regina_coeli Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 Watched the HBO documentary and thought it beautiful but confusing. Maybe someone familiar with Regina Laudis can explain. Mother Dolores speaks to one visitor through the grille, but most of the time the nuns seem to interact one on one with visitors ??? There are many white veils, and one says she has been there ten years. I guess they wear white until final profession, but ten years??? If anyone knows about their customs, I would be grateful to be enlightened! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the171 Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 Might be lay sisters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AccountDeleted Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 Hi - I don't have much time before Vespers but thought I might answer this one as best I can. I don't know what color that habit was of the nun you saw - but here at Our Lady of the Rock (a foundation of Regina Laudis) they wear a denim work habit with a white veil whenever they are doing work around the farm, and I assume that at RL they do something similar. The nuns change into the black and white habit for choir and the professed nuns wear the black veil and the novices wear the white veil. Ten years is overly long for someone to get the black veil in a Benedictine convent, so perhaps it was the work veil they showed? As for the grille, it does tend to be used more at RL than at OLR - as our parlor doesn't even have a grille, but the choir does. I can ask one of the sisters here who has been to RL, but I am assuming that whether or not they are face to face depends on whether they are just sitting around chatting (like in the parlor) or if they are doing something togther like walking or working. Although the nuns are allowed to leave the enclosure proper to do their work or shopping etc, visitors are not allowed into the enclosed area of the monastery, so if someone just comes for a visit just to speak with a nun, perhaps they meet in the parlor? If someone comes here for a visit, they can meet in the parlor, but as I said, there is no grille there. Have to run off to Vespers now, but will try to get online sometime tonight if I can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genesisweavers Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Regina Laudis has some customs that differ from other Benedictine communities. Their formation is very long. However once someone enters there - it has been my experience - they have a very good perseverance record. A woman will actually live at the monastery for a period of time before she enters. Then postulancy can last up to two years. They remain novices for years (one year of course is the canonical year). Temporary profession is once again - years. They retain the white veil until solemn profession. Actually they simply professed nuns wear an off white veil (the subtle difference is sometimes impossible to see). When the nun professes her solemn vows she receives the black veil and the monastic cowl with long sleeves. It is at this point the nun is called Mother. (At temporary profession she receives the cowl but it does not have those extra huge sleeves). Several years after solemn profession the nuns receives the consecration of a virgin. This is an ancient monastic custom. You're right about the use of the grill. The nuns walk freely in and out of the enclosure yet when you go to the front door the portress is behind the grill and when you meet with one of them in the parlor the nun is behind the grill. I have had the experience there of walking with a nun to the parlor she then will go behind the grill and I'm on the other side. The Abbey is an amazing place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regina_coeli Posted April 9, 2012 Author Share Posted April 9, 2012 Thank you all for the helpful answers. Everything fits together better now, though I'm not sure why they bother with a grill! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marigold Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 [quote name='genesisweavers' timestamp='1333967598' post='2414752'] Regina Laudis has some customs that differ from other Benedictine communities. Their formation is very long. However once someone enters there - it has been my experience - they have a very good perseverance record. A woman will actually live at the monastery for a period of time before she enters. Then postulancy can last up to two years. They remain novices for years (one year of course is the canonical year). Temporary profession is once again - years. They retain the white veil until solemn profession. Actually they simply professed nuns wear an off white veil (the subtle difference is sometimes impossible to see). When the nun professes her solemn vows she receives the black veil and the monastic cowl with long sleeves. It is at this point the nun is called Mother. (At temporary profession she receives the cowl but it does not have those extra huge sleeves). Several years after solemn profession the nuns receives the consecration of a virgin. This is an ancient monastic custom. You're right about the use of the grill. The nuns walk freely in and out of the enclosure yet when you go to the front door the portress is behind the grill and when you meet with one of them in the parlor the nun is behind the grill. I have had the experience there of walking with a nun to the parlor she then will go behind the grill and I'm on the other side. The Abbey is an amazing place. [/quote] How interesting! I think a long formation is a very good thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACS67 Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Marigold, If I remember correctly the Orthodox do not put a "time limit" on formation. In other words postulancy can last as long as the superior deems necessary and the same for the noviate. I read that some where...can't remember where though. The Orthodox also do not have "age limits" at least not as strict as the Roman Catholic orders do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marigold Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 [quote name='ACS67' timestamp='1333973865' post='2414774'] Marigold, If I remember correctly the Orthodox do not put a "time limit" on formation. In other words postulancy can last as long as the superior deems necessary and the same for the noviate. I read that some where...can't remember where though. The Orthodox also do not have "age limits" at least not as strict as the Roman Catholic orders do. [/quote] Yes that's right. There is a kind of accepted minimum of three years as a novice though. And in my monastery, around 9-10 to reach the 'no going back' stage... A couple of years ago there was a news story ([url="http://www.thenationalherald.com/article/44786"]here[/url]) about a lady who finally got to be a nun at age 92. She passed away six months later, but I don't think anyone would say it was wasted or she didn't put in enough time for them to get their money's worth. Having waited so patiently for so long, I think her prayers were probably very pure and strong and the monastic tonsure was just a finally putting her in her rightful place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emma Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 (edited) I saw this film and found it slightly discomfitting. One of the last scenes [u]appeared[/u] to be women's underwear hanging on the line to dry - all colors of the rainbow. If the Benedictines let you wear whatever color undies you want, that's fine, but in the film? I hope I'm wrong about that. And I also saw a novice with a nose stud and there were some comments about sexuality in the monastery that were odd. One novice confessed to being an alcoholic and mentioned going to AA. I wondered - do they have an AA chapter at the monastery or does she have to leave and go somewhere else. Does she do this every day? Mother Dolores seems like an amazing person and the other nuns at Regina Laudis seem like a really interesting group. My dad is a WW II buff and I was telling him about the film - he told me that he thought George Patton's granddaughter is also a nun there. I looked it up and he's right. Like other posters, I, too was confused about the white veils. I remembered reading something on PM that Benedictine juniors wore off-white veils so I looked for that but couldn't tell the difference between them. I really enjoyed learning about these sisters but just thought the film had so many jarring little details that I couldn't focus on the beauty of the contemplative life as practiced at RL. PS - just so I'm clear - I am NOT criticising the sister in AA or the nose stud - they just seemed odd in the film. Edited April 10, 2012 by Emma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HopefulBride Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 What is the name of this documentary? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regina_coeli Posted April 10, 2012 Author Share Posted April 10, 2012 God is the bigger Elvis And Emma, yes, I felt those odd notes as well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaPetiteSoeur Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 My father watched it the last time he was traveling. Strangely enough, he really liked it and it helped him to understand my vocation a bit more. He underwent a "tsunami" of emotions (his phrase) while watching it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marigold Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 [quote name='LaPetiteSoeur' timestamp='1334148716' post='2415708'] My father watched it the last time he was traveling. Strangely enough, he really liked it and it helped him to understand my vocation a bit more. He underwent a "tsunami" of emotions (his phrase) while watching it. [/quote] Hahaha LPS that is so sweet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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