lame board posts don't count anymore. The used to.

Welcome. I don't have an issue with nuns who don't wear full habits. I think sometimes what happens is that those sisters who are dissenters don't wear habits, so they get lumped together with real sisters who aren't dissenters but also don't wear a traditional habit.

You don't have to make apologies for that.

[laetitia crucis]

Nice to see you've finally made it here to the Vocation Station!

Like CatherineM said, Lame Board posts no longer count. Back in 2006 when I first joined, they did... I have no idea when it was changed.

I think it must be wonderful to live so close to SO many religious Sisters! What a blessing! I would love to live close to a convent of Sisters, especially if Jesus is there in the Blessed Sacrament.

"I live next door to (or across the street from) Jesus."

And if one lives in a convent (with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament present), how beautiful it must be to say, "Jesus lives [i]here[/i]." I always found that so very consoling.

[HisChild]

Welcome! It's good to 'meet' you. I pray you find a home on this phorum. Your sisters sound absolutely lovely, btw.

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

[quote name='laetitia crucis' date='21 March 2010 - 07:41 PM' timestamp='1269214881' post='2077201']


I think it must be wonderful to live so close to SO many religious Sisters! What a blessing! I would love to live close to a convent of Sisters, especially if Jesus is there in the Blessed Sacrament.

"I live next door to (or across the street from) Jesus." [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/D.gif[/img] [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/smokey.gif[/img]

[/quote]

I don't know if the Sisters across the street practice Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, but since they have their own chapel, I assume the Blessed Sacrament is always exposed.

The order is not enclosed (it is an active order--most of the retired nuns were teachers), but I have never seen the inside of the convent beyond the visitor's parlor.

One of the things that impresses me most about the order is that they do their best to make adaptions for the many Sisters who are no longer able to fully participate in all the rituals of religious life, because of poor health. One example that Sister Helen told me about is that, when the priest comes to say Mass, he he adapts it for the Sisters who are now longer able to kneel as they once did. During certain portions of the Mass, where traditionally the Sisters would kneel, the priest tells ALL the Sisters to sit instead. Sister Helen told me, "Since we are under obedience, if Father tells us to sit, we sit." Some of the Sisters probably would be able to kneel, but by having the whole community sit, it doesn't single out the Sisters with physical disabilities. And, because they are under obedience to sit, the Sisters who are no longer able to kneel do not have to feel guilty that they are no longer able to follow all the practices of the Order. The elderly sisters are able to worship with the full community for longer than they might otherwise--although, obviously, some Sisters are confined to their beds.

A loving God listens to the prayers of a Sister who is sitting, just as much as he listens to the prayers of one who is kneeling, especially if that Sister has been serving him for 50, 60, 70 years. The Sisters in this order live a VERY long time!

As I posted elsewhere, the Sisters are very good neighbors--no wild Sat. parties. But, it does take a some getting used to realize that I am being watched all day, and that the Sisters talk about me, as Sister Helen has very innocently told me. Since she has lived in community for so long, and is used to a life where everyone knows everyone else's business, I'm sure that she doesn't realize that it feels odd to someone who lives alone to realize that someone is watching. And, I will never tell her.

One benefit is that my block is virtually crime-free. It's as if the Sisters have placed a "protection" around the whole neighborhood. Not to mention that my street always gets plowed very frequently when it snows. I suspect that most of the local fire fighters, police officers, and snow plow drivers were taught by the Sisters at the local school. (I live in a very Catholic community.)

[melporcristo]

JMJT+

Welcome!!

I'm sure your sisters are delightful!! Remember: Sisters with modified habits are totally in line with the teachings of the Church!

God bless your discernment!!

Mel

Edited March 22, 2010 by melporcristo

[brandelynmarie]

& what order are they? Edited March 24, 2010 by brandelynmarie

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

[quote name='brandelynmarie' date='24 March 2010 - 10:02 AM' timestamp='1269442945' post='2079007']
[img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/welcome.gif[/img] & what order are they?
[/quote]

I have to think for awhile before I tell you what order it is. The order is a small one in the US--it has more houses overseas. So, if I give you the link for the order, or even just the name of the Order, you will have my address, since I've already said they live just across the street.

So, I'll need time to feel comfortable sharing it. Sorry.

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

After much thought, I decided to trust the members of Phatmass and talk a little more about the convent across the street--whom I consider "My" Sisters.

The order is the Sisters of Christian Charity (not to be confused with the Dominican Sisters of Christian Charity).

The order was founded by the Blessed Mother Pauline von Mallinckrodt, in Paderborn, Germany in 1849, working with the poor and the blind. (Mother Pauline was beatified in 1985.) Like many orders in the U.S., they lost a lot of sisters after Vatican II, so now only have two provincial houses in the U.S. (But, they have smaller groups of sisters scattered nearby to serve as teachers in Catholic schools.) The Order seems to have many more sisters in the rest of the world, particularly Europe, South America, and the Philippines. The order used to run a college for women in Chicago, Maillinckrodt College, but it was merged with Loyola University (right next door to it), to make a coeducational college. However, the order still runs a small college for women on the East Coast, and is also involved with the management of several Catholic hospitals.

There is an enormous, beautiful former motherhouse at the corner of my street, that the sisters had to sell due to financial hardships. But, the village I live in was adamant that the outside of the original motherhouse be retained. It has become condos for people over 65, with no children allowed (and a certain number of condos for those with limited finances)--answering concerns from neighbors about increased traffic, noise, parking, etc. There are a number of rooms in the former motherhouse that serve as public rooms for village-sponsored activities, and the village has moved all its services for older adults to the ground floor of the former motherhouse. The province then built a much smaller building nearby to serve as the Western province headquarters. The Order is very much a part of the life of the village--probably because the sisters taught many of the officials of the village at the Catholic school around the block from my house. So, for example, in the case of an electrical outage, the village has arranged to provide electricity for the retired sisters (many of who are bedridden and hooked up to medical devices) using special electrical lines and a generator, so they are never without power. And, my street seems to get plowed much more often than other small streets in the village.

I like the charism of the Order which is essentially love, and following Christ's mission, including making Christ visible in the World, inspired by the Holy Eucharist, which is the center of their lives. (This is a very rough summary--it is expressed in much longer and different forms on various pages of their Web sites.) In one place on the Eastern province Web site, they put the charism in fewer words. Above the symbol of the order, it simply says, "Serving with love." I liked that--short and sweet. (As you can tell, I really like the emphasis on "love" in this Order.)

And, the charism of love is obvious in this order. I have yet to meet any sister in the order who was anything less than nice, helpful, and loving.

This is the Web site of the Western Province of the Order, which is located on my street. [url="http://www.sccwilmette.org"]www.sccwilmette.org[/url] The Web site has been revamped very recently, and frankly, I'm kind of disappointed in it--to the point where I might send them an email. Except for one or two random mentions, the Web site completely ignores Sacred Heart Convent, the order's retirement home (and the home of my buddy Sister Helen). I know that the order, like most orders, is trying to attract new vocations, but it seems sad and disrespectful to ignore the retired nuns--especially since there are 37 of them. (The Web site of the Eastern province at least mentions its own retirement home for sisters.) So, I can't show you a picture of the convent across the street from me.

BTW--I have read information about new vocations in the SCC in various places, but the latest news I have is that the order currently has four postulants--2 in the East, and two here in Wilmette. The two postulants in Wilmette are "older." I don't know their ages exactly--but at least over 40. (The order accepts women up to the age of 50.) These postulants only reflect the U.S., there are more in other parts of the world. The Eastern province has put together a very nice vocation video. [url="http://www.scceast.org/Vocation/vocation.html"]http://www.scceast.o...n/vocation.html[/url]

Thankfully, Sacred Heart convent isn't forgotten completely. Here is a link to a picture taken just outside Sacred Heart Convent, which gives an idea of area around the convent. [url="http://sccwilmette.org/breadbroken.html"]http://sccwilmette.o...readbroken.html[/url] This shows a group of sisters in 2009, getting ready to travel to New Jersey to meet with their fellow sisters there. Unfortunately, my friend Sister Helen did not go--she is 80 now and didn't feel up to such a long-distance car trip. It's too bad, because apparently one of the activities was a celebration for sisters who celebrated Jubilees in 2009--and Sister Helen celebrated her 60th Julibilee in 2009. However, I know that locally there was a nice, large celebration for Sister Helen (and perhaps for other older sisters celebrating their Jubilees)--so she wasn't forgotten.)

I looked carefully at all the pictures on both the Western and Eastern Web sites and there are NO picture of my friend, Sister Helen. She has told me she is "camera shy" and avoids having her picture taken. I think she is beautiful.

The picture also gives a good idea of the habit of the sisters. The sisters wear basically similar habits--black skirt, white blouse, black jacket or sweater--but you'll see variations in this picture, except that the veil is identical. For example, the picture was taken in August, so some of the sisters are wearing sandals. There is no single shoe style worn by all the members of the Order. For example, Sister Helen has a very bad hammer toe, so the order makes sure she has special shoes. And, you'll see some other variations in the style of blouses, skirts, sweaters, etc. Sister Helen says this is because they first look to donations, before buying new clothes. And, all winter coats apparently are donated, so sometimes the sisters won't even be wearing a black coat, because there were no donated black coats that fit that sister. Near the back of the picture, you'll see a sister wearing light blue--this is the summer habit, but often the sisters mix and match it with the winter habit, or don't wear a summer habit at all. In this order, the postulants do not wear a uniform, they wear their regular "secular" clothes.

Personally, I don't mind the slight variations in habit, it doesn't make it less of a "habit" to me, because the reason for the slight variations is in order to save money. When you look at this picture, there is no doubt, in my mind at least, that these are religious sisters, even though they no longer wear the long habit.

Speaking of long habits, this is the the Blessed Pauline in the original habit of the order. [url="http://www.scceast.org/companion/index.htm"]http://www.scceast.o...anion/index.htm[/url]
Sister Helen showed me the portrait of Mother Pauline in the convent parlor and said, "That's how I used to look." Sister Helen has never said anything about how she felt when they changed the habit, although, to someone outside religious life, the habit looks uncomfortable, particularly in hot Chicago summers. But, I thought it was interesting that Mother Pauline, rather than adopting a medieval habit, adopted a habit that was essentially what widowed women might typically wear in the 1800's. So, at the time the habit was adopted, except for the uniformity, it was essentially a variation on the modern dress of the day.

That's probably far more than you want to know, but I decided to write more, because the Sisters of Christian Charity aren't one of the "big name" orders, and are less known in the U.S., but are still doing work that is no less good for the fact that the Order is lesser known. I also like the fact that the Sisters have continued the Order's tradition of serving social justice, but have updated the causes to reflect those with some of the greatest need in the 21st century.

FYI--Here is the Web site of the Eastern Province of the Order, which still uses its original, large motherhouse, and appears to have more members than the Western province. [color="#008000"]www.[b]scceast.org[/b][/color]
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[size="1"]H[/size]ransformed by a Eucharistic life-style, we are impelled to give and receive Christ's love, joy, peace, and healing for the life of the world.[/color][/size][/font]

[FSM Sister]

I have to wear a modified habit, too. Not my choice! I preferred the long, traditional, black habit. I was outvoted was all, but my sisters are very faithful to the Magisterium and understood that phrase about modifying habits (is it in Essential Elements?) meant we should look more like the women of our day. So, I am the "stick in the mud," the one who DOESN'T take her veil off except when alone in my cell. All the other sisters go veil-less around the house. Also, I didn't think the long habit was hot or uncomfortable in the summer (and I am in Texas) [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/texas.gif[/img] [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/tumbleweed.gif[/img] because it is loose fitting. (Even if it were hot as BLAZES, I would prefer it over the new habits.) [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/struggle.gif[/img]

So yes, sometimes we "older" sisters just bite our tongue in order to keep peace and charity in the house. I wish Rome would be crystal clear specific in their directives, and not leave so much open to interpretation. Sometimes I think men just don't get it! They definitely don't think the same way we do, and no one makes that much of a fuss over monks' habits or brothers' habits like they do over nuns' and sisters' habits.

[Tridenteen]

[quote name='FSM Sister' date='26 March 2010 - 08:29 PM' timestamp='1269653384' post='2081027']
I have to wear a modified habit, too. Not my choice! I preferred the long, traditional, black habit. I was outvoted was all, but my sisters are very faithful to the Magisterium and understood that phrase about modifying habits (is it in Essential Elements?) meant we should look more like the women of our day. So, I am the "stick in the mud," the one who DOESN'T take her veil off except when alone in my cell. All the other sisters go veil-less around the house. Also, I didn't think the long habit was hot or uncomfortable in the summer (and I am in Texas) [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/texas.gif[/img] [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/tumbleweed.gif[/img] because it is loose fitting. (Even if it were hot as BLAZES, I would prefer it over the new habits.) [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/struggle.gif[/img]

So yes, sometimes we "older" sisters just bite our tongue in order to keep peace and charity in the house. I wish Rome would be crystal clear specific in their directives, and not leave so much open to interpretation. Sometimes I think men just don't get it! They definitely don't think the same way we do, and no one makes that much of a fuss over monks' habits or brothers' habits like they do over nuns' and sisters' habits.
[/quote]



JMJ
Sister,
I hate to be a noodge, but do you have any sort of pattern for the old veil? Did it include a wimple, or guimpe? A small group of girls and I are involved in a little project, and we are very much in need of pattern for a guimpe, toqua, (I believe that that is the white starched part) and bonnet. I have been everywhere trying to find patterns, but I can't! One of the young ladies is a sewing whiz, and therefore can figure out even complicated patterns. If Indwelling Trinity reads this, maybe you have some suggestions? If either of you could help me (I would be so grateful :-)) please feel free to PM me!
Thank you so much!

Tridenteen [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/happy.gif[/img]