New OLAM Pics

[Sr Mary Catharine OP]

[quote name='HeavenlyCalling' post='1086299' date='Oct 7 2006, 04:43 PM']
By the way, I have a quick question about the PCPA's at OLAM, is it just me, or do they seem to travel a lot for a cloistered order? I was looking at the pics from the 25th EWTN celecbrations and it said they traveled to Colorado and stuff, I thought they were only suppodsed to leave the Monestary for their civic duties (i.e. voting, jury duty), to go to the doctors/ dentist, and in case of an emergancy inside the Monestary (gas leak, flood, other unaviodable thingies) I'm confuzzled
[/quote]

The PCPA's like most cloistered nuns who have Papal Enclosure follow the latest norms (Verbi Sponsa) from the Holy See on enclosure. It gives a certain amount of latitude for exits from the enclosure that are not the usual everyday stuff that just can't be foreseen. Also, I'm sure they got the permission of their Bishop for this special ocassion. You have to admit, there is no other monastery that is connected to a Global Catholic Network and whose foundress is the foundress of it! So, it's an extraordinary, unusual circumstance.

A good example for us Dominicans would be the retreat of the Master of the Order that was held for all the Nuns in Adrian Michigan in honor of our 800th anniversary. Fr. Master told the nuns that when he first met the Holy Father he told him about these retreats (he's done it for the nuns of Italy and Spain also) and asked if he had to get special permission from Rome everytime, the B16 told him that not only did he give permission but encouraged him to continue to do this for the Nuns.

[cathoholic_anonymous]

I thought the novitiate was the time when you go into an especially deep seclusion from the world, so you can develop a more intimate spiritual relationship with God. From what I've read, even apostolic orders tend to 'cloister up' their novices for a while. It does seem strange that the PCPA sisters in formation go travelling.