maximillion Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 As some of you know we are hoping to write a guide to entering the convent and we plan on having a section on FAQ's. The 'book' will be divided into Cloistered and non C, so this is the section on Cloistered life. What questions do you have, have heard or have read frequently from discerners? If you can give a link to a good response this would help greatly. 1) Why don't you do good and enter where there is an active apostolate....... 2) What do Cloistered nuns DO all day? 3) Do you have to know how to sing to be a nun? 3a) I can't sing, can I enter a community who chants the LOTH? 4) I plan on entering the Cloister, should I give up college? 5) How old must I be? 5a) Are there age restrictions? please continue from here........................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AveMariaPurissima Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 6) Do you get bored always being in the same place, seeing the same people, doing the same things, etc.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feankie Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 (edited) Will I be able to go home to visit friends and family? Will I be able to use my education and my special gifts/talents in the cloister? Will I be able to write home or call home.....ever? Edited February 13, 2014 by Francis Clare Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentJoy Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 How do people handle being so drastically separated from friends and especially family? How will I ever get used to a "uniform" if I enjoy expressing my personality through my clothing choices? What is this "silence" thing like - will I feel like I'm being neglected or ignored, and will I have someone to talk to if I'm going through a difficult time? Do I get to chose my own Confessor or spiritual director? Can I write home about my problems or do I need to put on a 'happy face' for them? What medical care is provided, and will I be expected to have invasive exams (pre-entrance and ongoing)? What is the food like - is it healthy? What is the community's view on corporal penance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilllabettt Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 clarify please. is this a list of questions discerners should ask communities? or a list of "general" questions which you intend to answer in the book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maximillion Posted February 14, 2014 Author Share Posted February 14, 2014 To clarify. We have all seen on VS how often the same questions come up, and some of the above are great examples. This is a set of questions we hope to 'answer' in the book, which is why I am asking for the most frequently asked - we cannot hope to answer every question a discerner has and it is appropriate to address some of them to the individual community, so yes, more general ones. Links to good responses or answers you have seen would be helpful too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyAnn Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 We did create a separate list of questions to specifically ask a community (that should also go in the book!), so I think the FAQs for the book need to be more general. The difference between a sister and a nun and between a monk, a friar and a brother is one that I get fairly often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egeria Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 I don't mean to be difficult, but it may also help to be aware (and I imagine that this could come up as a question for some people, or at least as an area of confusion) that the distinction between cloistered and non-cloistered doesn't sit very well with some traditions, notably the monastic / Benedictine tradition, as they can be anything from papally enclosed, through various degrees of enclosure, through to sisters (or monks) who also have an active apostolate. Their primary identity is monastic (and dates from a time when ideas of enclosure weren't nearly so neatly defined) and that can take various forms. I found this really confusing when I was first making contact with monasteries, until I began to learn that I was viewing things from a framework that I had imbibed from later Orders and Congregations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josephine Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 I totaly agree that there should be a question and/or section about the different forms of enclosure and the fact that cloistered =/= monastic. (or maybe I should say that the other way around. monastic is not neccesery cloistered as you pointed out. It confused me a lot as well. Also maybe a question/section about the different symbols/signs of the cloister like grills and walls? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmaD2006 Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 As some of you know we are hoping to write a guide to entering the convent and we plan on having a section on FAQ's. The 'book' will be divided into Cloistered and non C, so this is the section on Cloistered life. I have to ask ... who is "we"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carson Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 All of these should just be a whole book, like the youcat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNJM Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 I believe the difference that needs to be explained is papal enclosure vs. constitutional. Also, not every "cloistered or monastic" community wears a habit so the questions regarding clothing and personal expression should be addressed as being unique to the community. The same goes for personal gifts/talents/abilities. Some communities see giving up these "abilities or interests" as a sacrifice (as an example, I know a young woman who had an advanced degree in Latin. when she entered her community, which chants the LOH in Latin, she was expected to take the classes and not reveal her high level of profiency.) other communities - Regina Laudis comes to mind - encourages, supports and celebrates the gifts of the individual (their website explains this well). Customs are also very important to not only individual communities, but also to individual monasteries (Carmelites are an example). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristinaTherese Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 I have to ask ... who is "we"? http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/topic/132954-dummies-guide-to-entering-the-convent/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmaD2006 Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 My two cents .... either write a q&a format book (I've seen a few and it can work quite well) or focus on the chapters first. This isn't an easy task. Also in my opinion be careful not to bite off more than you can chew. A book is a good idea, but you can go into so many facets that you can easily lose focus. Finally if people are really serious, please remember to get the right people to provide input. Most of us on this board are discerning or entered and left ... there are only a precious few religious on the board and they are the ones who probably have the right experience. Just some food for thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carson Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Seriously, you guys should do it in the format of the youcat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now