To Ask...or Not To Ask. That Is The Question...

[dominicansoul]

[quote name='IgnatiusofLoyola' timestamp='1347036601' post='2479859']
Sr. Incarnata (formerly Sister Anna) who is a new novice with the DSMME's entered when she was 17 (or perhaps just 18). (I assume that she had graduated from high school, but her birthday is later in the year.) But she apparently started talking to the DSMME's before she graduated high school. If you feel called to a vocation right out of high school, how are you going to know the DSMME's are the right Community for you if you don't start talking with them?
[/quote]

Aww, this hit my heartstrings. When I was in the novitiate, there was a temp professed Sr. Incarnata. She was one of my first friends there. (She was an amazing person!!!) She left the community.

Sometimes the re-use of old names gets me. My name has already been taken. Don't ask how I felt about that!

[DiscerningCatholic]

I just emailed them, guys... Those are my feels right now.

[dominicansoul]

lol


breathe!


...all will be well.

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

[quote name='dominicansoul' timestamp='1347037888' post='2479866']
Aww, this hit my heartstrings. When I was in the novitiate, there was a temp professed Sr. Incarnata. She was one of my first friends there. (She was an amazing person!!!) She left the community.

Sometimes the re-use of old names gets me. My name has already been taken. Don't ask how I felt about that!
[/quote]

That must feel very strange. And yet, it's bound to happen, especially in rapidly growing Communities.

Heck, it happens even in small Communities. Sister Deepa of the Summit Dominicans first entered the Community five(?) years ago. When she was first clothed as a novice she was Sister Veronica Marie. However, in her first novice year, she left the Community. In the meantime, a novice who is still with the Community was clothed as Sister Mary Veronica. Sister Deepa re-entered in mid-June and will be clothed on October 2. Needless to say, her name will not be Sister Veronica Marie. However, Sister Deepa said in her blog (before she re-entered) that she had already chosen a new name that she is very happy about. (Note: None of this is "personal" information. It has all been taken from public blogs.)

I'm sure it feels as if they should have "retired" your name when you left the DSMME's, just like they "retire" the numbers of some professional athletes when they retire. Or perhaps they could say that the name couldn't be used for a certain period of time.

Re-using names can also make it confusing when you are trying to track down a particular member of the Community.

Edited September 7, 2012 by IgnatiusofLoyola

[MeteorShower]

[quote name='DiscerningCatholic' timestamp='1347039085' post='2479869']
I just emailed them, guys... Those are my feels right now.
[/quote]

YAY!!!!!!










...is it weird that I'm super excited right now?

[DiscerningCatholic]

[quote name='MeteorShower' timestamp='1347040332' post='2479884']
YAY!!!!!!










...is it weird that I'm super excited right now?
[/quote]
LOL, it's fine.

This is what I wrote, by the way...

[quote]
[color=#222222][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3][background=rgb(255, 255, 255)]Hello Sister (or sisters![/background][/size][/font][/color][color=#222222][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3][background=rgb(255, 255, 255)]), [/background][/size][/font][/color]
[color=#222222][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3][background=rgb(255, 255, 255)]
My name is ___ and I'm 16 - just turned. I met two sisters from your order (Sr. Maria Frassati and Sr. Mary Magdalene) at the LifeTeen Leadership Conference in Kansas back in June. To make a long story short, I started discerning at that conference. At the very least, I opened up my heart to the fact that God might be calling me to become a religious sister. [/background][/size][/font][/color]
[color=#222222][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3][background=rgb(255, 255, 255)]
I'm writing for two reasons: a lot of my friends and my youth ministers are all telling me to get in touch with a vocations director, and I just kept feeling this nudge to just do it. Everyone says that vocations directors are great at answering questions concerning discernment or a religious vocation in general... and I have a lot of questions of both sorts. [/background][/size][/font][/color]
[color=#222222][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3][background=rgb(255, 255, 255)]
I plan on trying to attend your May discernment retreat! [/background][/size][/font][/color]
[color=#222222][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3][background=rgb(255, 255, 255)]
May God bless you![/background][/size][/font][/color]
[color=#222222][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3][background=rgb(255, 255, 255)]
In Him,[/background][/size][/font][/color]

[/quote][color=#222222][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3][background=rgb(255, 255, 255)]
_____[/background][/size][/font][/color]

[Catholicterp7]

And now you're checking your email every chance you get right? SJAB is wonderful!! She is so kind and I'm sure was happy to hear from you.
JMJ+

[Kylie Spinelli]

[quote name='emmaberry' timestamp='1346910814' post='2479320']
I know there was a 16 year old who entered the Dominicans-not saying that is your path, but you should definitely contact them! Are you the type of person who needs deadlines? I could help you with that.
[/quote]

How did that happen? Don't you have to be 18? Or get special permission from the Bishop or whatever??
That's amesome, though!!!! :D

[andibc]

[quote name='Kylie Spinelli' timestamp='1347046690' post='2479921']
How did that happen? Don't you have to be 18? [/quote]
You have to have a high school diploma or have the standard number of high school credits and take the GED. You still have to submit a high school transcript as part of your application and take the SAT or ACT before entering. The girls who entered early were homeschooled and ahead academically. The one who entered in 2010 turned 17 a few months after she entered, 2011 turned 17 during the winter before she entered and this year the youngest turned 17 a few months before entering. They are mature and articulate; not noticably younger than the other under 20 sisters.

Edited September 7, 2012 by andibc

[emmaberry]

[quote name='DiscerningCatholic' timestamp='1347039085' post='2479869']
I just emailed them, guys... Those are my feels right now.
[/quote]

So exciting! Congrats on taking that first (scary!) step. If you do find you are called to this community, then you have taken that first step and made the rest of the process much easier on yourself.

if you find you are called to a different community, then the next email to the VD you send will be much less nerve-wracking.

Congrats! Please let us know when she emails back... Not that you'll be compulsively checking your email or anything..

[cmaD2006]

[quote name='Kylie Spinelli' timestamp='1347046690' post='2479921']
How did that happen? Don't you have to be 18? Or get special permission from the Bishop or whatever??
That's amesome, though!!!! :D
[/quote]

Per canon law, the minimum age for entering the novitiate to have completed 17 years of age (that may mean 17 or 18 -- I'm not a canon law specialist so I don't know) ). To make 1st profession you have to have completed 18 years of age. Perpetual profession minimum age is 21 (at least 21 years of age, 3 years of temp profession required). Note that means that you can enter postulancy at an earlier age, unless the community sets a minimum age.

Now a community's constitutions can specify minimum age requirements that are higher than Canon Law (because you would meet Canon Law by setting minimum age for entering the novitiate to 20, for example). But they can't be lower because that would violate Canon Law.

Again I'm not an expert, I just looked up the Canons online because I remember this being specifically addressed in the constitutions of the communities that I entered, and I knew a lot of what was in the constitutions come from Canon Law.

[mantellata]

[quote name='Kylie Spinelli' timestamp='1347046690' post='2479921']
How did that happen? Don't you have to be 18? Or get special permission from the Bishop or whatever??
That's amesome, though!!!! :D
[/quote]

With the Nashville and DSSME's you can only enter at 17 if you have your parent's blessing/permission to do so -- 18 being legal adulthood in the US.

[DiscerningCatholic]

I heard back from them! A Sr. Theresa Christi responded. I have a ton of questions, but now that I'm not nervous about emailing them anymore...

I CAN'T REMEMBER ANY OF THE QUESTIONS!

[DiscerningCatholic]

Can you ask vocations directors ANYTHING? I mean, like how to deal with problems with discernment? Or more like just questions about the order itself?

[Clare~Therese]

[quote name='DiscerningCatholic' timestamp='1347132587' post='2480338']
Can you ask vocations directors ANYTHING? I mean, like how to deal with problems with discernment? Or more like just questions about the order itself?
[/quote]

I would say, you could probably ask anything.