2021 Entrances, Vows, Ordinations

[Nunsuch]

Pictures and biographies of the new DSMME postulants are on their website.

https://www.sistersofmary.org/meet-the-postulants/

[gloriana35]

Though I am unfamiliar with these communities, I am delighted to see both that they have a significant number of new members, and that they accept the very young. Most of the Sisters I knew entered before they were out of their teens - I think there is a special joy in recognising a vocation, and responding, in the younger adult years. (This though I was a 'late vocation' by the standards of my day.)

[debc]

2 hours ago, gloriana35 said:

Though I am unfamiliar with these communities, I am delighted to see both that they have a significant number of new members, and that they accept the very young. Most of the Sisters I knew entered before they were out of their teens - I think there is a special joy in recognising a vocation, and responding, in the younger adult years. (This though I was a 'late vocation' by the standards of my day.)

I like that this group was 18-32! (it was funny because I had heard Sister Joseph Andrew say on old video, "32ish is possible but not common")

I understand why some vocation directors like them young and less "worldly" but many orders need you to finish college or be in the world a bit or they suggest that. I never understood why on a few you tube videos Sisters said how they were encouraged not to finish degrees in junior year. Why not? Having a BA is good especially for teaching many times. One young lady did leave college, but another finished with parents thinking it was best. I know I would, as a parent, because if you leave convent later to discern a different vocation, it would only help and finishing a degree is much harder later. A real vocation wont be stolen but I do understand wanting to enter when you are so excited.

In some orders too, the younger ones do much of the chores and in others, they all chip in and rotate with different charisms.

So exciting to see the joy on their faces.

 

Edited August 24, 2021 by debc

[Nunsuch]

1 hour ago, debc said:

 

In some orders too, the younger ones do much of the chores and in others, they all chip in and rotate with different charisms.

 

 

I think you misunderstand the word "charism." It is an inspiration of the spirit, usually identified with a community's founder. [There is scholarly debate over that, but this probably isn't the place to get into that debate.] It is not a matter of ministry, tasks, or employment. In other words, it is a word with a very specific meaning when it comes to religious life. A community by definition has *a* charism.

[debc]

13 minutes ago, Nunsuch said:

I think you misunderstand the word "charism." It is an inspiration of the spirit, usually identified with a community's founder. [There is scholarly debate over that, but this probably isn't the place to get into that debate.] It is not a matter of ministry, tasks, or employment. In other words, it is a word with a very specific meaning when it comes to religious life. A community by definition has *a* charism.

You are probably right, thanks. I have heard sisters and nuns say, "Our charism is education or prayer" but they probably didn't mean it that way. It wasn't "Franciscan" or Dominican type of thing. I've heard Sister Joseph Andrew mention how even different Dominican teaching convents have subtle differences you need to see and explore. She didn't go into it more then, maybe because it's hard to discuss in a few minutes.

[Nunsuch]

17 minutes ago, debc said:

You are probably right, thanks. I have heard sisters and nuns say, "Our charism is education or prayer" but they probably didn't mean it that way. It wasn't "Franciscan" or Dominican type of thing. I've heard Sister Joseph Andrew mention how even different Dominican teaching convents have subtle differences you need to see and explore. She didn't go into it more then, maybe because it's hard to discuss in a few minutes.

I'm not speaking of her, or that community, but I think a lot of sisters may not be theologically all that well formed. "Education" is a ministry or a profession; it is not a charism. And *all* sisters are devoted to prayer! There is a Dominican charism, of course, but it may express itself somewhat differently in particular congregations. Some communities probably don't really *have* a charism, because they were founded primarily for instrumental, rather than charismic reasons. [We need teachers for Lithuanian immigrants; we need to take care of Civil War orphans; etc.] They may be wonderful communities, but charism is another matter. OK--I'll get off my academic hobbyhorse <grin>.

[gloriana35]

I know some of you like to watch profession ceremonies online. This one is for the Dominican Sisters of St Joseph (who offer many a prayer for intentions of mine) - 

The first profession (for Sister Lucy) will be at 12 noon (London time) on Saturday 4th September. You are warmly invited to join us via our livestream at https://churchservices.tv/lymington

[Franciscan Mike]

Does anyone know how many Postulants, Novices, First Professed and Final Professed the Nashville Dominicans had this year?

[catholicamama]

"A real vocation wont be stolen"  That's not the issue really.  The issue is circumstances out of a young women's control can keep her from fulfilling her vocation.  Life is short and if a young woman feels called then there really isn't a good reason to delay, at least as far as the DSMME is concerned, and i wholeheartedly agree with that philosophy. There was a time when it was commonplace for Catholic families to have at least one vocation, especially larger families, but over time we got to the point where young people have never even seen a nun or sister, let alone think about a vocation for themselves to the religious life.  With our own daughter there was no way we were standing in her way.  I DO respect and understand why some orders require a college degree before entering, as their apostolates require that level of education and maturity from the start, and it makes sense.  That is the beauty of the various orders where there is a place for every kind of calling.

 

[rosamundi]

8 hours ago, Franciscan Mike said:

Does anyone know how many Postulants, Novices, First Professed and Final Professed the Nashville Dominicans had this year?

13 postulants, 9 novices, 4 First Professed and 6 Final Professed.

[gloriana35]

On 8/24/2021 at 7:56 PM, Nunsuch said:

I'm not speaking of her, or that community, but I think a lot of sisters may not be theologically all that well formed. "Education" is a ministry or a profession; it is not a charism. And *all* sisters are devoted to prayer! There is a Dominican charism, of course, but it may express itself somewhat differently in particular congregations. Some communities probably don't really *have* a charism, because they were founded primarily for instrumental, rather than charismic reasons. [We need teachers for Lithuanian immigrants; we need to take care of Civil War orphans; etc.] They may be wonderful communities, but charism is another matter. OK--I'll get off my academic hobbyhorse <grin>.

I'm smiling - since I have an academic hobbyhorse, as well. One of my cousins is a religious Sister. She was telling me that she prepared an address for a community anniversary, and that her introduction was the importance of a community's having a charism. (The particular community addressed needs, indeed - but were not derived from a major Order.) After she said 'charism' about four times, in sharing this with me, I suggested that she mention what she believed her community's charism to be. She hadn't thought of that... 

[debc]

On 8/30/2021 at 9:19 PM, catholicamama said:

"A real vocation wont be stolen"  That's not the issue really.  The issue is circumstances out of a young women's control can keep her from fulfilling her vocation.  Life is short and if a young woman feels called then there really isn't a good reason to delay, at least as far as the DSMME is concerned, and i wholeheartedly agree with that philosophy. There was a time when it was commonplace for Catholic families to have at least one vocation, especially larger families, but over time we got to the point where young people have never even seen a nun or sister, let alone think about a vocation for themselves to the religious life.  With our own daughter there was no way we were standing in her way.  I DO respect and understand why some orders require a college degree before entering, as their apostolates require that level of education and maturity from the start, and it makes sense.  That is the beauty of the various orders where there is a place for every kind of calling.

 

Yes, I can see that in your case. Sometimes when a community does need a degree, as with teaching sisters, why not let her finish it there (unless money is an issue) and not need the community to help her acquire it ? I was just curious when a junior year was told to come and her family is like "She's almost done, let her finish".  I am sure there have been women on the fence who might have joined but got into a relationship and got married but you go where your heart and prayers lead you. I don't think time spent in any community is a "waste" as some might when a woman leaves, whether at 1year, 2 years or even 4 or 5 years. Sometimes from accounts I've read, they had her learn more about herself and others. Some communities are strict about entering too young because immaturity in some ways makes them more prone to leave later and be in love with the idea of a vocation, but others if too old, have too many doubts and can't conform well to some community rules. There are so many exceptions though. I love how as bad as much online media can be, we can share vocation material more easily and privately and have access to talks and prayers online like Open Light Media. I look forward to their few minute talks on saints and other subjects daily. It just helps to set my day off right. ; )

Edited September 1, 2021 by debc

[JHFamily]

On 8/30/2021 at 7:19 PM, catholicamama said:

I DO respect and understand why some orders require a college degree before entering, as their apostolates require that level of education and maturity from the start,

A friend of mine, speaking to her pastor about her daughter who will be graduating high school this year, said they are encouraging the daughter to attend college so that she will "mature". The pastor responded that college is one of the worst places to gain maturity and asked them to consider other options, including giving their daughter their blessing to enter religious life right away.

Edited September 3, 2021 by JHFamily

[catholicamama]

3 hours ago, JHFamily said:

A friend of mine, speaking to her pastor about her daughter who will be graduating high school this year, said they are encouraging the daughter to attend college so that she will "mature". The pastor responded that college is one of the worst places to gain maturity and asked them to consider other options, including giving their daughter their blessing to enter religious life right away.

I was watching the DSMME on EWTN last night and some of the most incredible and productive nuns sisters and saints were still in their teens when they entered religious life. When the Lord comes knocking you answer. The key is discerning the right religious order which isn't always easy.

[Antigonos]

In life -- secular or religious -- there's no such thing as "one size fits all".  I'm an only child, of quite intellectual parents.  When in nursing school, the theory classes in all the sciences were a breeze, while many of my classmates had really difficult times coping with the volume of material they had to absorb.  But they, with siblings and many from lower-middle class homes who had grown up in environments very different from mine, had no problem whatsoever in relationships with patients, while I found I felt no common ground with most of the patients I encountered [apart from their illnesses].  It took me YEARS to develop communication skills which my classmates intuitively had.

Some women are ready for intense religious life while still teenagers, but I bet we all know women who never, ever really "grow up" and can still be "girls" at 60 or more.