2024 Entrances, Vows, and Ordinations

[Luigi]

I don't have any word on their postulant classes. I did some work with the friars about eight or ten years ago, and I admired them. And all four provinces have strong online presences, so I've followed them for however many years. I have two aunts in one of the women's congregations, and I follow them, too. But there are just too many other congregations and monasteries for me to keep up with. But I'm sure the Nashville and Ann Arbor congregations have strong online presences, too - you can probably look them up pretty quickly. 

[KaytePost]

On 8/28/2024 at 6:50 PM, Franciscan Mike said:

Thanks so m uch for this info and all that you do!   Now on to the Nashville Dominicans and Ann Arbor Dominicans... any word on their new postulant classes???

The DSMMEs had  2 postulants this year 

Nashies had 11 postulants enter this year.

Both communities have posted pictures on their Facebook and other social media. 

The Religious Sisters of Mercy Alma had 6 postulants enter on Aug 6

[KaytePost]

16 minutes ago, KaytePost said:

The Religious Sisters of Mercy Alma had 6 postulants enter on Aug 6

Whoops 4 this year. 6 was last year 

[Franciscan Mike]

On 9/8/2024 at 6:21 PM, KaytePost said:

The DSMMEs had  2 postulants this year 

Nashies had 11 postulants enter this year.

Both communities have posted pictures on their Facebook and other social media. 

The Religious Sisters of Mercy Alma had 6 postulants enter on Aug 6

WOW!!!!! WHAT'S GOING ON with the SDMME's?  They usually have 10+ postulants.  Their classes seem to be getting smaller.  A couple of their schools also replaced the Sister/Principal with a Lay Principal.  Sounds like they are having some problems?

 

[Lea]

In other news, I am currently preparing to enter the noviciate by the end of the month and while I do look forward to it, I am also pretty terrified 🙈 so, I'd be super grateful for your prayer! Know that I'm also praying for you!

[Nunsuch]

22 hours ago, Franciscan Mike said:

WOW!!!!! WHAT'S GOING ON with the SDMME's?  They usually have 10+ postulants.  Their classes seem to be getting smaller.  A couple of their schools also replaced the Sister/Principal with a Lay Principal.  Sounds like they are having some problems?

 

I don't think there is a "problem." With the new leadership in the congregation, which included a new vocation director, I think there is greater selectivity. There were concerns, I believe, that admission was not as rigorous as it should have been, with a considerable number of women leaving even before novitiate. 

[Luigi]

7 hours ago, Lea said:

In other news, I am currently preparing to enter the noviciate by the end of the month and while I do look forward to it, I am also pretty terrified 🙈 so, I'd be super grateful for your prayer! Know that I'm also praying for you!

Congratulations on your entrance! And you are now officially on the refrigerator prayer list! 

I'm sure it will be a new, and therefore somewhat challenging experience, but probably no worse than other new experiences you've had - surviving summer camp, starting high school, going off to college, starting a new job, and so forth. You made it through those, and you'll make it through this!

[Franciscan Mike]

  · 

I found this on the facebook page Priests in Habits and thought I would share it here.  Hope it's ok!!!

Please join us in giving thanks to God, as this year we welcome seven novices! They come from all over the country. Here are their names in order of their appearance in the photo (working from Br. Michael on the left to Br. Charbel on the right).

1. Br. Michael (CPS ’20) is named after St. Michael the Archangel. The archangel has been given many titles and yet the meaning of his name (i.e., “Who is like God?”) reveals his most important quality – humility.

2. Br. Gideon is named after St. Gideon in Scripture (cf. Judges 6–8). The story of Gideon tells how he faced the Midianites with an ever smaller army and ever greater reliance on God. He inspires us always to trust in God’s power.

3. Br. Elijah is named after the prophet Elijah. His name means “God is my god,” the god “whom I cannot control and whom I cannot understand.” Against all idolatry, the prophet follows the living voice of God leading us deeper into his loving design.

4. Br. Jerome is named after St. Jerome, a master of languages with a deep love for Scripture. St. Jerome once wrote, “I beg of you … to live among the Scriptures, to meditate upon them, to know nothing else.... Does not such a life seem to you a foretaste of heaven?”

5. Br. Anselm is named after St. Anselm of Canterbury. This name recalls the first abbot of Our Lady of Dallas, in addition to the saint, whose theology Br. Anselm has already enjoyed exploring in his work as a youth minister.

6. Br. Gerard is named after Bl. Gerard. He was a knight who followed his brother – St. Bernard – into the monastery after struggling with God. He was a courageous, practical and honest man, someone dearly beloved by St. Bernard.

7. Br. Charbel (CPS ’20) is named after St. Charbel, who never moved far from the Lebanese village where he was born. After his death in 1898 has been credited with over 25,000 miracles. Br. Charbel, who also comes from a Lebanese family, remembers visiting the saint’s tomb when he was five years old, as well as entrusting his vocation to him later in life.

Please pray for these young men! May the Lord “send laborers into his harvest!” (Luke 10:2)

 

[Luigi]

@Franciscan Mike - Certainly it's okay! Thanks for posting! Our Lady of Dallas has had a pretty steady stream of vocations for a while, but I don't remember them ever having seven novices in one year! WOW!