Summit Dominicans Have A New Postulant!

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

The blog for the Summit Domicans (a cloistered Dominican Community in Summit, NJ) has announced that the Community has a new postulant--Sister Margaret Scheitz. She comes from Illinois, not too far from me, so she MUST be great.

Also, the blog says that the novitiate is now nearly full with (7!) Sisters in the novitiate, and the Community expects to welcome another new postulant soon!

This is great news for a wonderful community.

For the article and a picture, go to their blog at [url="http://www.monialesop.org/"]http://www.monialesop.org/[/url]

While you're on the Summit Dominican site, be sure to visit their Gift Shoppe. They have wonderful soaps and other good-smelling things, as well as books, and other kinds of items. It's a great way to support the Community. The nuns say that every bar of soap is made and packaged with prayer.

Congratulations to the Summit Dominicans on the continued growth of their Community!

Edited September 15, 2011 by MissScripture
Fixed the link at Iggy's request.

[MissScripture]

[quote name='IgnatiusofLoyola' timestamp='1316124668' post='2305197']

While you're on the Summit Dominican site, be sure to visit their gift shop. They have wonderful soaps and other good-smelling things, as well as books, and other kinds of items. It's a great way to support the Community. The nuns say that every bar of soap is made and packaged with prayer.

[/quote]
I got a gift basket with soap and lotion and the like for my mom for Christmas last year. She told me that the stuff in it has been amazing, and never seems to run out. So, definitely, check out the gift shop. Well worth it! Just make sure to order in advance if you want it for Christmas, because I think they close for a bit closer to Christmas to prepare for the holiday.

And YAY for new postulants!

[OnlySunshine]

amesome! Always nice to hear of an order growing!

[krissylou]

Well, by my math, the most senior of the temporary professed will be moving out of the novitiate and into the regular community this winter, so that will free up another room. But the way this community attracts newbies, that won't hold them for long!

[dominicansoul]

Love this community!!! If I'm not mistaken, Sr. Mary Catharine was the only one in the novitiate for a while. Pretty lonely in that wing of the house! Now they are reaping the fruit of the New Evangelization.... it seems as if the Holy Spirit turned on a light switch and suddenly, so many young and strong vocations are seeking out religious life, even in what seems to be a "tough" life of the cloister! (If you ask me, its Paradise on Earth!!!)

[krissylou]

What I would like to know (which we never will, short of heaven) is how many people get introduced to monastic life through the "peek inside the cloister" of the Summit blog (or the Whitesville Passionists') -- and then end up entering somewhere else.

As much as we enjoy seeing those particular Novitiates expand, I bet there are several young vocations that were influenced by those communities but then enter someplace else. And we never even know about them.

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

[quote name='krissylou' timestamp='1316182203' post='2305400']
What I would like to know (which we never will, short of heaven) is how many people get introduced to monastic life through the "peek inside the cloister" of the Summit blog (or the Whitesville Passionists') -- and then end up entering somewhere else.

As much as we enjoy seeing those particular Novitiates expand, I bet there are several young vocations that were influenced by those communities but then enter someplace else. And we never even know about them.
[/quote]

Excellent point! I'm sure you're right. And, I think it works the other way, too. I remember seeing a picture from a vocation retreat of the Nashville Domicans, and although I don't know for sure, I think one of the participants is now a novice with the Summit Dominicans.

What's even more amazing is that both the Summit Domnicans and the Whitesville Passionists are both cloistered communities. They are able to attract women to the religious life (either to their Community or to other Communities) without leaving the monastery.

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='krissylou' timestamp='1316182203' post='2305400']
What I would like to know (which we never will, short of heaven) is how many people get introduced to monastic life through the "peek inside the cloister" of the Summit blog (or the Whitesville Passionists') -- and then end up entering somewhere else.

As much as we enjoy seeing those particular Novitiates expand, I bet there are several young vocations that were influenced by those communities but then enter someplace else. And we never even know about them.
[/quote]

I have to say that I am one of the ones that was inspired by their website and blog. I even got in touch with Sr. Mary Catharine at one point, but I know for sure that cloistered life is not for me. But if it was, I'd definitely consider them.

[Little Flower]

I saw this on their blog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THEY IS SUPER AMAZINGSOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[quote name='krissylou' timestamp='1316176051' post='2305370']
Well, by my math, the most senior of the temporary professed will be moving out of the novitiate and into the regular community this winter, so that will free up another room. But the way this community attracts newbies, that won't hold them for long!
[/quote]
they have another postulant entering soon!

[quote name='MaterMisericordiae' timestamp='1316217987' post='2305631']

I have to say that I am one of the ones that was inspired by their website and blog. I even got in touch with Sr. Mary Catharine at one point, but I know for sure that cloistered life is not for me. But if it was, I'd definitely consider them.
[/quote]

ME TOO!!!!!!!!!!!! but i still think im called to cloistered life Im still in touch with her! And i visited them

[luigi999]

Dear Sisters:

Keep me in your prayers as I continue my road to become a consecrated lay person under the charism of Fr. Lataste OP (under private vows) See :

dominican sisters of bethany. Let me know if you want more information

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

I'm posting this, not because it is important news, but because it is the end of this particular story (and the beginning of another story that is still unknown).

The Summit Dominicans have posted on their blog that Margaret has now "..... discerned that her vocation isn't to our way of life. We are grateful for her time with us and she remains in our prayers as she continues to do God's will. Please pray for her."

The details aren't in the blog because they don't matter--and in any case, are none of our business. And, certainly our prayers, like those of the Summit Dominicans, are with Margaret.

I think this "story" has a lot to teach those of us who are discerning, and those of us who post here because we love and support discerners.

--God's will is very unexpected, and and yet, our job is to do God's will, whether it makes sense to others (or even to ourselves, sometimes). In fact, the title of the blog article is "Doing God's Will." I'm sure Margaret's decision was a very hard one for her, in part, because this is the kind of situation that other people sometimes don't understand, and even criticize, saying, "Shouldn't she (and the Summit Dominicans) have known?" I for one, give Margaret and the Summit Dominicans the benefit of the doubt and say, "No, there was nothing that anyone "should have known." I choose to believe that there was something (that may or may not yet be known) that God was (and is) teaching by Margaret's relatively short stay as a postulant with the community.

--Another thing this article brought home to me is that--while I personally think live-ins are a very great thing, because they not only let an aspirant better "get to know" a community but also let the community know an aspirant--yet, as helpful as live-ins can be, no one--the aspirant or the community--can know what life in a community is like until they actually enter and live the life.

I don't know Margaret at all. Yet, I wouldn't be surprised if in her time with the community she gave the community gifts that they couldn't have received any other way. And, Margaret has given all of us some gifts, too. For those who are discerning, and those of us whose "job" is to who love those who are discerning, this is another reminder that sometimes the road to where God is calling us has twists and turns as well as surprises--good ones and sad ones and confusing ones and unexpected ones. It also is a yet another reminder that we cannnot judge anyone else's vocation--that is God's job, and his alone. This story may help us in the future--or when thinking about the past--to be kinder to ourselves and to others.

Margaret could have tried to "stick it out" longer in case she was thought by some to have "given up" too soon. But, if she knew God's will, why wait? Sometimes doing God's will means risking the criticisms of others.

Of course, for those of us who have been "counting the beds" in the rapidly filling novitiate of the Summit Dominicans, a place is now opened up for a new aspirant who we pray will go on to celebrate her 75th Jubilee with the community. And, MY first thought was practical not spiritual, that is, "I hope the community has enough hands in the Soap Department to handle all the orders for the busy upcoming Christmas season." LOL

Margaret, thank-you for your courage in "following Christ's star" and for all you have given so far, and all you will give somewhere else in the future. The start of the new year for the Church is a good time to start a new adventure in following God's will.

Our prayers are with you.

The blog of the Summit Dominicans is at www. monialesop.org. Note: The nuns have some new special soaps for Christmas, so be sure to look at them when you visit the blog. (That plug may not sound spiritual, but even nuns have to eat and fix the leaks in the roof over their heads.)

As the song goes--"Every new beginning is another new beginning's end."

Edited October 29, 2011 by IgnatiusofLoyola

[InPersonaChriste]

Yes, by the time I clicked that link ready to see a new postulant, it seemed that she had already discerned that she did not belong in this community. But I will keep her in my prayers!

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

[quote name='InPersonaChriste' timestamp='1319989051' post='2328962']
Yes, by the time I clicked that link ready to see a new postulant, it seemed that she had already discerned that she did not belong in this community. But I will keep her in my prayers!
[/quote]

In hindsight, I should have given this post its own thread so people would realize it contained new news, except that it's not big news, so didn't seem to warrant its own thread, and really only of interest to us "Summit Groupies."