How about the OLDEST communities?

[Spem in alium]

My country (following British rule) is not very old, so the oldest religious order in my country was founded more or less recently: in 1857. It still exists now. My congregation has been here for 60 years and is one of the older orders here, but we're hidden in a way so many people don't know that. People are becoming more and more interested in congregations arriving or visiting here now: the Nashville Dominicans and Sisters of Life, to name a couple. I actually had people ask me why I wasn't considering the NDs. It's great that religious life is seen to still have value, but how to promote communities of women who are getting older and older with no new entrants? It's very difficult.

Edited June 27, 2016 by Spem in alium

[sr.christinaosf]

Yes, I agree.  It's almost like there's an infatuation with the NEW.  

People overlook the beauty and proven value of the OLD.

[Spem in alium]

8 hours ago, sr.christinaosf said:

Yes, I agree.  It's almost like there's an infatuation with the NEW.  

People overlook the beauty and proven value of the OLD.

And when the archdiocese itself promotes and supports newer communities almost exclusively, it makes it much harder. The majority of religious in my archdiocese are unhabited and elderly - qualities which seem largely unattractive to young people discerning. I learnt so much through my connection with an order of women who do not wear the habit and whose youngest sister is in her late 30s. This only happened because I really pushed myself to be open.  

[Sister Leticia]

I know this isn't the case for all new communities, but I'll share this anecdote anyway.

I knew someone who started discerning with a new community. She said she was excited by the idea of newness, and of being some kind of pioneer. They talked about how what their community was about was new and different, and not weighed down with the luggage of the past - that sort of thing.

But... she said when she started spending time with them she realised that there was nothing new or fresh or pioneering here. Their vision for the future, their prayer, lifestyle, everything, was just like the older, more established congregations she had also visited. The only difference she could see was that the established ones knew their identity, had a history, and of course, more members, whereas the new one was still tiny and creating its identity. The only other difference was the colour/type of habit they wore. When she asked them about this lack of difference and newness, they just said they had plans and ideas, but nothing specific.

And yes, the new community got lots of publicity and priests would refer enquirers there - but not to the orders which had been serving in their diocese for many years, maybe more than 100 (and in one or two cases have their motherhouse or novitiate there!)

[Gabriela]

Personally, I've had bad luck with new communities when it comes to the sanity and health of the group, and SDs have advised me never to discern only with new communities, but always to find older communities that are similar, so I can compare. Nowadays I wouldn't consider a newer community (i.e., established post-VII), just because I've seen that it often takes so long for them to work out who they are and what they're all about. They can be quite unstable for many, many years.

That being said, I do think the Sisters of Life are an example of a community that is both new and very, very healthy.