phone calls and visits in stricter communities

[MarysLittleFlower]

I know I can ask but I'm just wondering if anyone knows! For the most strictest cloistered communities - how many visits from family letters or phone calls are allowed? For example I think the Carmel of Jesus Mary and Joseph is pretty cloistered. I read they have one visit a year but somewhere else it said 2. Which is it? Do they allow phone calls sometimes? The reason I'm asking is because I'm looking at a community with a Latin Mass and many of those are very cloistered but not all - for example not the Benedictines. I like the idea cloistered life but I don't know if God would call me in my situation - that's up to Him. I'm just curious mostly and trying to learn thank you!

[Feankie]

MLF, why don't you just ask the communities you are interested in.  That way you would receive the correct answer directly from the source rather than second hand.

[josephine]

Just ask the communities. It is not a weird question to ask. And sometimes there are exemptions for when family is sick or lives very far away. It all depends on the community.

 

 

[das8949]

MLF, most of the individuals on the Phorum are just like you searching their heart and soul for God's will for their lives.  I do not know how to candy coat this, but the more information you find through research and contacting orders the more defined your discernment will become. Think of this time in your life as a discernment journey and make a project out of it. Collect information online, from orders, from organizations such as CMSWR, etc. Its your journey and it will only be as rewarding to the amount of work, effort and energy that you put into it. It appears to me that you want the process to be done for you and a structured list of steps to get where you want to be.God Bless May this :ent be your journey into Gods Will for you - God and you.

 

[SNJM]

In deference the answer above, which has some excellent points, it has been my experience (not only as a former Sister but as a current Spiritual Director) that if you have something in your heart that is a "deal-breaker," find out about it before moving forward with the community! Josephine is right - just ask the communities. And, don't be afraid to pose "what-if" questions. Exceptions can be made in certain circumstances and in others, not. Sometimes - if no - the community feel if one exception is made, it creates problems for other "special circumstances." If questions are not answered in a forthcoming and honest manner, that would be for me a serious red flag.