Entrance into religious life during COVID

[ServingHim17]

Hi all,

So, I am not discerning religious life. But I am currently working on a few novels, and I am quite meticulous about getting timelines right and making sure the story is accurate (as much as possible) in regard to the historical events. What was happening during the pandemic if someone was accepted into a community? Could they join in 2020? Or were some entrances deferred? I am most interested in if postulants could still enter in March 2020 and the few months beyond that. The story takes place in the USA, if that makes any difference.

Additionally, what is the normal timeline from being accepted to actually entering the convent? Are there any orders that will have you join within a few weeks of being accepted?

Thanks to any and all who are willing to answer my questions!

[Nunsuch]

Welcome, and good luck on your work. As you will no doubt learn quickly, one of the most common responses you will get here is: "It depends on the community." You will need to think carefully about the type of community and its particular practices. In the US, where you say your story is located, for instance, there are several hundred communities. So simply saying that isn't all that helpful.

My advice would be to contact some specific communities that are similar to the one(s) about which you are writing and ask how they handled this situation. 

[Lou]

It would also depend on whether or not the character (would be aspirant let's say) is from the same state/country as the community and the states' restrictions at that time.

As for the timeline between being accepted and entering... Cor Orans (document making some recommendations and changes to religious life/filiation/formation/discernment for contemplative nuns) recommends  a period of a year of discernment before entering a community. So, say I made contact with a convent in February 2019, it would be Feb 2020 before I could enter (at least). It would be probably that during that time-maybe after 6 months depending on visits/discernment- that an official application form might be filled out and someone might get a psych assessment and their medical or their visa or transcripts or whatever that particular community needed! And so ... after being accepted 'officially', even if the person knew they'd been on that trajectory and it was obvious enough from all quarters that they would be accepted, it would still probably be a couple of months of gathering their belongings/etc. 

It would also depend on whether or not the character (would be aspirant let's say) is from the same state/country as the community and the states' restrictions at that time.

As for the timeline between being accepted and entering... Cor Orans (document making some recommendations and changes to religious life/filiation/formation/discernment for contemplative nuns) recommends  a period of a year of discernment before entering a community. So, say I made contact with a convent in February 2019, it would be Feb 2020 before I could enter (at least). It would be probably that during that time-maybe after 6 months depending on visits/discernment- that an official application form might be filled out and someone might get a psych assessment and their medical or their visa or transcripts or whatever that particular community needed! And so ... after being accepted 'officially', even if the person knew they'd been on that trajectory and it was obvious enough from all quarters that they would be accepted, it would still probably be a couple of months of gathering their belongings/etc. 

 

https://summitdominicans.org/blog/2019/10/1/new-postulant

[Nunsuch]

Cor Orans applies only to contemplative communities. Hence--"It depends on the community." 

[freedomreigns]

Also, many communities have a time of year when they accept a group of women who are entering together so as to have them go through formation at the same time. (At least outside of the cloistered communities, of which I have no idea.) I agree that contacting a community similar to the one you are thinking of writing into your story would be helpful. Covid likely did affect vocation visits and such, and likely entrances in some cases and for sure there would have been uncertainty about the future at the beginning of the pandemic... all good things you could include in your story.

 

[Lou]

53 minutes ago, Nunsuch said:

Cor Orans applies only to contemplative communities. Hence--"It depends on the community." 

Yes, I know- I wrote that in my post in parenthesis. I was just giving the perspective or example of a type of community. I wasn't being contradictory.

Edited April 16, 2023 by Lou

[Nunsuch]

57 minutes ago, Lou said:

Yes, I know- I wrote that in my post in parenthesis. I was just giving the perspective or example of a type of community. I wasn't being contradictory.

I just didn't want the OP to think this was a generally applicable policy.

[Lady Grey, Hot]

10 hours ago, Lou said:

Cor Orans (document making some recommendations and changes to religious life/filiation/formation/discernment for contemplative nuns) recommends  a period of a year of discernment before entering a community.

This is not quite related to the topic of the thread, so please feel free to direct me elsewhere, but to those who might know: just how "binding" (if you will) is a document like Cor Orans? I ask because of the use of the word "recommends" in the quote above. Is the yearlong waiting period not actually a mandate? 

[Lou]

Sorry I maybe should not have used the word 'recommends.' It is binding unless a dispensation is sought and obtained.:

"268. The aspirancy, of a minimum duration of twelve months, may be extended according to need at the discretion of the Major Superior, after consulting her Council, but for no longer than two years."

Cor Orans isn't too difficult to read actually! Here's a link. 

https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccscrlife/documents/rc_con_ccscrlife_doc_20180401_cor-orans_en.html#A._Aspirancy

It won't help ServingHim17 particularly with the novel, but it might give an overall impression of the 'journey' in a sense...

[ServingHim17]

Thanks to all who contributed information and thoughts. I think I will have to look at some of the orders similar to the one in the novel, and see if they have certain times of year the women enter. From there, I'll see if I can find a way to gather information about what exactly happened to the women who were entering around the time of the pandemic. Again, thank you all!

[Nunsuch]

@ServingHim17You might also want to check with the National Religious Vocation Conference. It's not exclusively women before (I was once a consultant to the former National Sisters Vocation Conference), but they still might have some information. Or CARA. 

[Sr Mary Catharine OP]

On 4/16/2023 at 8:26 PM, Lady Grey, Hot said:

This is not quite related to the topic of the thread, so please feel free to direct me elsewhere, but to those who might know: just how "binding" (if you will) is a document like Cor Orans? I ask because of the use of the word "recommends" in the quote above. Is the yearlong waiting period not actually a mandate? 

Vultum Dei is an Apostolic Constitution so it is binding as law. Cor Orans is the INSTRUCTION so it can be changed more easily but it is currently binding for cloisters just as Verbum Sponsa and other instructions were. 
The important thing to remember is that both the particular constitutions of an Order and the statutes of a federation/association are what apply these new norms so there may be some flexibility and changes granted by the Holy See. 
For example, in my Association we have term limits for the Religious Assistant.