glasses and religious life

[Benedictus]

7 hours ago, Julie said:

As for how important distance vision is in a contemplative monastery- I have moderately bad "distance" vision, and that distance is anything more than a foot or two from my face! 

Glasses are pretty handy for recognizing who is walking towards me (and I imagine would be indispensable it they were all wearing habits!) and for doing little things like seeing hands on clocks or the corpus on a crucifix (or the altar at Mass! Or the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance!)

 

Handy for being able to see the reading and liturgical books too, especially during offices where there may well be dim light. I alternate between using glasses and contacts, but my eyes are fairly bad. Being tall at a short lecturn can add to the problem  During certain events, easter vigil and so on, I always used to find I'm very near tripping up if I'm not extra careful

[MarysLittleFlower]

Maybe its good then that I'm planning on getting two pairs they are really cheap, not an expensive brand, and there's a deal to get two for a cheaper price. Its just Walmart lol nothing fancy. So if I enter the monastery in a few years and still have the same prescription, I could just bring them prescriptions often do change over time of course. 

[nikita92]

(Atigonos- I started wearing glasses in my 40's as well. I have one eye that has  astigmatism. I was told no contacts were available. (back in the day)

I understand age and reading has alot to do with it. Alot of younger women I see (no Pund intended) are wearing them (monastery/convent) as well.  

Question 1- do the cloistered contemplative sisters/nuns that wear spectacles who require regular eye exams leave the grounds to go get it? 

Question 2- Would communities accept donations of "Reader" glasses i.e. 1.00-3.00 strength? My thought is.. They can use different ones at different times as needed, until they require prescription strenght etc. Thank you

 

[Antigonos]

Two brief points:

There are some online opticians nowadays.  I've never used them myself, but American friends here in Israel say that Zenni offers good service and excellent prices.  [I don't quite know how they would handle complicated prescriptions or progressive lenses, but I guess they have some way of doing it].  Whether one needs to go to an outside optician first to get the actual prescription or they have some online method of determining one's vision needs is something else I don't know.

Jews, particularly Orthodox ones, tend to have "gmachim" for just about everything. A gemach [contraction of the words "acts of kindness"] is a charity, often run from someone's home or in modest surroundings, that dispenses a particular kind of service or item for free or nominal cost.  There are gmachim for wedding gowns, breast milk, unused medications, -- and eyeglasses, among other somewhat unusual items.  Jews who need either frames or simple prescriptions can often find something that can suit.  I've donated old pairs of glasses several times when my prescription changed.  I've never heard of a similar sort of organization in the Christian world, but it seems it might be an interesting idea.

[Nunsuch]

Antigonos, the Lions Club (a benevolent organization which I think is international--sort of like Rotary--but mainly in the US) has collecting used glasses as one of their main charitable things. They are not explicitly Christian, but probably most of their members are (they are open to anyone, including Jews). As for using online eyeglass merchants, there are several in the US, but they do require you to have a valid prescription to send them. So one must go to an optometrist or opthalmologist first. 

Eye doctors are understood by religious communities--even those who are cloistered--as medical professionals. There is a blanket permission for enclosed religious to seek necessary medical attention, which would apply here, I'm sure.