Companions Of Clare - New Community For Older Women

[nikita92]

I admire Sr.Courtney for persevering in getting the Companions of Clare established and finally getting formal approval from the bishop. She is a former Poor Clare nun with years of dedication and involvement. I have been in communication with her since last year. I totally support this much needed community for mature discerner's! Bless you Sr.C!!

[OnlySunshine]

May I ask what exactly are your reservations about brand new communities?  Every single community of either men or women at any age and at any time in history with various charisms had to start somewhere.  I have read your comment several times and each time I read it, I have the distinct feeling that there is a prejudice on your part that you may not even realize that you have.  If acceptance by the local bishop is given, the foundress has undoubtedly been in touch with him for some time and had to answer many questions about her intentions, not to mention the funding, location, housing, type of work for self-sustaining the group, the rule, the constitutions, the mission, all of these things have to be worked out with the bishop before there is approval.  She has received formal approval from the bishop of the Diocese of Porland, Maine and is also being aided in spiritual and material ways by a group of male monastics in thearea with offering Mass, sacraments, classes in spirituality, etc.  If you are serious about contacting her, she is quite easy to find on the internet.  Her email, I think, has changed from the earlier one.  Prayers for you.

 

I do not list new communities for several reasons.  One being that they are in a state of uncertainty -- even if they are approved by the bishop -- because it is not certain whether or not the community will mature.  The community in question only has one member at this time meaning it is not yet established.  Just because a community has a rule and plans to move forward, it doesn't mean the community will flourish.  Now, that is not to say that I wish the foundress any ill will.  If God does, indeed, have a plan for this community, it will be successful.  Of course, every community has to start somewhere -- I'm not questioning that.  It takes time for a community to prove itself.  It takes years for a community to seek diocesan right status and even longer to gain pontifical right status.  Even the pope must test whether the community is successful.
 

By the way, the website the foundress has contacted on more than one occasion is my own project.  Thus, I discern which communities to list and I did not wish to list this community at this time.  I even removed the suggestion form because it was being abused.  I asked on the front page that people please not email me communities that were brand new or without the habit because I wanted to list established communities only.  That is my prerogative and not meant to upset anyone.  If someone else were to start their own website and wanted to list new communities, that is their prerogative.

 

I hope you understand that I do not wish to get into a debate about emerging communities.  I will pray for her new community to flourish if it's God's will.  :)

Edited March 6, 2013 by MaterMisericordiae

[OnlySunshine]

I admire Sr.Courtney for persevering in getting the Companions of Clare established and finally getting formal approval from the bishop. She is a former Poor Clare nun with years of dedication and involvement. I have been in communication with her since last year. I totally support this much needed community for mature discerner's! Bless you Sr.C!!

 

It is, indeed, wonderful that the desire of older women entering religious life is being understood rather than ignored.  I wish more communities would be open to the concept of younger AND older discerners.  Even communities I've discerned with in the past thought 30 years old was TOO old for someone to discern!  By their definition, I've reached middle age and am not eligible because my thinking is "too independent."  :(

[marigold]

So many older women became nuns who were widows or not.  As you said St. Jane de Chantal and many of her nuns over the years and Sr. Ortolana  who was St. Clare of Assisi's mother who entered her daughter's order also up to this day.

 

And many Carmelites and a few blesseds where older women and some widowed.  I have met a Carmelite sub-prioress of a strict, traditional 1990 Carmel who entered in her late 40s-early 50s and was a widow and had grown children and grand-children and, like many other older ones, was/is able to live the strict, hard life of a cloistered nun and who was NOT set in her ways and can't learn or be taught new ways - as many orders like to say!  Who knows more about sacrifice, total self-giving, hard work, wanting to please and do all for others than an older (or younger!) woman who was married/widowed, etc with kids!  Thank God there are many orders who DO recognize this and some well established like Carmel, PCCs, etc. but not enough by any means.

 

Amen to that!

[nikita92]

So what about those communities that prefer to have YOUNG discerner's finish college and have had employment experience and have lived on their own(for the most part)?! Are they not INDEPENDENT thinkers??

[OnlySunshine]

So what about those communities that prefer to have YOUNG discerner's finish college and have had employment experience and have lived on their own(for the most part)?! Are they not INDEPENDENT thinkers??

 

I know, right?!?  So many communities talk about the discerner getting real world experience but they don't want them to have independent thinking.  Such a conundrum!  :(

[Chiara Francesco]

Personally I think the orders that want you to finish or start or continue college is wrong and not prudent.  What good does it for the person to incur debt or more debt!  Especially college debt.  Take it from one who was kept from religious life due to debt and still have some left.

 

If religious life is NOT for you, fine, go and re-enroll in college but if I was young and felt strong about a vocation I would pursue that first as you can always go to or go back to school.

 

But then I know many communities who don't encourage this nor getting life experiences as they feel you could be exposed to bad ones and possibly loose your vocation. 

 

Why put God off when He calls?  If you are free to go and enter, GO!  Don't wait and have regrets or have major obstacles crop up that you will regret and have a hard time eliminating!

[marigold]

Actually I think it is prudent to ask someone to finish college. Not necessarily to start a whole new program, unless there was a good reason (of which maturity/independence might be part), but since entering a community happens in the real world, it makes sense to have your real world occupations in order before you do that. On the other hand, I knew that I wanted to be a nun as I was half-heartedly filling out residence applications and medical history for going to college, and could have saved myself and others a lot of money and tears if I'd just said that at the time.

 

For the most part, I think the age/independence/maturity thing is a non-issue. I've met very young nuns who were incredibly independent and go-getting and used that to their advantage in the life. Equally I know nuns who've come to the monastery late, who are very dependent and immature (despite having raised children and held down jobs - people never cease to amaze me :)) - and yet others who've been living the life for decades and also are unstable and immature. The ones you came away unsure about were the ones who seemed unwilling/unable to not have things their own way, young or old.

[Antigonos]

No experience or education in life ever really goes to waste.  One might think that, in entering the convent, one is going to spend the rest of one's life in prayer, yet even daily living can require special skills.  One kibbutz I know found, as its population began ageing, that it needed to send several members back to school to become dieticians; it had already sponsored at least one member to go to "hotel school" to learn professional catering -- cooking for about 500 people is very different from cooking from one's own family.  A retired nurse with a bad back was taught to use a knitting machine and now spends her work hours making sweaters for all the children on the kibbutz.  There is also a very elderly Holocaust survivor on this kibbutz who was discovered rooting around in the trash bins [obviously a throwback to her days of deprivation] and she was "retrained" to help with litter collection on the grounds and it gave her a sense that she was contributing something.

 

As Marigold writes, emotional maturity is different from completing a degree or studying for a profession, and some have it at an early stage and some never attain it.  But you never know when some knowledge or skill can be parlayed into a real benefit to a community.  It seems to me that the convent will still be there, even if entering is delayed while one finishes one's education.  My 2 cents.

Edited March 9, 2013 by Antigonos

[Totally Franciscan]

The website is:  http://www.companionsofclare.org/

 

A good friend of mine, an older vocation like myself and many here, found this new contemplative community and will visit soon.  She wrote this about them in an email to me:

 

"I found a very new community forming in Maine, "Companions of Clare." The foundress was a Poor Clare from New Orleans. She left & went up to NH for more solitude; then she wound up caring for her Mom for some 14 years.

She is 67 & founding a community approved by the Bishop of Maine (one diocese only in the State).

 

If you google up Companions of Clare you will see the main website; but there are also some separate pdf pages that will come up with the full habit & horarium. The commuity is specifically for women 62 or older & who have been in religious life as Sisters/Nuns."

 

The website says, "The primary focus group is women 62 or older, but no one will be refused consideration due to age."

 

and

 

"We wish to create a Roman Catholic community following the Primitive Rule of St. Clare, involving older women. The primary focus in the organization of our group will be women 62 or older who left religious life and wish to reenter, or those who wish to give the rest of their lives to God.  However, we realize the Spirit may direct others to us, so we will be willing to accept other age brackets. Originally this concept was meant to fill a personal need. However, very few people stand alone so the concept of this community was developed to provide a venue for others."

 

and

 

"While retaining our legal autonomy, we have been blessed by receiving sponsorship by the Friars of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Province.  Our agreement with them includes a Spiritual Guide, supplied by the Province, who will monitor our prayer life and practices to assure we are in keeping with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and the Spirit of Francis and Clare."

 

I LOVE this!  So wise in realizing God DOES call men and women at ALL ages and us older ones DO have much to give and can live the monastic life!:

 

"Our research has determined the cutoff age for entrance into existing communities is generally 50 years of age.  We believe the Spirit works in older individuals, as well.

Acceptance of retired women as a norm would set us apart from existing communities, would justify our request to build this community and fill a real need in the Franciscan Order and the Church.

Age brings about wisdom. Older women, who are called by God to live a radical existence and consecrate their lives in intensity of holiness, are stable, and have had a wide variety of real life experiences. They are able to make an educated choice to answer God’s call with a “fiat.”

Chiara Francesco, I was wondering if your friend has returned from her visit to the Companions of Care and her experiences there.  I would be very interested in an update.  Thanks so much.

 

[Totally Franciscan]

Oops!  It just crossed my mind after I posted the above that we are not supposed to post about communities that are not approved.  My apologies to all.

[Chiara Francesco]

My friend didn't visit yet but is in contact with the woman.  I have this update from my friend in 2 recent emails:

 

"She got the Bishop's full approval to found in Maine. She is selling her NH house & already has her sight on a house in ME....Pray she can sell her house soon."

 

"She is just starting off now & needs to sell her NH house & move to Maine where she is already approved by the Bishop of Portland."

Edited April 16, 2013 by Chiara Francesco

[chasmi]

I haven't commented much on any of the VS threads lately. But I feel compelled to comment on this one.  Probably because I identify with the age-bracket that is affected here.  Personally, I pray that Sister is able to gather her community of Companions of Clare.  In my opinion, what a wonderful thing for some older women, x-religious or not, who could spend their retirement years in a religious community, adoring our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.  If Sister were to be able to gather together enough women and their resources, both financial and otherwise, what a wonderful idea for a ladies retirement community.  They would be able to be nuns, prayerful, contemplative, HAPPY and maybe not lonely.  Let's give Sister prayerful support in hopes that her idea of this community will be the answer to many prayers of older women.  Personally, I think St. Francis and St. Clare are probably thrilled and overjoyed with the idea.  I offer my prayers for the success of this community.  I hope many join me in prayer.

[SisterSnowflake]

Totally Franciscan,

 

You mentioned,  "Oops!  It just crossed my mind after I posted the above that we are not supposed to post about communities that are not approved.  My apologies to all", and I did read the "sticky" about this.  However, I have a very real question...what constitutes approved and what does not?  If the Bishop and/or his delegates approve for a group to move forward, is that group not to be considered "approved"?  OR, does a group have to reach the "Diocesan Right" status to be considered approved?  If the latter is the case, the DSMME won't reach diocesan status until this summer, yet they are talked about quite a bit on here. 

 

I'm not trying to be cranky; this really is a question I have.  :)

 

Thanks!!  :)

 

[OnlySunshine]

Totally Franciscan,

 

You mentioned,  "Oops!  It just crossed my mind after I posted the above that we are not supposed to post about communities that are not approved.  My apologies to all", and I did read the "sticky" about this.  However, I have a very real question...what constitutes approved and what does not?  If the Bishop and/or his delegates approve for a group to move forward, is that group not to be considered "approved"?  OR, does a group have to reach the "Diocesan Right" status to be considered approved?  If the latter is the case, the DSMME won't reach diocesan status until this summer, yet they are talked about quite a bit on here. 

 

I'm not trying to be cranky; this really is a question I have.  :)

 

Thanks!!  :)

 

 

This is something you'll have to ask dUSt.  He makes the rules here so he would know what he means by "approved."  My best guess is that it is a community who has more than one member and whose house has already been established as well as the constitutions/rule already approved by the Bishop.