How Many New Communities Of Sisters/nuns/women Each Year?

[lanpingpug]

I wondered how many new female communities come into being each year? (I'm not a Catholic [yet?] but I understand that they don't spring out of the ground in front of you! They take time, prayer, patience, discernment etc.)

 

When I say, "come into being" I mean they are officially given diocesan approval and are allowed to exist officially in any form, such as an actual community of sisters, or just two or one or whatever.

 

I know we're not allowed to link to or discuss communities that aren't of diocesan approval but I wondered how many of these unofficial communities pop up too? I know there's not going to be a list but anyone have an estimate?

 

I am super interested and profoundly touched by the amount of women who truly do have vocations to serve God and put their vocations into action by joining orders/communities.

 

Is there one definitive list somewhere of all the female religious communities that are in communion with the Catholic Church all over the world? I guess everything is written down somewhere, even if it is only in a big book in a big library somewhere beautiful in The Vatican.

 

If any of this is offensive or if I'm asking the wrong sort of questions, I apologise wholeheartedly. I hope I haven't broken any rules by asking and if I have, please edit or remove this post as you see fit.

 

Lan Ping.

[maximillion]

I am sure your question does not offend, I am only sorry I can't answer it, but I am sure you are right, someone must be keeping track.......

[carmenchristi]

Priests from the Congregation for Religious (...) say that Jesus himself doesn't know how many religious communities exist.... Alone in the diocese of Rome, never mind the rest of the world! There are new ones popping out every day. As far as how many actually get recognized and approved, I couldn't tell you ;)

[maximillion]

http://cara.georgetown.edu/CARAServices/requestedchurchstats.html

[Gabriela]

http://cara.georgetown.edu/CARAServices/requestedchurchstats.html

 

Exactly, Max. You beat me to it! CARA is the place to look for any numbers regarding religious. They're the "premier" in order research in the US.

[HollyDolly]

Not really sure.There is a new community of women,the Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus in new Ulm,minnesota. I forgot how I found them.They are approved by the bishop and on their website it appears they are growing.You can google their name and see them.

Quite a few of the new communities seem to going back to a more traditional way of life.