Sincere Thanks

[Jennifer]

[size="3"][/size]Congratulations............you'll be in my prayers.

[Catherine Therese]

[quote name='Lisa' timestamp='1305755126' post='2243330']
CONGRATS!!!!

Do let us know how preparations come along! Do you have a set entrance date yet?
Also, do you have your list of things to bring? If so, would you mind sharing what's on it- you don't have too, but it's fun for those of us still waiting to think about these things!
[/quote]

Entrance Date: Officially, August 15. Unofficially, arriving a day or two earlier to get past the jetlag.

List: still waiting [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/blink.gif[/img]

[Catherine Therese]

[quote name='MissScripture' timestamp='1305762426' post='2243367']
YOU'RE GOING TO BE MY SISTER-IN-LAW! CONGRATULATIONS! Maybe I'll get to meet you next year, when I'm there on a visit day!
[/quote]


Would love to meet you IRL! Your sister is just an absolutely beautiful person. I still have the little list of Scripture references and quotes that she wrote me for my trip slipped into my bible. She must be pretty focussed on preparation to receive the habit at this point. I'm keeping her and her fellow postulants very much in my prayers - after all, they're my big sisters now!

(I CAN'T BELIEVE WE SHARE A SISTER!!!)[img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/clap2.gif[/img]

[Catherine Therese]

[quote name='the171' timestamp='1305767230' post='2243406']
WHEN YOU ENTER BECOME CLOSE WITH SRS. CASEY MARIE, RITA MARIE AND ANNA GRACE. You will not regret it. They are close friends of mine.
[/quote]

I met all three when I stayed for 3 weeks in January.

Sr Casey Marie gave me a tour of the Motherhouse and the grounds and I was majorly impressed with how well she knew the history of everything and all the interesting and quirky details she had at her disposal. Might seem weird but that made a huge impact on me.

Sr Rita Marie was the first Dominican I met in Nashville. She picked me up from the airport! She has a real aptitude for leadership and a real motherly sense about her - she looked after the other vocation guests and myself beautifully, and shared a bit about her vocation story. I loved meeting her!

Sr Anna Grace is just so aptly named - everything about her is graceful! She is beautiful and patient and gentle and very generous with her time.

I was so glad to meet all of them! How did you meet them?

[Catherine Therese]

[quote name='MissScripture' timestamp='1305846444' post='2243697']
Catherine Terese - Do you know how many postulants there are for this year, so far? I'm so excited for you! Weird to think, my little sister will finally be a "big sister" to people!
[/quote]

Yep, as of Wednesday, I was the 7th to be accepted. I don't know if there have been any additions to that list yet. Two of the Aussie applicants are nervously waiting and chewing their nails... I'm not sure if there are any others.

I think they attribute the size of last years group to the graces of their 150yr Jubilee.

I'm really looking forward to meeting the other girls in my postulant class!

[Catherine Therese]

[quote name='IgnatiusofLoyola' timestamp='1305851144' post='2243732']
Congratulations! You'll be Miss Scripture's Sister sister's Sister! LOL

When I've looked at the number of departures for the ND's (I've never looked at the DSMMEs to compare), it seems as if more candidates leave during the 2nd (novitiate) year. And, that makes sense to me. The purpose of the canonical novitiate year is to focus on spiritual issues and and the Sister's relationship with God. I would think the canonical novitiate year could be very hard for some Sisters called to an active apostolate. They're used to getting out and doing things (and that's what they'll be doing for the rest of their life) so spending a year not "being out and about" isn't their natural temperament. However, in the end, I think that taking a year to seriously consider their vocation, with a minimum of outside distractions, is a very important thing--a religious vocation isn't like going to college--it's for life!

P.S. How did it happen that you were on the phone with the vocations director at 1 am? I probably should know this from reading your other posts (or taking the time to look at your profile), but are you on different continent than the U.S.?
[/quote]


G'day Iggy. (We tend to shorten names dreadfully in Australia. A colleague of mine whose name was Ignatius was called Iggy. Aren't we Aussies awful!?)

Yep, I'm from Australia. I got an email from the Vocations Director asking me for a list of times that would be convenient for me to take a call from them. I had been working on something pretty late and it was a bit after 12am so I happened to be just climbing into bed and felt drawn to check my email before I switched the light off. I found the email and responded immediately with a couple of times for the following day, but I added that I was still up and was prepared to wait up for a half hour or so. A few minutes later the call came! I couldn't even vocalise my excitement because my whole family were sleeping!

Meanwhile I have to admit I have mixed feelings about the novice year. I think the silence and the space will be a real treasure, but at the same time... wow, intense. I'm not going to focus too much on it now. If I had the grace to face a novice year right now then I wouldn't need to do a postulancy - I'm obviously not ready yet! Therefore... I'm filing that little one away until a year from now.

[Catherine Therese]

[quote name='nunsense' timestamp='1305853169' post='2243738']
That's an interesting point MM. I think it would be good if some communities were at least consistent with their practice. Some will give one person multiple chances and someone else they won't give any extra chances! I can understand if the person is asked to leave the community, not to want them back, but if they left on their own, and up to that point the community was happy with them, it seems a little bit like 'payback' not to let them admit they made a mistake and try again, especially if this is already a precedent that they have let others try several times.... sigh ... but then I remind myself that we can't hope for 'justice' in this world, only in the next. And communities are only human too, after all. And I guess if this is how the ocmmunity feels, it wouldn't be so nice to go back again anyway... resentments tend to fester.

Don't mind me - highjacking here. This is about a very happy event - so congratulations to you Catherine Therese!!
[/quote]

Thanks!

Just on your point about consistency... I'm a baby in the spiritual life so take what I say with a grain of salt, but I kinda think that it shouldn't be about imposing a standard. Isn't that a bit like putting God in a box? I would have thought it was better for any perceived standard of what's fair to take very much a secondary priority to something like being open to God's Will, whatever that is and however 'unfair' that may seem to be....

[Catherine Therese]

[quote name='MaterMisericordiae' timestamp='1305855763' post='2243756']
In the back of my head, though, there is always that thought that 'did I give up too soon?' I know it wouldn't have worked out, but there is always that thought.
[/quote]

I totally get that.... I think its natural to second-guess yourself when there is regret attached to a decision, even when you know that you made the right decision.

I spent 18 months in the Service back here in Australia and had obviously hoped to make a career of it. For medical reasons I was not able to maintain the required standard of deployment readiness. Leaving was the right thing to do. But I regret that it didn't work out to plan, and still find myself wondering if there wasn't anything I could have done differently to get a different outcome.

Its probably not all that healthy to dwell on it - but it totally makes sense that it would occur to you every now and then.

[Catherine Therese]

[quote name='beatitude' timestamp='1305878266' post='2243807']
Congratulations and many prayers!
[/quote]



Wow, flowers? Thanks!

I actually got in to work this morning to find on my desk a beautiful little flower arrangement all done up in a vase, just next to my computer. My boss had left them for me along with a card by way of congratulating me!

God bless her, she's so thoughtful.

[AccountDeleted]

[quote name='Catherine Therese' timestamp='1305905173' post='2243858']
Thanks!

Just on your point about consistency... I'm a baby in the spiritual life so take what I say with a grain of salt, but I kinda think that it shouldn't be about imposing a standard. Isn't that a bit like putting God in a box? I would have thought it was better for any perceived standard of what's fair to take very much a secondary priority to something like being open to God's Will, whatever that is and however 'unfair' that may seem to be....



[/quote]

Well, of course, in one way, you are right, we should all be open to God's will perfectly all the time, but that is very unlikely given that we are imperfect, sinful and basically, just plain human beings.

Also, I purposely didn't use the word 'fair' because fairness is a very personal construct, whereas 'justice' should be more of an objective one. And no one can say that God isn't just - in fact He tells us about the widow who nagged the judge for justice until she got it, and encourages us to do the same with our heavenly Father!

One thing you will learn in religious life whether you want to or not, is that there is no such thing as the perfect community no matter how wonderful each individual may be, and that comes back to our being human again, although one would hope that everyone was at least making some sort of attempt to live the life of perfection to the best of their ability.

My post was out of place in this thread though, so my apologies for intruding upon your very happy time.

[Yaatee]

[quote name='MaterMisericordiae' timestamp='1305855763' post='2243756']
I often wonder if the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus would have ever allowed me a second chance if I discerned that I was called there still? I know, for a fact, that I am not, but it's something I think about occasionally. It was so confusing when I discovered that the apostolate was not the right fit for me, but being with the Sisters felt like home. I felt at peace in the Motherhouse, but not in the other convent in East Chicago. It's almost like my heart was being tugged one way and then another. I had a talk with Sr. Maria Giuseppe the day that I left. I asked to go home because things just were not working out and I could not see it getting any better. I asked her why would it seem like I was meant to be there at first and then not? She responded that just feeling at peace with the Motherhouse and not doing the work of the order is not enough to gauge whether or not you are truly called there. Which I later realized she was totally right. I hope that whatever community I apply to next (God-willing), I make a determined effort to discern whether it is THE order and not base it on a one time visit.

In the back of my head, though, there is always that thought that 'did I give up too soon?' I know it wouldn't have worked out, but there is always that thought.
[/quote]

MM, I think that you probably had it right. The work of this particular group, at least the work that you were exposed to, appeared to me to be quite demanding, even requiring special training that I don't think you have. They could have said to you, "We have different apostolates, such as a, b & c, which you might find more suited to your background and training". I don't think that all communities with a variety of works require that all of their sisters be able to do all types of works. It the past this may have been true, but with a different understanding of obedience and higher standards of professional training required, I suspect that the old 'blind obedience' isn't the rule anymore.

[Yaatee]

[quote name='DarleneSteinemann' timestamp='1305845963' post='2243692']
Thank you very much! That is great that they allow them to re-enter. I imagine sometimes family emergencies come up.
[/quote]

I think that there are a number of possible extenuating circumstances, especially in a community which attracts and accepts youthful applicants. There are family emergencies, homesickness, and immaturity. Those in charge may realize that a year or two of maturity may address many of these issues in an otherwise suitable candidate, and encourage her to consider reapplying after a suitable interval.

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='Yaatee' timestamp='1305909313' post='2243867']
MM, I think that you probably had it right. The work of this particular group, at least the work that you were exposed to, appeared to me to be quite demanding, even requiring special training that I don't think you have. They could have said to you, "We have different apostolates, such as a, b & c, which you might find more suited to your background and training". I don't think that all communities with a variety of works require that all of their sisters be able to do all types of works. It the past this may have been true, but with a different understanding of obedience and higher standards of professional training required, I suspect that the old 'blind obedience' isn't the rule anymore.
[/quote]

If I discerned that I was still called there and was able to stick it out for the duration of the 6 weeks, I would have been able to choose which apostolate I wanted to serve in and I definitely would have chosen the elderly home. You're right that I didn't have any training before I went. They were planning to train me, but like I said, I was having a rough time. I only probably worked one day and the rest I spent in my room sleeping because I was having anxiety attacks during the night and I was exhausted. I also wasn't able to eat.

[krissylou]

[quote name='Yaatee' timestamp='1305909668' post='2243870']
I think that there are a number of possible extenuating circumstances, especially in a community which attracts and accepts youthful applicants. There are family emergencies, homesickness, and immaturity. Those in charge may realize that a year or two of maturity may address many of these issues in an otherwise suitable candidate, and encourage her to consider reapplying after a suitable interval.
[/quote]

This isn't the same as actually entering ... but I was chatting recently with a Sister who had an entrance set for one December.

She got cold feet and didn't.

She dusted herself off, set a new date, and really entered some months later.

She celebrates her 60th Jubilee this summer.

[Catherine Therese]

[quote name='nunsense' timestamp='1305906807' post='2243862']

One thing you will learn in religious life whether you want to or not, is that there is no such thing as the perfect community no matter how wonderful each individual may be, and that comes back to our being human again, although one would hope that everyone was at least making some sort of attempt to live the life of perfection to the best of their ability.

My post was out of place in this thread though, so my apologies for intruding upon your very happy time.
[/quote]

Not out of place at all! I love the organic way discussions develop, I'm not a topic-nazi There was no intrusion and I'm no less happy, I assure you!

The fairness/justice distinction seems a valid point and does help clarify what you meant. As to no such thing as a perfect community... thankfully thats not what I'm expecting! I live in a large family and I work at the school where I grew up, so I'm surrounded by people who are way too involved in each other's lives ;-) I've definitely learned THAT lesson.

I'm sure there'll be plenty of experiences to come that will reinforce said lesson, however!