Good review about joining a community

[nikita92]

https://aleteia.org/2020/09/19/how-to-join-a-catholic-religious-order/

[gloriana35]

I am of mature years, and have found it very difficult to find genuine spiritual direction - I finally found an excellent director when I was about 45 - few have that gift. I myself miss direction since my director retired.

Just musing... I entered the convent just at the time when Religious and priests were leaving in droves. I wonder, even if someone had found a director, if s/he would have told anyone 'you have a calling to priesthood, religious life, or both'? They'd seen exemplary members of their own communities, some in high positions, leave - far more left than remained. The first question, if one approached a community, was 'who discerned this?' - unexpected, since older Religious we knew did not have to answer this to be considered. Yet who would have told anyone to enter religious life, when the major superior left to marry a priest last month?