Size Of Religious Communities

[TheresaThoma]

Marigold I agree with you about the community being spiritually vibrant and about looking to see if people are "dropping like flies". If a place is spiritually vibrant (keeping to their charism, faithful to the church) then I wouldn't be too concerned about entering.

I would be concerned though if absolutely everyone who entered stayed. If they have only had a few new entrances then it wouldn't be surprising for all of them to stay but if they are having lots of new candidates and all were staying I would be concerned. My worry would be that a young women isn't free to discern (and discern out if that is the case).

One of the best opportunities for me in my discernment was to speak with a young women who had discerned out of the community I am discerning with. It was reassuring to see that one truly is free to discern and follow that wherever it takes you.

 

[brandelynmarie]

I'm drawn to smaller communities & I'm good with all ages. It would be nice to share the noviciate with someone, but beyond that I think I'd be ok.

I do remember, however, watching a video of a large number of sisters in the refractory, eating practically elbow to elbow & feeling slightly claustrophobic! :blush:

[PartesVulpiumErunt]

Speaking as someone with a Y chromosome, I'll say that the communities that have consistently gotten my attention have not been in the double digits as far as numbers. I figure God works in the long term more frequently than the short term, as hard as that concept is for me to accept.

[marigold]

Speaking as someone with a Y chromosome, I'll say that the communities that have consistently gotten my attention have not been in the double digits as far as numbers. I figure God works in the long term more frequently than the short term, as hard as that concept is for me to accept.

 

Hehe yes, I think as far as taking the long view, he has the advantage on us :) But he's also in the eternal now so that's like super short term and justifies me asking, 'God, what do you want me to do NOW?' :hehe:

[emma8201986]

Community size it important to me. I certainly know that you should go where God calls but God also created us as we are with a variety of human failings. I worry that if I joined a small community, where would I be in 20 , 30 or 50 years if there were few vocations? How would I support myself and others? Who would take care of me in my old age? I have read a number of articles about communities who are facing that dilemma today. The Sisters of St. Joseph in Springfield MA, for instance, are in dire financial straights and it would not appear that all the prayers in the world are helping. See http://www.catholicfreepress.org/lead-story-2/2014/08/07/sisters-of-st-joseph-agree-to-sell-mont-marie-property/

I have been looking at communities that are growing and have a balance of sisters across the age spectrum. I have looked at the DSMMES and Nashville but concluded they are not for me. As I have said, I am seriously discerning with the Apostles of the Sacred Heart (but still looking at 2 other communities) as I see that balance.

[krissylou]

^^ This.  Take for example the Whitesville Passionists. The community had not received a new vocation in many years. Then a few years ago (the current) Sister Blogger joined the community.  In a blog post she had mentioned her concern over being the only new vocation, but she faithfully followed God's call. Since then they have had a steady stream of vocations coming into the monastery. I think the currently have two postulants and an aspirant.

 

She's been there longer than that, but yes you're absolutely right and I think about her story a fair amount.

 

She was the first one to enter and stay in a generation.  Is anyone going to come after her?  For a while nobody else did.  When it was time for her to make perpetual profession there was a new postulant (if my math is right) but plenty of postulants discern out.  Is she going to stay?  Who knows?

 

Since then there have been a bunch of new entrants.  That postulant DID stay and is now perpetually professed, and there are two in temporary vows, currently THREE postulants (the aspirant you mentioned recently became a postulant) one of whom is about to become a novice.  Would they have entered if there wasn't Sister Blogger there bridging the generation gap?  Maybe, but I'm sure her presence helped.

 

Obviously that isn't everyone's calling but it does look like it was hers!

[HopefulHeart]

In my discernment of religious life, I have found myself naturally attracted to larger communities (DSMME, Nashville Dominicans, Daughters of St. Paul). My inclination to a larger community probably has something to do with my individual situation or my attraction to an active or active-comtemplative life, as opposed to a monastic life. I enjoy seeing the diversity of ages, backgrounds, and personalities within a large community. It is beautiful to see dozens of different women united in a community by love for Jesus. Of course, natural desires regarding community size should always be placed in the Lord's hands.  :)

[4LoveofJMJ]

 

And also many people in the world right now have to be very in tune with technology for work/education reasons. This exposure to media would help the community as a whole with getting more publicity on the internet and other things.

 

Exactly! If a community is seen whether out in public or on the internet, interest in the community is bound to happen. But if there is a cloistered community is out in the middle of no where with little to no internet presence, then no wonder there are hardly any new vocations! Of course the QUALITY of the website or internet presence is just as important. I don't know how many times I've gone on a community's website and not learn anything about the order itself! The DSMME, Nashville Dominicans, and the SOL have very nice and informative websites. They defiantly give you an idea on what the orders are about. 

[marigold]

She's been there longer than that, but yes you're absolutely right and I think about her story a fair amount.

 

She was the first one to enter and stay in a generation.  Is anyone going to come after her?  For a while nobody else did.  When it was time for her to make perpetual profession there was a new postulant (if my math is right) but plenty of postulants discern out.  Is she going to stay?  Who knows?

 

Since then there have been a bunch of new entrants.  That postulant DID stay and is now perpetually professed, and there are two in temporary vows, currently THREE postulants (the aspirant you mentioned recently became a postulant) one of whom is about to become a novice.  Would they have entered if there wasn't Sister Blogger there bridging the generation gap?  Maybe, but I'm sure her presence helped.

 

Obviously that isn't everyone's calling but it does look like it was hers!

 

One of the things that does give me grief (though less as time passes) is not knowing whether I could have had this role in my former community.

 

There was one sister ahead of me who hadn't yet been tonsured, and another young woman who asked to enter while I was there. I left and then the other two dropped out soon after...

 

It's not a 'regret' as such, because I know God brings us good opportunities all the time, but the image of that potentially different community does haunt me.

[krissylou]

If you're looking for congregations with explosive growth, your list is going to be quite short.

 

Among long-established communities, especially active ones, a lot of them had a ton of entrants mid-century and even if they have a steady inflow of vocations now it's not nearly the dozens of girls (yes, usually girls) that entered each year mid-century.

 

In the five or so years I've been hanging around "my nuns" they've had as many perpetual professions as funerals.  You could say that's "stagnant" but I can show you many vocations directors who would consider that an amazing level of vocations.  But also, part of that is that this congregation came to the United States in the 1930s and never had the huge huge mid-century entering classes.  If they'd had fifty girls entering each year from 1940-1960 then they'd be shrinking rapidly.

 

Some of the big teaching or nursing orders would have several dozen girls (yes, usually girls) entering each year.  Even if they have a lot of new vocations, those days aren't coming back anytime soon and the sisters who entered in mid-century are dying just because they're old and that's what happens.  And a community that has a steady stream of vocations but well it isn't 1950 anymore so they're shrinking is in a different position than a congregation that has barely had anyone entering in decades.

 

And sometimes there are young women who enter those formerly huge congregations that have had very few vocations in many years.  A while back I saw a congregation announcing their two new postulants.  One of them had become a lay associate of the community after she retired, but felt called to a deeper connection so she was entering as a Sister.  She had to be in her 60s at least, I would think.  (And God bless her for answering the call whenever it came!)  And I'm guessing that as a 60something she was significantly below the average age of the congregation.  The other was 25.  And I kept thinking that she was so brave!

 

(She's still there by the way, now in temporary vows.)

[krissylou]

One of the things that does give me grief (though less as time passes) is not knowing whether I could have had this role in my former community.

 

There was one sister ahead of me who hadn't yet been tonsured, and another young woman who asked to enter while I was there. I left and then the other two dropped out soon after...

 

It's not a 'regret' as such, because I know God brings us good opportunities all the time, but the image of that potentially different community does haunt me.

 

Well, that's her calling (as far as any of us can tell from the outside).

 

Doesn't mean it was yours.  Maybe your calling is this new foundation and you needed to have that experience to see what can go wrong in order to do it well.  Or maybe your calling is something entirely different that we don't know yet.

[vee]

Just a random thought and that is for me the size of the community doesnt matter nearly as much as their faithfulness to the magisterium, Church teachings their charism and so forth. 

[Nunsuch]

A dear friend of mine entered her (active) community as part of a class of 14. When she celebrated her Silver Jubilee, she was the only one still in. I asked her how she felt about it. She said: "I didn't enter for other people, and I didn't stay for other people. God called me, and God is why I have stayed."  It's now several years later, and she is still there, and still happy. 

[brandelynmarie]

A dear friend of mine entered her (active) community as part of a class of 14. When she celebrated her Silver Jubilee, she was the only one still in. I asked her how she felt about it. She said: "I didn't enter for other people, and I didn't stay for other people. God called me, and God is why I have stayed." It's now several years later, and she is still there, and still happy.

Ultimately...This^^^ :blush:

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

One of the things that does give me grief (though less as time passes) is not knowing whether I could have had this role in my former community.

 

There was one sister ahead of me who hadn't yet been tonsured, and another young woman who asked to enter while I was there. I left and then the other two dropped out soon after...

 

It's not a 'regret' as such, because I know God brings us good opportunities all the time, but the image of that potentially different community does haunt me.

 

I don't remember very much of what you posted when you returned, but if I remember correctly it sounded as if the Community was unhealthy psychologically (at least for you). If a Community is unhealthy for you, you can't serve God well. I know of  at least one situation where a postulant entered (and stayed with) a Community where she was the youngest nun/Sister by 15-20(?) years or so. However, I don't think she was unhappy, or felt that the Community was not good for her psychologically. She ended up helping to revive the Community, but I don't think she could have done that if the Community was not the right place for her.

 

The fact that both the Sister ahead of you and another young woman just behind you both left the Community, suggests to me that the Community's issues were not simply issues with regard to you.

 

I don't think God would want a nun/Sister to stay in a Community that wasn't healthy for her emotionally and spiritually, on the possible chance that she might be the one who could change the Community over the long term. God needs Religious who are thriving in religious life. The Church needs Religious, but not at the cost of unhappiness in what is an unhealthy atmosphere for that person.