Cloistered Contemplative...so Many Options!

[WithinHisLove]

I've been praying about and researching every community I can get my hands on (that is in the USA). And I feel that cloistered and contemplative are what I'm attracted to, yet, I love the old traditions, very monastic way of life. Bare feet, fasting, gregorian chant, adoration, never ending prayer, community, solitude, traditional habits...and I feel like I can't find one community that embodies all of these things that I love and feel my heart going towards. 

 

Any suggestions? 

 

Anyone know of any communities? 

 

Thanks! 

[OnlySunshine]

The only community that pops into my mind that embodies these attributes is the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles.  The only thing I'm not sure about is the bare feet.

[Gemma]

I've been praying about and researching every community I can get my hands on (that is in the USA). And I feel that cloistered and contemplative are what I'm attracted to, yet, I love the old traditions, very monastic way of life. Bare feet, fasting, gregorian chant, adoration, never ending prayer, community, solitude, traditional habits...and I feel like I can't find one community that embodies all of these things that I love and feel my heart going towards.

Any suggestions?

Anyone know of any communities?

Thanks!

Have you tried our site? Http://cloisters.tripod.com/

The only group I know of that goes barefoot are the Poor Clare Colettines, who are Franciscan, but I'm not sure about the other stuff you require.

You'd really need to discern which spirituality you're attracted to.

Are you wanting a TLM community?

Blessings,
Gemma

[AccountDeleted]

You want bare feet, you need to check out the Poor Clares.

[nikita92]

Here is something you might consider...make a list say 1-10.. in order of what is most important to the least important...example..going BAREFOOT..if a community had everything else on your list, except barefoot..would that be a deal breaker for you? check this out..womenreligiousordersrule.blogspot.com There is Dominican community of St.Jude listed that seems to have it all, except going barefoot. ;)

[nikita92]

Here is something you might consider...make a list say 1-10.. in order of what is most important to the least important...example..going BAREFOOT..if a community had everything else on your list, except barefoot..would that be a deal breaker for you? check this out..womenreligiousordersrule.blogspot.com There is Dominican community of St.Jude listed that seems to have it all, except going barefoot. ;)

[nikita92]

Here is something you might consider...make a list say 1-10.. in order of what is most important to the least important...example..going BAREFOOT..if a community had everything else on your list, except barefoot..would that be a deal breaker for you? check this out..womenreligiousordersrule.blogspot.com There is Dominican community of St.Jude listed that seems to have it all, except going barefoot. ;)

[Pax_et bonum]

The Poor Sisters of St. Clare! They don't have a website, but you can find some stuff on their brothers' site about them and St. Clare. You can also find more articles on them by googling "Franciscan Sisters Minor" which used to be their name before they were enclosed, and by googling their new name. They're very similar to Colettine Poor Clares.

[VeniJesuAmorMi]

Bare feet, fasting, gregorian chant, adoration, never ending prayer, community, solitude, traditional habits. 

 

 

This all reminds me of the Poor Clare Colettine Nuns. Have you contacted any communites for information? As Gemma said it's important to discern your spirituality. Other cloistered Orders have most of these traditions also, but the bare feet you'll find more with the Poor Clares and I find that they have more time for Adoration on their schedules than other Orders.

 

Here are some community websites: :)

 

http://poorclares-roswell.org/

 

http://www.rockfordpoorclares.org/

 

http://poorclaresjoliet.org/

 

http://www.poor-clares.org/

 

http://poorclarecolettines-cleveland.org/index.htm

 

http://chicagopoorclares.org/

 

http://www.thepoorclares.org/

 

http://poorclares.wordpress.com/

 

http://www.poorclaressantabarbara.org/

 

http://www.poorclares-belleville.info/

[nikita92]

I meant to say, "Monastery of St.Jude"

[nikita92]

I meant to say, "Monastery of St.Jude"

[nikita92]

Sorry for the double post

[Starets]

How about St. Scholastica's Priory. It is a Benedictine contemplative community near Petersham, MA

 

No bare feet but everything else:

 

http://stscholasticapriory.org/

[ToJesusMyHeart]

The Poor Sisters of St. Clare! They don't have a website, but you can find some stuff on their brothers' site about them and St. Clare. You can also find more articles on them by googling "Franciscan Sisters Minor" which used to be their name before they were enclosed, and by googling their new name. They're very similar to Colettine Poor Clares.

 

 

 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

^what she said.

[Orans]

I've been praying about and researching every community I can get my hands on (that is in the USA). And I feel that cloistered and contemplative are what I'm attracted to, yet, I love the old traditions, very monastic way of life. Bare feet, fasting, gregorian chant, adoration, never ending prayer, community, solitude, traditional habits...and I feel like I can't find one community that embodies all of these things that I love and feel my heart going towards. 

 

Any suggestions? 

 

Anyone know of any communities? 

 

Thanks! 

 

There is a community I know that very much responds to what you are looking for, but is not in the USA. 

 

They are relatively newly founded (same as Bl. Mother Teresa's time) and both founder and foundress are in process of canonization already.

 

Besides Mass, the complete Divine Office, and the Rosary daily in community, they have two hours of daily prayer in community and two more hours for each Sister, which they make in turns in the chapel, one hour in the day and one in the night, so that they cover in turns 24/7/365 or perpetual prayer -even during recreation or special feast days they continue the turns so that the Blessed Sacrament is NEVER left without a Sister in prayer before Him. All in all every Sister has 8 daily hours of prayer every day. They sing Gregorian Chant -Mass and main Hours of the Office- on Sundays, solemnities, and feasts of the liturgical calendar -and many other traditions, like the daily antiphon to Mary at the end of the Office etc. 

 

They are discalced (simple, homemade sandals with no stockings, socks, or anything else), wear a full traditional habit, the same in winter and summer, and have no heat. Their charism is of prayer and penance for the sanctification of priests. They never eat meat, and I'm sure their fasts would be good enough for you. They live in deep solitude, and at the same time a full community life; have recreation in common only twice a week. Their income work is making vestments and church related items, and book binding. They grow much of their food -vegetables.

 

They are similar to the original Discalced Carmelites but instead of the two daily hours of recreation that the Carmelites have, these Sisters have two more hours of personal prayer every day. They are very austere and secluded, with double grill in the parlor, and three family visits per year. The foundress was very close to Saint Mother Maravillas of Jesus, OCD, (who started the line of Carmel like Valparaiso today, in Spain in the ninety thirties) and took some uses and traditions from Carmel when she started this new community in the ninety forties, making it even more simple and austere in style.

 

They don't have a website but there is a non official website about them: Hermanas Oblatas de Cristo Sacerdote or Oblate Sisters of Christ the Priest, here. The texts in the website are not from the Sisters but from this friend who is not a religious, but all in all can give you and idea about them even though the English translation is not very good either. You can see some pictures and hear them singing. There are also several videos in Spanish that you can see in their website or searching their name in You Tube, a couple of them made during a recent inauguration of a new monastery and a foundation.

 

They have 6 monasteries in Spain and one more, a recent foundation, in Peru. I know them personally, and I believe that they fit very much your description. Feel free to ask or pm me if you have any questions.