Surprised At The Number Of Cloistered/active Communities In Our Arch.

[Feankie]

Just received, as I call it, the "phone book" listing churches, priests, deacons and religious communities in our Arch. i was surprised to learn about several communities i didn't even know existed in the Milwaukee/ southeastern Wisconsin region. I wonder if that's a common phenomenon? I suppose if one was discerning, the internet is a terrific way to start. But what about the communities that don't have an internet presence? I realize they depend on the will of God to bring young women to them, but it seems to me all religious communities could benefit from having a website, if for nothing more than providing basic information regarding their Order. You really don't have to be tech heavy or media savvy for just that, and I'm sure many people would gladly donate their time to design/host a website for them. Just thinking out loud this a.m.

[Luigi]

For one thing, cloisters simply aren't out there in the public eye. They do rely on God to send them vocations, but in the old days, it was often priests who did the work of God by directing their parishioners to orders/monasteries. The priests were familiar with the orders/monasteries in their dioceses (and nearby), and they knew their parishioners from school, confession, visiting with the families, etc. And anyone considering religious life was likely to mention it to the parish priest as their first step in discernment. Or a discerner would mention it to a member of the order (if they wanted to join the congregation that taught them in school, for instance), but the member would direct them to the parish priest right away.

I don't know how often parish priests still do that - people drift away from the Church, have a conversion experience along the way (maybe in college, maybe through a nNewman center, maybe through RCIA), or they do their own research on the Internet these days.

It does seem to me that the cloistered monasteries need to establish an Internet presence, in order to provide information to the random (unguided by a priest or member of the congregation) discerner.

[Chiquitunga]

I feel like this is where great organizations like the IRL can really help.... [url="http://www.religiouslife.com/"]http://www.religiouslife.com/[/url] They have profiles of so many communities I would otherwise have never heard of... and they are all orthodox, etc. if they're associated with the IRL shout out to them!!

[truthfinder]

I think if the monasteries don't want to have their own website that is completely understandable. I think the dioceses should be much better at listing which communities are in their diocese. They need only provide community name and contact information. This is also a way to see if some of the more "trad" communities are actually approved by the diocese/ Rome.

You're right Luigi, parish priests used to do much better at promoting vocations. I was lucky in the priests I met growing up - they were all of a more traditional (and sometimes ridiculed for) bent (and I don't mean they were Traditional Latin Mass, just actually loving the Church for herself) and always asked if we had thought about religious life. I know a story of a priest that when any young woman got in the confessional and said she was single (just fyi. Bless me father for I have sinned, I'm a teenager/single young woman working/going to school in a secular setting - just the relevant background to understand the disposition of the sinner) he would ask if they had thought to become a nun, or a priest if a guy. He was pretty successful, with at least a handful of sisters claiming he was the first one to pique therir interest in their vocation.

[Gemma]

The reason for our existence is the cloisters and being a safe harbor for their vocations (emerging charisms as well). Http://cloisters.tripod.com/

We have also built sites for cloisters:

Http://cloisters.tripod.com/uk_osb_oulton/

Http://cloisters.tripod.com/uk_pcc_ellesmere/

Http://cloisters.tripod.com/au_ossr_bolwarra/

As well as clearinghouse sites:

Http://cloisters.tripod.com/us_vhm_first_fed/

Http://cloisters.tripod.com/us_cp/

Archdiocesan websites are indeed the best place to start. Always look locally first.

Blessings,
Gemma

[TIWW]

[size=5]Every Diocese and Archdiocese has a "CATHOLIC DIRECTORY, " in which is listed the various Religious Communities, Seminaries etc. Many are now on line. It's a great resource.[/size]