Spem in alium Posted June 9, 2014 Author Share Posted June 9, 2014 Many, many thanks! Please keep me and my Sisters in your prayers, particularly up to June 28th. It is a time of great joy (but admittedly, also apprehension) for me. And please do remember the Benedictines too; it was a little hard for me to discuss this with them and they expressed some sadness to me when I did, which was somewhat difficult to bear. Yet we are ending in very good faith, and as one of the Sisters said, when you choose one thing, you don't choose another - it's simply a part of life, and can make you open to great opportunity. It reminds me in some way of that lovely quote from The Sound of Music, "When the Lord closes a door, somewhere He opens a window". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue.Rose Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Congrats Spem! :) great news! I'm so happy for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneLine Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Prayers for you, and prayers for the Benedictine congregation..... I firmly trust that God will reward them for all the help they gave you in fostering your vocation to the Nazareth community. I pray that if it be for His Glory and the good of all, God will send them many vocations... actually, to both communities! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spem in alium Posted June 9, 2014 Author Share Posted June 9, 2014 Prayers for you, and prayers for the Benedictine congregation..... I firmly trust that God will reward them for all the help they gave you in fostering your vocation to the Nazareth community. I pray that if it be for His Glory and the good of all, God will send them many vocations... actually, to both communities! Thank you! :) I pray this for them also - they have been such a great help for me, and I've expressed that to them which I think they appreciated. I can understand why they would be sad, especially with their lack of vocations at the moment. Their youngest Australian sister is substantially younger than the majority of the Sisters in the congregation (the average age is probably somewhere in the 60s) and is not yet fully professed, and they haven't really been able to get a lot of women to their retreats. I've gone to most of them since I came into contact with the Sisters, and they normally have about two participants each time. This last weekend I was on retreat with them, they were meant to have four participants but two pulled out and one arrived late, so it was just me and nine Sisters for half the time! I pray that they will find peace, whatever happens with their congregation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Therese Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 I actually met two of these Benedictine nuns back when I was shopping for black and white stuff just before I moved to the US to try religious life with some Doms. They were on a VERY rare venture outside of the cloister, replacing some very worn sandals for much of their community, I believe :) I was with my three little sisters at the time and we cornered them in the shoe store and introduced ourselves... they were absolutely lovely!! Someone who attended my high school once belonged to their order but had to leave due to severe health problems. Very much hoping that they start getting more vocations. Part of the difficulty is that religious life for women is NOT particularly well promoted in our diocese. They are doing an excellent job in promoting vocations to the priesthood... but yes. Religious life for women is largely misunderstood in the diocese, in my personal opinion. The bishop is SPECTACULAR, I'm hoping that he will encourage his vocations director to invest a little in this direction. Please pray for the diocese! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spem in alium Posted June 10, 2014 Author Share Posted June 10, 2014 (edited) The Benedictines at Jamberoo? They are so lovely. :) And yes, religious life for women is not well advertised. I'm not actually in the same diocese as the congregation I'm applying with. The bishop there really is excellent - from what I can see, he does wonders, especially for youth. In my own diocese we have no bishop, have only one seminarian, and religious life for women is not discussed often, if at all. Edited June 10, 2014 by Spem in alium Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carla Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 The Benedictines at Jamberoo? They are so lovely. :) And yes, religious life for women is not well advertised. I'm not actually in the same diocese as the congregation I'm applying with. The bishop there really is excellent - from what I can see, he does wonders, especially for youth. In my own diocese we have no bishop, have only one seminarian, and religious life for women is not discussed often, if at all. I totally agree with this.It is very important to have devoted priests and nuns who will work with young ones and open their heart to vocations.I'm lucky to be with amazing priest and sisters and they help me a lot.With them i realize what really vocation means.They work with young ones from earliest age to be open for vocation.And they have results young ones are again in churches and some of the have vocations it is beautiful to see it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spem in alium Posted June 12, 2014 Author Share Posted June 12, 2014 I agree, Carla - and it's great that you have priests and Sisters around who are giving you guidance. :) Just a random question: it is the Provincial Superior's birthday next week, and I am planning on making her an artwork - a Scripture verse or saying written in calligraphy or another font, and then decorated. I'm not sure what text I will use - I was thinking of the congregational motto, "Fiat Voluntas Tua", "Come, Holy Spirit" or something to do with Our Lady of Lourdes - does anyone have any other suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maximillion Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Fiat Voluntas Tua sounds good to me..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spem in alium Posted June 29, 2014 Author Share Posted June 29, 2014 I have officially started the application process. Received all my paperwork yesterday and the VD thinks that an entrance date into the affiliacy program around Oct/Nov this year would be reasonable. The program lasts around six months, and after that I would continue as a postulant. Sooner than I ever would have thought I would enter. I'm a little apprehensive, but also experiencing a deep joy and excitement. I'm trying as always to remain open and ready to be led wherever the Lord takes me. Please pray for me, and for my family. We're all very close, and they are excited for me, but I sense also apprehensive - especially my mother. Leaving her will be particularly difficult. I lived away from my family for about four months a couple of years ago, and that was hard, so I'm suspecting this will be even more so considering it could be forever. Know that you and your families are prayed for every day. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marigold Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 I have officially started the application process. Received all my paperwork yesterday and the VD thinks that an entrance date into the affiliacy program around Oct/Nov this year would be reasonable. The program lasts around six months, and after that I would continue as a postulant. Sooner than I ever would have thought I would enter. I'm a little apprehensive, but also experiencing a deep joy and excitement. I'm trying as always to remain open and ready to be led wherever the Lord takes me. Please pray for me, and for my family. We're all very close, and they are excited for me, but I sense also apprehensive - especially my mother. Leaving her will be particularly difficult. I lived away from my family for about four months a couple of years ago, and that was hard, so I'm suspecting this will be even more so considering it could be forever. Know that you and your families are prayed for every day. :) My family didn't know at all how to handle me and the monastery, and took it very hard. I wouldn't focus on 'it could be forever' right now, either with your family or yourself. This is just what you're doing 'for now'. Congratulations! Enjoy it, it's a wonderful time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spem in alium Posted June 30, 2014 Author Share Posted June 30, 2014 (edited) My family didn't know at all how to handle me and the monastery, and took it very hard. I wouldn't focus on 'it could be forever' right now, either with your family or yourself. This is just what you're doing 'for now'. Congratulations! Enjoy it, it's a wonderful time! Thank you :) I didn't actually realise the "forever" part much until I spoke to my mother and she said something along the lines of, "You'll be leaving us forever!" Then it kind of hit me. While it could be where I'll spend the rest of my life, I much prefer to take one step at a time. It's what I've been doing throughout my whole process, really, and while I am excited about the future I feel more comfortable devoting my attention to the short term, as there's a lot of stuff happening there. :) I'm not sure my parents really know how to take it. My dad's really excited and emotional about it, sometimes more than me, but mum seems almost shell-shocked and doesn't really like to talk about it...though she did bring it up with me today, which was nice. My siblings have told me they are sad, but happy if I'm happy. I'm praying that it will bring them as much peace as it's bringing me. I will definitely enjoy it. It feels unbelievable, almost! Edited June 30, 2014 by Spem in alium Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brandelynmarie Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 :) And here I was going to ask you how it went on Saturday & you beat me to it :p So very very happy for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maximillion Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 Sister Motet is on her way - yay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spem in alium Posted June 30, 2014 Author Share Posted June 30, 2014 :) And here I was going to ask you how it went on Saturday & you beat me to it :P So very very happy for you! Aww, you're so sweet. Thank you! :) Sister Motet is on her way - yay! Haha! Yes, she is! :harp: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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