The Other PCPA's

[stlmom]

I noticed recently that because the PCPA cloister in Alabama is full, that the nuns are encouraging inquiries not only to the Portsmouth and Arizona communities but also to 2 others in the US (also one in France).
Anyway, does anyone here know much about the PCPA's in Cleveland and Washington DC ? What is the relationship between them and Mother Angelica?

[HisChild]

I only know that the PCPA in Washington DC stil have perpetual adoration and accept vocations up to the age of 50. I know nothing else other than they wear a different habit (which in and of itself means nothing) I really know nothing of them.

As for the Cleveland monastery, I only know that Mother Angelica came from the Clevland monastery. I think she started there, and then was part of a group of sisters who started a monastery in Canton, OH. Later, she moved to AL, to start a monastery there. Sorry, that I wasn't more help.

Blessed Easter.

[stlmom]

Thanks Denise

[uruviel]

oh ok, hey Denise, I know that this is way off subject, but have you heard of the SIster Servants of the Eternal Word? I'm sure you've heard Nicole, (sixtina) talking about them before. They had actually planned on 'joining' in a way with Mother's order, (Mother Angelica) to help her manage EWTN, since she wanted to get her cloisters in a cloister basically. Ok so Anyways, I didn't know that Mother Angelica started in OH! That's cool! God Bless,
+Lori

[magnificat]

[quote name='uruviel' date='Apr 16 2006, 05:46 PM']oh ok, hey Denise, I know that this is way off subject, but have you heard of the SIster Servants of the Eternal Word? I'm sure you've heard Nicole, (sixtina) talking about them before.  They had actually planned on 'joining' in a way with Mother's order, (Mother Angelica) to help her manage EWTN, since she wanted to get her cloisters in a cloister basically.  Ok so Anyways, I didn't know that Mother Angelica started in OH!  That's cool! God Bless,
+Lori
[right][snapback]949494[/snapback][/right]
[/quote]

Yup...something like that...jgirl (wherever she is...) is also entering with them and knows the story behind it better than I do...

[uruviel]

jgirl is entering SSEW?

[magnificat]

Yuppers! I'll let her tell you about it....

[jgirl]

Yes I am, but if you are wondering any specific details about the order itself, you'd be better off asking the Sisters than me! They know more than I do!

[shortnun]

[quote name='PCPA2Be' date='Apr 16 2006, 04:12 PM']I only know that the PCPA in Washington DC stil have perpetual adoration and accept vocations up to the age of 50.  I know nothing else other than they wear a different habit (which in and of itself means nothing)    I really know nothing of them.
[right][snapback]949351[/snapback][/right]
[/quote]
Wow, I guess I missed the memo about the sisters being in DC. Yah learn something new every day.

[HisChild]

The sisters in Washington were founded straight from Cleveland. There are a couple of tidbits of info about them. . .but they were never a part of Alabama. (stlmom asked what the relationship, if any, between them and Mother Angelica)

[url="http://www.olamshrine.com/olam/pcpa_dc.htm"]http://www.olamshrine.com/olam/pcpa_dc.htm[/url]
[url="http://www.cathstan.org/news/08-12-04/3.shtml"]http://www.cathstan.org/news/08-12-04/3.shtml[/url]

There you go!

God bless you.

[be_thou_my_vision]

Some sisters from Alabama should go and help rebuild the monestary in DC like they did in Portsmouth. There are just so many young women wanting to be accepted to Mother Angelica's community... they should send some to the monestaries that have a lot of room. Just my opinion.

[HisChild]

The sisters who choose to enter the monastery in Alabama are called to enter there. Each monastery is pretty different from the next. I have visited all 3 monasteries (AL, OH, and AZ). Even though they all stem from the same community, I can see big differences already. So, knowing that each community is different, should point out the obvious that it would be like asking the Nashville Dominicans, for instance, to go help out a community of Dominicans that aren't getting any vocations. There's a reason for that, and a reason why women are entering Nashville (I'm sorry, I'm just picking on them as they have a lot of vocations) and not the ones with no vocations or very few. However. . .just to put forth a hypothetical. . . .

First they have to be invited by the bishop of the diocese to come and help. The bishop is the one who initially invited the sisters to come to the diocese, even if it was another bishop, and so, in order to make what will more than likely be big changes, he's got to approve that change. The bishop needs to see that there is a crisis within the monastery, requiring assistance. I believe there are still 7-8 nuns in DC. I'm not sure. The last picture I saw of them even shows one novice.

Second, the remaining sisters have to want that help. At the time, in Ohio, there were 3
88-yr old nuns and one in her 40s. Two of the elderly nuns have Alzheimers, requiring care that the remaining two could no longer provide, and after those two were placed in a home, that left two. One preferred to go to the other Ohio monastery in Cleveland, where she'd be part of a larger community.

At Portsmouth, the sisters who were left (those 4 initially) wore a completely different habit, and their rule was a little different. Even much of their horarium was different. (you can see one of the remaing original Portsmouth nuns in a pic on their website with a different veil) The sisters who remain have to agree to various changes.

But before there is help provided to another community, the sisters within the larger community have to feel called to help. Initially there were 3 who felt called to go to OH, but when they were asked to stay, only 2 felt called to remain. Same thing with AZ. 6 felt called to go there, but in the end, after a brief stay, the 6th didn't feel called to remain. And since it's a monastery and not a missionary or active order, it's not required of a nun to go someplace other than where she entered. Her vows are to the monastery where she entered. Cloistered life is very dfferent that way.

When they first arrived in Ohio, the sisters told the bishop that they weren't sure how they could be of any help as their life was much different than that of the sisters who remained. The bishop then said. . .since there couldn't be divided lives (different schedules, different rules, etc.), he asked if the AL sisters would be willing to remain to re-establish the monastery. This would mean that the AL nuns take over, so to speak, being the new superior, etc. That's got to be accepted by the sisters who remain, a shift in authority.

So, there's lot of factors that go into going to another community. And since there's no crisis in the DC monastery, there would be no reason for them to go to help.

[daugher-of-Mary]

The Cleveland Monastery is simply beautiful! I don't know much about the community (except that the have perpetual Adoration and are habited), but the Chapel blew me away! I read a book written about them a while ago by a non-Catholic called Stalking the Divine...very interesting, and very fairly written. From what I understand, they do not have many young vocations.

[HisChild]

Oh, I heard of that book. Was it good? I think I got that as a link when I googled the PCPA a long time ago. (LOL I also got that PCPA stands for something like Portland Center for the Performing Arts )

[daugher-of-Mary]

Yes, pretty good! It was SO interesting to read a non-Christian, non-Catholic's response to cloistered life. Reminded me a lot of my own initial response!