What Has Been Your Experience?

[franciscanheart]

What has your discernment timeline been like thus far?

I think it's interesting to see the differences in each person's story/path and also note the similarities. I think a lot of this has to do with which order you end up really liking as well (at least as it pertains to the later part of discernment). Some communities take discernment, candidacy, etc very slowly and others seem to just whip right through it! (Of course, some of this will be based on individual circumstances.)

I 'thought' about it for 7 years before doing anything concrete.
Two weeks after talking with Sister about a vocation, I received the come and see interview form and it was in the mail the next day.
Two weeks later I received a card back inviting me to a come and see.
Six months later I went on my first come and see.
One month later.. here I am! (Exactly one month.)


No idea what comes next... but I'm ready and willing.

[AlterDominicus]

(Already was mentored by sisters when I contacted Summit the 1st community, became a Dominican person, etcccc)
For two years been trying to get to SMME 6 times, all failed (though they got a contriubution from me)
More contact with SMME
April 15th 2006 baptized and confirmed, became Catholic.
August went to a Steubie ville conference at UST in Minnesota and to a Franciscan community, FSGM, confused after that
Sept phatmasser and I talk, phatmasser buys round trip train ticket to Ann Arbor for Nov retreat and the other phatmasser who paid for the retreat fee
Two agonizing months of prep which was hard to go through knowing other phatmassers were going as well and praying for each other
Nov comes around and went to the retreat, in Ann Arbor for five days, four spent at the SMME
Leaving with peace and joy in heart
Several signs that it is this place
Two more opp. to go there again in 07
Here I am today........

[veroni213]

May 21st 2000- "heard" God calling, wasn't too happy with that
Changed my mind after about a week
Didn't really tell anybody for 5 1/2 years
Stopped in Assisi on my way to WYD in August 2005 and decided to learn more about St Francis
Decided I really liked Saint Francis
Googled every single community on the planet, paying special attention to Franciscans
Wrote the CFRs
[b]waited[/b]
Received their info, read it
Called them, got a come and see interview form
Told my parents
Sent the come and see stuff back
[b]waited[/b]
Got a letter asking me to wait b/c they were busy
[b]waited[/b]
Called again, played some really [i]wicked[/i] telephone tag
Arranged a visit that is scheduled for a week from Sunday
and...earlier today started freaking out about said visit

[daugher-of-Mary]

6 years ago I started discerning religious life shortly before I became Catholic. All I knew about it was what I had read in Story of a Soul...I told our Lord if He was calling me, fine, but I was NOT interested in cloister!

Visited a bunch of communities

4 years ago visited Carmelites (go figure!) and was completely overwhelmed with peace. I had never before, and haven't since, had such a profound experience of our Lord's Presence and His peace.

I wanted to enter right after highschool, but some family difficulty made it necessary that I stay at home and attend the local Catholic college.

1 year ago, I met a very wonderful, holy Catholic young man and entered into a pretty serious relationship with him. He and I are both still discerning what God wants. Experiencing human love and beginning to understand the mystery of the Sacrament of Marriage has deepened my relationship with Christ tremendously. I struggled with scrupulosity for years, and it took the experience of the love the young man has shown me to begin to understand the intimate love of God. :

Now, I am simply waiting for God to reveal His will. Next week I will be on retreat at the local Passionist cloister! Please pray for me!

God is SO good!! :

[Totus Tuus]

Was first intrigued by the idea of religious life at the age of 7
Visited the Daughters of Saint Paul the summers of 2001-2004 (every year of high school)
Visited OLAM for the first time for one day in the Summer of 2004; knew that's where I wanted to enter.
Visited OLAM again December 2004, April 2005, June 2005,
Turned 18 September 2005
Made Aspirancy at OLAM in October 2005
Accepted for entrance October 2005
Entered OLAM to begin Postulancy December 8 2005
Left OLAM September 21 2006

..... and now, here I am, discerning [i]again[/i]!

Edited December 27, 2006 by Totus Tuus

[philosophette]

First thought of being a nun at 13 after seeing a movie about Don Bosco. I wanted to work with poor kidos.

Found a book about Don Bosco later that year.

Converted from agnosticism and became Catholic at age 14.

Started looking at different religious communities. :

Looked for the next two years.

Went on vocation retreat at SMME at age 16. It was great, but it was not "it". Send for info on the Salesian Sisters. Freaked out because it seemed too good and ignored it.

Became a Salesian Cooperator (Lay Association of the Faithful founded by Don Bosco) at 18 after 2 years formation. Again thought about becoming a Salesian Sister.

Age 20 started at a community college. I basically decided to ignore the "call" to see what would happen. I also had a huge "fight" (LOL) with God about it.

Sept this year: Wrote an email at midnight to the Salesian sisters confessing my deeply repressed attraction to their life. haha. Got an email back telling me to come to the January vocation retreat.

Weekly contact with the vocation director.

Vocation retreat in a few days. Entrance in August.

[the_rev]

The idea of priesthood for me was evident from my toddler years according to my grandmother as I would come home and play church for my stuff animals. However, I lost all faith in God during my eigth grade year and that trend would continue through the end of my sophomore year.

My freshmen year in high school our diocese received the appointment of a new Bishop, and somehow my name was submitted to the diocese to greet the new bishop on behalf of all the youth in the diocese during that particular period in the installation mass.

Though, I had a little faith in God, being involved in this increased a little faith, but not enough.


My sophomore year I became involved in politics, I was going to Bosnia Hercegovina to study government, which was an all expense paid trip. Somebody told me during my stay I must visit this village called, "Medjugorje" coincidentally this is where my host family lived.

Living in a village with a strong faith really encouraged me. I went to confession for the first time in three years when I really had true sorrow for my sin, (although I did go to confession during the time where I had little faith) I waited in line for an hour and a half. I started to go to daily mass there and the church was packed. I went to eucharistic adoration and I had to adore christ from the outside. I was amazed by the renewal of the sacramental life of the church and found myself encouraged. AFter being asked if I was considering the priesthood to which I responded with a strong NO, I began to become open to the idea.

I found myself the next day on "apparation" hill praying before a statue of the Blessed Mother at 5:00 in the morning. I surrendered everything to the mother of Jesus, I prayed, "Mary, if it would be God's will for me to be a priest in my diocese show me the faith as it is here in my diocese and I'll apply."

Upon the return to the United States I read in the diocesean newspaper, "Bishop Zubik to say mass at Diocesean Marian Shrine" reading the title I recalled greeting the bishop at his installation and being rather impressed, and having returned from a place where the Blessed Mother allegedly appears I was so interested. After convincing my mother to let me go to this mass on August Fifteenth, I found myself driving 45 minutes from home, and parking 1 mile away from the shrine. 3,000 people had gathered together to honour the Blessed Mother on her feast day and to partake in a eucharistic procession around the chapel grounds.

Not only was this the outward sign of faith I asked the Blessed Mother for, the words of the Bishop convinced me, "We must not be afraid to be like the Blessed Mother, for her yes to God was a yes for humanity and its salvation, we then must not be afraid to say yes to God and answer His calling in our life."

I contacted the Vocation Director the next day, told him I was thinking about the priesthood, (my junior year of high school). We met over the course of my junior year periodically, and in my senior year I received the application for priestly formation, and now am going thorugh all the formalities, psych eval, etc. And hope to enter the seminary fall of 2007.

If I told you that i have had no doubts I would be lieing to you. But i realized in order to consider a vocation, a priestly vocaiton, I must be in an environment where I am supported. I realize I am not committing to ordination, although that is where I hope, God willing, I'll end up.

I gave you my "timeline" I guess in a way.

[Laurentina1975]

[quote name='Totus Tuus' post='1150205' date='Dec 26 2006, 10:33 PM']
Was first intrigued by the idea of religious life at the age of 7
Visited the Daughters of Saint Paul the summers of 2001-2004 (every year of high school)
Visited OLAM for the first time for one day in the Summer of 2004; knew that's where I wanted to enter.
Visited OLAM again December 2004, April 2005, June 2005,
Turned 18 September 2005
Made Aspirancy at OLAM in October 2005
Accepted for entrance October 2005
Entered OLAM to begin Postulancy December 8 2005
Left OLAM September 21 2006

..... and now, here I am, discerning [i]again[/i]!
[/quote]


I am really sorry to interrupt the thread, but Sr. Lauren is that you? I am confused.....maybe it's someone else.
Sorry to interrupt....Haven't been around in a while.

Edited December 27, 2006 by Laurentina1975

[Andrea348]

High School: Sr. Joan would always say that one person from every graduating class always ends up becoming a nun. (i don't know if this is true or not) Everybody always thought it was this one girl in particular, but I secretly started thinking about it.

Fall 2001: After my first retreat in college, the feeling of having to do something about this vocation thing was weighing me down heavily. I decided to talk to my campus ministers about it. We talked, I got some info, and I went on my way.

Sometime Spring 2002: I stumbled upon the Sister of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist while surfing the internet. I fell in love, but was way to nervous to even think about contacting them.

March 2003: After a Busy Person's Retreat at my college, my spiritual director for the week, Sr. Debbie, convinced me to finally write an e-mail. So I did. I still remember getting the e-mail in return. I had been doing my wash in the basement of the dorm and I come back to the room, and there is the e-mail. (I still have all SJAB's e-mails saved in my inbox, they are a riot.) This is my favorite quote from that e-mail: "We were built for 23 and already have 37 members.....we are growing like God's little weed!" Anyway, she invited me to the May retreat, but it was moving much to fast for me. I hadn't even told my parents yet. How could I sneak off to Michigan (from NJ) without telling them!!!!! I decided to set October as my goal.

July 2003: On the way to church one morning I heard a commercial for Spirit Airlines, which departs out of Atlantic City and flies straight to detroit, that was advertising $49 each way airfare. I had to jump on it. I now had a week to tell my parents I would be flying to Michigan in October. So I told them at dinner one night, but only that it was a retreat. They were confused about why I needed to go on a retreat IN MICHIGAN by myself. I was never one to do things on my own.

October 2003: FINALLY was on my way to Michigan. The retreat was wonderful. Probobly one of the last "small" retreat with 45 girls. I talked to Sr. Joseph Andrew and she was trying to push me to enter the following August. She told me to go pray in the chapel that night and give me the answer tomorrow morning. I got totally stressed and I was an emphatic "No" about the next year. I couldn't drop out of school. So I got home from the retreat Sunday night and was back at college Monday morning. In my Music History II class we were watching some opera and I couldn't focus. All of a sudden I find myself crying. I never cry, especially not in public. I then forgot why I was pushing it off and decided, maybe I could enter in August. I worked up the courage to tell my mom and she said absolutley not. She would not have me drop out of college. She said to wait. Well, I had to listen because I was already well in to loans and she was paying for it, so I was stuck.

January 2004: Sr. Joseph Andrew was trying to convince me to come to the February retreat, but I wasn't going for it. I had gotten back on the I'll wait till I'm done college, then pay off my loans and enter train. Here is a funny e-mail from that time: "Well, honey! Honestly...you ARE making me 'wait for you', aren't you!.....first October at the earliest....then NEXT year at the earliest....oh my! Good thing God has endowed me with 'endurance'....even though He seems to have passed me right by in the 'patience dept.'!! Let's DO keep in touch! I don't want ANYTHING happening to your vocation, hon...and believe me, it can! So....keeping in touch keeps it REAL and focused and a GOAL that continues, each day, to get closer and
closer.... IF God should 'surprise' you somehow....we'll see you in February! If not...then He might surprise you and we'll see you in May! Though you are thinking, "October", my God is a God of SURPRISES and, I know, so is yours! "

Valentine's Weekend 2004: At my college, we always had a Valentine's Weekend retreat. How awesome is that?? Who is a better Valentine than God?!?! Anyway, the Tuesday before the retreat, we got an e-mail from the campus minister's saying to bring something tangible that is a piece of your heart. I was stumped trying to figure out what to bring. My roomates were in the room and we were talking about it, and finally it hit me. The holy card I had proped up next to my computer with the SMME's symbol on it. That was definately a piece of my heart. I mentioned to my roomates that the next retreat was the following weekend, and I should go. At first I was like no I can't, but they got something to change in me. I e-mail SJA and I was on my way to Michigan the next weekend! SJA was right about a God of surprises. That weekend was much bigger (about 100 i think). Anyway, I talked to Mother Assumpta at the Motherhouse, but I was still stubborn about entering in August and said I would wait till August 2005 if I could get my loans paid off and August 2006 for sure.

Summer 2004: Working a lot to save money to pay off those loans. Still planning to enter ASAP.

Fall 2004: My grandmother passed away and left a good deal of money with my father. He decided to use it to pay off both me and my brother's school loans. I couldn't believe it, the one thing that was holding me back from entering was gone. But in a matter of a few days time, everything started falling apart. I don't know what happened. If God was just pushing me hard enough to see if I would say yes and then like with Abraham, change the plan?? I didn't know, but it seems like I had built my entire faith and prayer life around becoming a nun. I didn't know how to change it, or how to cope. So everything I had just flew out the window. I still went to daily Mass in the fall, but come the spring, my college campus ministry building closed to put on a new roof, and didn't reopen until after I graduated. We still had Mass on Sunday in a lecture hall on campus, talk about odd, and we still had bible study and our student organization meetings, but they were all in the student center on campus, and I was busy student teaching. I went to mostly all of the meetings and bible studies, but I wasn't necessarily into it.

Spring 2005-Present: I graduated from college and have a teaching job. My prayer life still stinks. I go to church every Sunday, but it has been hard to get into it. My whole first year of teaching I didn't even really care my prayer life had dissapeared too much. I was too busy. More recently I have made more of an effort to get it back. This fall I started teaching CCD. That has helped a great deal. I don't know if I'll ever get back the prayer life I had. It was a lot easier when you have a whole bunch of people around you that believe the same thing like I did in college.

I don't know what the future holds for me concerning religious life anymore. I am still fascinated by it and support the SMME's as much as I can. I don't know if it is something for me though. In the mean time, I am getting ready to buy my first place and finally move out of my parent's house. We'll see what the future brings.

I love reading about all of your journey's though. God Bless!

[Starets]

well, in mid 2000 I talked to my parish priest about the possibility of a vocation. He suggested a silent retreat at a jesuit-run retreat center in Guelph, a few hundred miles away. I did and came to the conclusion that i was indeed called to some sort of religious life. My parish priest then suggested that i make a retreat to a monastery to see if I was called to the diocesan priesthood or some sort of consecrated religious life. so in 2001 my vacation was spent at a benedictine monastery on the canadian prairies. I fell in love with the life and felt at home almost instantly. so thats how i decided on religious life.

but, wiht my computer skills, I had to decide on whether I want to be the monk who runs the Holy Network, or the person who runs the Holy Network who is a monk. So I decided to visit a more contremplative benedictine monastery. I went to one in New Mexico a couple years later and made an observership two summers ago now. I have decided to pursue a more enclosed contemplative form of monasticism rather than one with lots of outside apostolates.

That's the "reader's digest version" of events. I still huge debts so I may never be able to actually pursue joining. but if I get rid of my debts before I die of old age, then I will pursue joining. Until then, I will be spending my vacations there every year. That way I can share their life for at least one month a year.

[Totus Tuus]

[quote name='Laurentina1975' post='1150348' date='Dec 27 2006, 02:08 AM']
I am really sorry to interrupt the thread, but Sr. Lauren is that you? I am confused.....maybe it's someone else.
Sorry to interrupt....Haven't been around in a while.
[/quote]

Yes, it's me. I didn't pass my chapter to be invested so I'm back.

[ThyHolyLove]

So here goes.....

1999/2000-Got confirmed and First Communion at 16. Started thinking about religious life.

2000-2004- thought about religious life, but didn't contact any communities because my Dad was jewish and I didn't want to upset him.

Oct. 2004-Went on a retreat with the Nashville Dominicans, came back totally in love with them and religious life.

Feb-May 2005 Semester abroad in Scotland, got really into my prayer life and started talking with various communiities.

My Dad died at the end of May, but had given me his blessing to explore religious life.

June 2005- 1st visit to the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus at a mission convent. Had a great time. Later in the month I made my first retreat to the Apostles motherhouse in CT. Changed my thinking about entering Nashville.....

July 2005- spent a volunteer day with the Sisters of Life, got to experience the life and warmth of the sisters. The following day I spent a day with the Summit Dominicans. Had a wonderful time and begain to think about cloistered life.

August 2005- Made a retreat with the Visitation Sisters in Brooklyn. They were a great community ,but the Visitation charism wasn't for me.

October 2005- Back in school for my senior year. Visited the Summit Dominicans again and handed in my aspirancy papers.

January 2006- Did an aspirancy with the Summit Dominicans (in the cloister). Really allowed God to speak to me. Discerned I wasn't called to the cloister, but I was called to religious life.

May 2006- Graduated from college!

June 2006- 2nd retreat at the Apostles motherhouse. God was totally working in my heart.

July 2006- Went to Sr. Christine Ann's First Vow ceremony at the Apostle motherhouse.

October 2006- Did a week-long live in with the Apostles of the Sacred Heart. Very eye-opening and grace-filled. Was partialy at peace, but still wanted to visit the Sisters of Life.

November 2006- Went on the Sisters of Life retreat, had a great time, but knew they were not for me.

December 2006- Went on my 4th retreat with the Apostles of the Sacred Heart, watched the postulants enter and knew God was leading me to enter as well. It was a very peaceful, comforting weekend. That weekend I asked to enter!

Now- paying off my loans and trying to enter ASAP!

[Piamaria]

I was raised by a non-practicing family and so was never baptized.

2000- RCIA and Sacraments of Initiation 6 years ago--Freshman year in college
Experienced call to religious life with Baptism

2002 - Tried to talk with family about it--they freaked out.

2004- Decided to stop dating, got first post college job and began to pay off student loans.
Began receiving spiritual direction and discerning with spiritual director.
Started writing contemplative communities and visiting them: Also doing some vocation retreats.

2005- Saw Sisters of Reparation Website and felt a call to their Spirituality and apostolate. Discerned this with Spiritual Director
over a period of months.

2006-Finally worked up enough courage to contact community after paying off student loans. Much email and phone contact with Mother Wendy and also my director. Receive guidance in discernment from Mother who works closely with me. Met Sisters at Missions --They travel and so do I. Now in application process with long visit. Tentative plans for entrance this Spring. Will know at end of visit.

[angelusdomini]

Prior to spring of 2005-I went to a Catholic School in Africa most of my life until moving to the United states just before my last year of high school. It was a wonderful experience. When we moved here I still went to church but I definitely began to get lost in all the enticements of how to live our lives in a fun/hip/happy way that we are always bombarde with from MTV and the like. A few people at church had at various times intimated that they thought I should/would become a nun. I would invariably laugh them off as just some sentimental wish from people who didn't know me too well. I had total noise in my life trying to drown out this possible proposal for a different kind of life. Very much the story of Jonah.

Spring 2005- finally began to stop running and began to search. Mostly on the web. Found very wierd communities that kinda turned me off the whole thing a little bit. Although I did find out about the Benedictine Nuns at Regina Laudes, CT. I started to communicate with them.

Summer 2005- Descent into darkness and sin more than ever before

Fall 2006- repentance. Very big dose of humble pie. I knew for a fact that in myself I am not worthy, that I am sinful. I also knew then that God loves me still despite myself and He always has. That was something very beautiful to realise (finally- like duh).

September 2005- instituted a strategy for my spiritual life. Daily mass. Confession a couple times a month and daily rosary. Began discernment again (still private at this time- hadn't really contacted any communities yet).

Oct. 2005- I did a project for EWTN with a group of other young college age students and were housed by the CFRs for the duration (approx. 4 days). It ended up doubling as a retreat as well. Seeing all these other young people trying to live out their faith in fideility gave me courage and confirmed my decision to go forward and pursue my discerment seriously and see where it would lead.

Oct. 2005- At the end of the year of the Eucharist, there was an all night adoration vigil held at our cathedral the night before the Eucharistic Congress. I came for adoration after work (c.12 Midnight). I met the Franciscan Sisters Minor (FSM). I talked with them a lot that night. It was kind of a long night. Met a number of their young sisters. This was very encouraging to se. They were the first community I met face to face that I could really talk to. I began correspondence with the v.d.

Dec. 2005- I spent one weekend with the FSM sisters. We went Christmas caroling in the neighbourhood. I got a very brief glimpse into their life. It was beautiful. It was a rough first night- very cold (literally almost lost a toe).

At this point my mum knew vaguely of my desires and inclinations and wasn't taking it too well. We took a family trip back to Africa for a few weeks and all discernment took a back seat during this time and upon our return to the U.S.A.

Lent 2006- Visited the FSM sisters during spring break and spent about a week there. When I returned home, I began weekly confession- more as a form of spiritual discipline. It was really hard at the beginning- I kept feeling like maybe I was being a little excessive on myself.

Summer 2006- Met, at a friends suggestion the local community of the Venerini Sisters- They have a couple of schools in my area.
Summer 2006- Found out about another community of Benedictine Nuns in Petersham, MA.

From my Lent visite with the FSM sisters, my contact with them had diminshed during the summer. It was still there but not as intense.

August 2006- Attended an entrance ceremony for two of the FSM new postulants. Transitus of St. Clare.

Fall 2006- I informed my parent that I would take a leave of absence from college to put greater attention to my discernment at least for now.

Oct. 2006- Stayed with the FSM sisters for two weeks desiring to experience their life more closely.

At the end of this last visit, I officially asked to be apply into Franciscan Sisters Minor. The superior gave me the papers (This is actually the first time I've talked about this on the phorum since I came back.) I didn't really say anything since I had just started and felt like I would be putting a lot of pressure on myself by broadcasting it.

Now- I am in the application process. It has been process wrought with its own difficulties. There were moments when I felt severely ambushed from the devil and prayer had become quite difficult for me.I have sent in a few things but I have also ran into a couple of technical difficulties if you will-some missing documents. I have them its just that it seems that I may have misplaced them someplace. I actually think that it is fine. It has caused the process to slow down especially because it seems as though the process went lightening fast thus far. My communication with the sisters and their life is still very strong. Obviously God's will is working splendidly even now. When I first got my application, I had planned on completing it as soon as possible and being on my way. Almost couldn't wait to get in there- even as soon as thee end of this year ( but that will not be the case). I have notice in this time that a gentle, peaceful and ever increasing fervent desire has developed within me during this time of the delay. So I am very thankful to the Lord for this time. I was a little nervous when this delay first became apparent but by GHis grace I was able to nott dwell on that too much.

[HeavenlyCalling]

third grade, told every one at school that I wanted to be a nun
forth grade, proptly forgot about said choice
: at age 15 I discovered blogging. A blog called Roman Catholic Blog lead me to the SMME
found phatmass while doing a google search for news on the SMME, hung around for a while before registering
wrote to the Sisters asking for their vocation informationc and registered for the May '07 retreat
I decieded that if I still felt called to the religious life, I would tell my close friends and family in summer '08
told my parents about my discernement, they took it quiet well ( or think I am crazy and are just playing along)
I read St. Therese's [i]Story of a Soul[/i] and started to think about the possibility about being called to the cloistered life
asked on Phatmass about good, faithful Carmelite comunities, and was told about the Carmelites in Buffalo, NY
made a super secrete call to the monestary from my cousin's wedding reception, was told that there was no power, but I would be called back
was sent vocation information by said Carmelites ( once the power was working)
In April I hope to make a short visit there, and a longer one over the summer.

All of this has happened over the course of about 7 months, it has beeen very busy!