NonNovi Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 AnneLine said she would post an update on me, but she might have forgot. Don't worry AnneLine, I know you're busy :hehe2: Yes, I'm back :shocking: No, it's not what you think ;) I haven't left the convent, on the contrary! Well, in a way I did, but that was because I was ordered to. I have been a postulant at the SJM motherhouse in Austria since my entrance in October, but postulancy is coming to an end now. Before investiture we are send home for a week. So at this moment I am back in Belgium. Being "back in the world" is pretty confusing, although we are not enclosured and often leave the convent. Everything seems so loud, busy or tempting. I'm glad I can go back to the motherhouse soon. Sunday I will return to Austria, because on the feast of St. Joseph I will be invested and become a novice! Please remember me in your prayers on that day. These will also be my last opportunities to visit Phatmass. Once in the noviciate I won't have acces to the internet for a whole year. So if somebody has questions, ask them in the next 2 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristinaTherese Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Yay! Thanks for the update. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneLine Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Thank you for the update, NonNovi. i am a bad correspondent and hence a BAD extern! I located Non-Novi's letter to me (sent before Advent, I'm embarassed to admit :paperbag:) just last night -- will try to post contact info and some highghlights from it later tonight. He also gave me an address and name at which you can write to him.. I'm not sure how we should address him on envelopes, however. Non-novi, do you want me to just transcribe the letter you sent me???? SO GLAD to know you continue to do well!!!!!! :heart: :priest: :heart: pray for us as we do for you!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonNovi Posted March 12, 2014 Author Share Posted March 12, 2014 Non-novi, do you want me to just transcribe the letter you sent me???? You can also just summarize it, whatever you want. I have no idea anymore what I wrote back then :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneLine Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Yeah, I am (and should be!) SO embarrassed! :blush: well, I'll get it on later tonight, ok? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristinaTherese Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 How are things with your family now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AugustineA Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Wow, cool. May I ask, what is it like attending Mass with everyday parishioners? Is it any different now? There was a nun at Mass today, and I couldn't help but notice her. Also.. All us regular Catholics love you guys and thank you for devoting yourself to religious life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonNovi Posted March 13, 2014 Author Share Posted March 13, 2014 My family is doing a lot better now, but they are having a difficult time. They feel like they are losing me to something they totally can't relate to. I keep hearing it's awfull that my freedom is so restricted and that everything is so severe, that I can't call or use the internet whenever I want. As for me, I kind of enjoy the fact that I'm away from the internet, that I don't have a cellphone anymore, that my day is planned completely. It's not always easy to be obedient, but I can't complain. I'm happy at the motherhouse and don't really miss home... I have no time for that. And they have no idea it could be a lot worse. I'm not in an enclosured contemplative community for example, we have more possibilities than a lot of other convents. To answer a question of FP: I entered the Servi Jesu et Mariae (Servants of Jesus and Mary). Our website has an English translation since a few weeks, because soon there will be an Australian and an American entering! I don't know if they translated everything though: www.sjm-congregation.org Being back home and in the city is really overwhelming. Attending Mass is not that weird, but it made me realise how lucky I am with the liturgy at the motherhouse. There we have both EF and OF ad orientem, OF most of the time also in Latin, a few times a week with German songs or sung ordinarium. In Belgium I just have crappy OF's now, without the beauty and sacrality or even the feeling of it being a sacrifice... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheresaThoma Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 YAY Good to hear from you Non-Novi! I will continue to pray for your family, I'm sure it is difficult seeing you happy but at the same time not understanding it at all. How has the adjustment been to living in community life? The Liturgy at the motherhouse sounds fantastic! Sadly no parishes near me have the OF ad orientem, the masses are ok but not nearly what you are describing. I'm sure I will think of more questions later! I would love to send you a letter from time to time so if you feel comfortable post or PM me how it should be addressed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneLine Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 I'm hoping to get NN's November letter posted in a couple of hours -- hve to get to where it is. It will tell you a lot of what his early days in the Candidacy were like.... and then he can update us. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eowyn Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 :nun3: :nun2: :nun2: :nun2: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matana Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Hey, we don't know each other, but the convent I'm discerning with is also in Austria and has the EF most of the time! I think it's great to have the SJM here and it's good to hear they are growing. You'll be in my prayers, especially to our country's great patron saint. Und grüß das schöne Österreich von mir ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneLine Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Finally, at long last, AnneLine is providing you with NonNovi's letter! (And again, I apologize to all of you that it took so long!) I took out a little information that is either dated or too personal for the Internet. But some of you may have questions for him, so fire away!!!! ----------[snip]----------- 20.11.13 (Nov 20, 2013) St. Felix of Valois Hello, I just wanted to let you know I'm doing great here. On October 1st I entered the Servi Jesu et Mariae (finally!) It's such a joy to be at the mother house. In the beginning, it wasn't always easy to get used to the day schedule. Every hour we do somthing else, we really had to learn to be obedient to the clock and stop with what we're doing when it is time to do somwthing else, even if we weren't finished yet. But now, 6 weeks later, it's a lot easier. There are 6 postulants (me included) in different ranges of age, interests and nationalities. We are the first very international class, with 3 Germans, 1 Austrian, 1 Frenchman and 1 Belian. The French guy and I had to get used to the small cultural differences. And the language, of course. My German is pretty good, or that's what everybody is telling me, although I really need to improve my grammar. A few weeks ago we started to study Latin, because we need to be able to celebrate Mass in Latin and understand what we say and pray (we have both EF and OF, with OF often also in Latin) I'm in the advanced group for Latin but really struggling, because my German is too limited to translate directly from Latin in German. I have to think in 3 languages at the same time! What else to tell? I'm kind of part of our schola, although I can't read a single note. Apprently they think I'm a good singer or somthing. Every week we have half an hour of singing with everybody (postulants, novices, scholastics and brothers), to practice gregorian chant Usually to learn to sing the Mass for an upcoming feast. We are also encouraged to learn an instrument. The novice master is trying to convince me to learn organ. But I'm not really sure if I want to. I'll leave it up to God to decide. This week the tailor came to take our measurements for our cassocks. We will be invested at the beginning of novitiate....... In the first weeks of November we have had 5 days of spiritual exercises, which was pretty intense. But it really made us grow. Not allowed to speak, we really learned to take care of each other, and we kept that attitude. Also spiritually of course, St. Ignatius really knew what he was doing. At this moment I feel very at peace with being here (although my parents still don't agree). Leaving home was a small drama.... With permission I can also use the internet, but I'm trying not to. There is not much time for that and it's just better for me. I don't feel the need to go on the internet daily anymore. But I do enjoy writing and receiving letters again! You can tell the Phamily how I'm doing and that whoever wants to can always send me something, I'm happy with everything I get! I can't tell if I can or when I can write back though. The novice master hasn't been very clear about our letter policy. We get everything we receive straight away but sending letters will gradually be restricted I think. We'll see, for now I can answer everything. OK, that's it I guess. I hope you are doing well. I am praying for you. In Christo per Mariam, NonNovi ----------[snip]----------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneLine Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 With his permission, NonNovi has asked me to post this for him: If any of you wish to write to him, here is his name and address! Styn Peeters Servi Jesu et Mariae Auhofstrasse 22 3372 Blindenmarkt Osterreich NOTE: Phatmass won't let me put it in, but include a sideways colon (":") above the "O" in Osterreich and over the "Y" in his first name. NonNovi, is there a form of address (Frater?) that we should use before your name, or some initials afterwards? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonNovi Posted March 14, 2014 Author Share Posted March 14, 2014 Phatmass won't let me put it in, but include a sideways colon (":") above the "O" in Osterreich and over the "Y" in his first name. NonNovi, is there a form of address (Frater?) that we should use before your name, or some initials afterwards? Actually, my first name is written with an I and a J, so Stijn. And instead of Österreich, you better put Austria, since most of you live in an English speaking country ;) I'm not 100% sure, but I think I'll be called Frater only after the novitiate. And only with vows you're allowed to use the initials behind your name, that will also be after the novitiate. So for now just my name will do :) I'm happy with every letter I get. But I can't promise you'll get something back, especially not in the novitiate. We're only allowed to write our family, once a month. After novitiate we'll have more possibilities. But I can receive mail, that's not a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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