Pia Jesu Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 So can it be a "community" with just one member? I thought a community had to have at least 3 to begin the process of recognition. I e-mailed (using Sponsa-Christi's link) the Daughters of the Virgin Mother and rec'vd a reply confirming that Sr. Mary Raphael is, indeed, the former Hanceville and Charlotte PCPA mentioned in this thread. Interestingly, whoever wrote it said that she was a "member" of the community--so Nunsuch, we'll have to be patient until their website is fully up & running to get further information regarding the number of sisters, canonical status, a specific description of their ministry to priests, etc. The e-mail asked us to continue praying for Sr. Mary Raphael as she begins this new chapter of her religious life. I know there are certain conditions that must be met before a newly-formed community is allowed to wear a habit. The former Daughters of St. Joseph (Louisiana), for example, were not permitted to do so until a certain number of vocations were received. So, the fact that Sr. Raphael is wearing religious garb must mean that the community is established/approved as a private association of the faithful. Hopefully, another forum member knows more about the process... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nunsuch Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 Thank you. I do know that such matters can be problematic as a new community is being formed, but I do find it confusing that she seems to be the only member--or, at least, the only one in a habit. I think the same was true for Rosalind Moss when she began her community, too.... I'm just wondering what is going on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponsa-Christi Posted November 22, 2015 Author Share Posted November 22, 2015 For a new community, I think they can start wearing the habit as soon as the local bishop allows them to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katherineH Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 (edited) I met Mother Miriam (former Rosalind Moss) and she explained that for her to establish her community, she had to go complete a novitiate with another community which granted her the ability to wear the habit. So I think the habit designates the completion of stages of formation. She doesn't have any sisters yet (they are arriving in January). This would explain how Sr. Mary Raphael is able to wear a habit - it "carries over" from her years as a Poor Clare. If she were starting as a lay person she would need to start in postulant clothes. Edited November 22, 2015 by katherineH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrysostom Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 I hope it flourishes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feankie Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 It's a bit interesting to me that 1. the new community is also located in North Carolina, not all that far from the former St. Joseph Adoration Monastery in Charlotte which Sister left. 2. The charism is similar to part of the PCPA's in that they are heavy into spiritual motherhood and praying for priests. In fact, the new St. Joseph Monastery, yet to be built, was supposed to be for prayer support for the seminarians who would be studying on the other side of their joint property. I believe the driveway was being built with one main drive coming in and then forking so the nuns were on one side and the seminary on the other . I wonder if Sister's other sister, who was also in formation at OLAM and also left, has or will be joining her. I don't know if she married after leaving or not. I also wonder if they are connected to Belmont Abbey.....it certainly is possible as they are located in the same place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pia Jesu Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 5 hours ago, Francis Clare said: It's a bit interesting to me that 1. the new community is also located in North Carolina, not all that far from the former St. Joseph Adoration Monastery in Charlotte which Sister left. 2. The charism is similar to part of the PCPA's in that they are heavy into spiritual motherhood and praying for priests. In fact, the new St. Joseph Monastery, yet to be built, was supposed to be for prayer support for the seminarians who would be studying on the other side of their joint property. I believe the driveway was being built with one main drive coming in and then forking so the nuns were on one side and the seminary on the other . I wonder if Sister's other sister, who was also in formation at OLAM and also left, has or will be joining her. I don't know if she married after leaving or not. I also wonder if they are connected to Belmont Abbey.....it certainly is possible as they are located in the same place. "Sister's other sister" (Sr. Maria Magdalena, PCPA) joined the US Navy...and according to this news article, is exploring the possibility of forming a new community that ministers to military chaplains--The Sisters of Our Lady, Star of the Sea. Amazing! http://www.therecord.com.au/news/local/ashley-schumacher-nun-catholic-sister Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vee Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 5 hours ago, Pia Jesu said: "Sister's other sister" (Sr. Maria Magdalena, PCPA) joined the US Navy...and according to this news article, is exploring the possibility of forming a new community that ministers to military chaplains--The Sisters of Our Lady, Star of the Sea. Amazing! http://www.therecord.com.au/news/local/ashley-schumacher-nun-catholic-sister Oooh I love the name! Its one of my fav titles of Mary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NadaTeTurbe Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 How many new communities have been founded by sisters from the PCPA ? I remember hearing about another founded by a PCPA, but can't remember the name... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feankie Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 Are you thinking of the Benedictine Daughters of the Divine Will in Italy founded by the former Sr. Mary Catherine PCPA? Other than that, the PCPA's from Hanceville sent out nuns to found 2 monasteries, one in Arizona - Our Lady of Solitude and one in Texas - Monastery of St. Michael the Archangel. The other nuns that were sent out went first to Portsmouth, OH to bring St. Joseph Adoration Monastery back to life, and then those nuns all moved to Charlotte, NC for a few years, and now the Vatican sent the Charlotte nuns back to Hanceville. Other than that, I can't think of any others. Whoa......Ashley says she's been on sabbatical from the PCPA's?! That's one heck of a long sabbatical I think she might be fudging a little bit with that one. I might give her one or two Pinnochio's for that. I went back to see when the article was written 2012. That's still a long sabbatical. I wonder if the Order was ever started? I guess I'll start searching the 'net. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feankie Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 I want to withdraw my comment about Pinnochio's. It was uncharitable....I was trying for a little humor, but when I went back to edit, the site wouldn't let me :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pia Jesu Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 While other VS threads have addressed the potential challenges facing new communities--and those discerning vocations with them--the actual time involved before being recognized as a religious institute of pontifical rite is considerable. After presenting the proposed charism, rule of life, etc., to a local bishop--the steps (much simplified!) are becoming... 1. a de facto association (again, approved by the local bishop) 2. a private association of the faithful (which includes step 1). After demonstrating stability, new vocations, etc., they are allowed to make public vows and wear a habit (though some bishops still prohibit it at this point) 3. a religious institute of diocesan rite (after approx. 10 years of steady growth) 4. a religious institute of pontifical rite--approved by Rome/answerable to the Pope (after approx. 20-25 years) The MFVA friars (Birmingham, AL) were founded by Mother Angelica in 1987...and after 28 years are still described on their website as "Public [Clerical] Association of the Faithful." Mother Miriam (Rosalind Moss) and her Daughters of Mary, Mother of Israel's Hope started out under the authority of the bishop of St. Louis, MO--but moved to Tulsa, OK when a newly-appointed local bishop halted the process. She handled this development in a beautiful, faith-filled way--and describes it on the community's website. So, we will pray for Sr. Mary Raphael and her sister, Ashley. How incredible it would be to have siblings each found a new religious order! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sr Mary Catharine OP Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 sabbatical is another way of saying exclaustration! There isn't really such a thing as taking a sabbatical from religious life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feankie Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 I spoke with Sr. Mary Raphael of the Divine Physician at great length today. We are friends from her days with the PCPA's in Charlotte, N.C. Suffice it to say I'm not going to reveal the purpose or content of our conversation, but I will let you know that she's in vows and has retained her religious name, has worked closely with the Bishop and her S.D., worked with a Canon Lawyer from Rome to compose their Rule, and their location, at least for now, is on the campus of Belmont Abbey College. Oh, and Ashley is not with her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponsa-Christi Posted November 25, 2015 Author Share Posted November 25, 2015 6 hours ago, Sr Mary Catharine OP said: sabbatical is another way of saying exclaustration! There isn't really such a thing as taking a sabbatical from religious life. That's what I was thinking. Although if a temporarily exclaustrated religious was trying to explain her situation to "normal" Catholics, I would guess that the word "sabbatical" would be more readily understood. It's not unusual for a religious trying to start a new community to be exclaustrated (essentially, exclaustration is simply permission to live apart from the community). For example, Bl. Teresa of Calcutta was exclaustrated from her original in order to start the Missionaries of Charity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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