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Norbertine Nuns


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I thought I would cross post this from another group I belong to. The nuns have a lovely habit and live a very simple, cloistered life of prayer. They are new but growing fast.....

The Norbertine Sisters of the Bethlehem Priory of St Joseph in Tehachapi, California -- [url="http://www.bakersfield.net/photography/slideshows/nuns/norbertinenuns.swf"]newspaper and photos[/url]

[url="http://travel.webshots.com/album/553142924qSxMvL?start=24"]travel webshot slides[/url]

======================
[url="http://www.premontre.org/subpages/2004-catalogus/2004-CAT/851f-TEHACHEPI-Sorores%20Coniunctae.htm"]Norbertine Sisters of the Bethlehem Priory of St. Joseph in Tehachapi, California[/url]


The Norbertine Sisters were founded in 1996 and are affiliated with the Norbertine Fathers of St. Michael's Abbey. There are currently 17 sisters, representing nearly all the continents of the world. The sisters live the Monastic life focusing on the three observances of charity: love of God, love self and love of neighbor, which are enfleshed in traditional monastic architecture. They also have a "guest cloister" where the Sisters exercise hospitality to those seeking a more intense period of prayer.

They take on an intense responsibility of prayer and worship within the Division of Labor in the Mystical Body. As such… If a missionary has to speak for one hour to men, he wishes first to speak two hours to God about himself and about those to whom his is going to speak. But since this is often impossible, we can make a "division of labor" also in the spiritual realm, so that those who have otherwise no connection with mission work, pray, figuratively speaking, with uplifted arms to God (like Moses) while the missionary is fighting the battles of the Lord. The division of labor in the spiritual realm and the part assigned to the contemplative is a "life of prayer." The contemplative's union with God will infuse blood (charity and divine life) generously into all the members of Christ's Mystical Body. -cf. Missionary Rev. Bernard Huss, C.M.M.

For more information, contact them at
Mother Mary Augustine
17831-A Water Canyon Road, Tehachapi, CA 93561-7686 or (661) 823-1066

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I've seen their slide show a few times, aren't they beautiful? I've thought of visiting, if/when the time came to do so again. . .I like their simplicity.

That travel webshot picture set. . .those don't look like the same sisters. . .well, their veils are different anyway. Maybe' they're postulants, since there's no wimple? I don't know. :unsure:

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[quote name='HisChild' post='1169965' date='Jan 19 2007, 04:34 AM']
I've seen their slide show a few times, aren't they beautiful? I've thought of visiting, if/when the time came to do so again. . .I like their simplicity.

That travel webshot picture set. . .those don't look like the same sisters. . .well, their veils are different anyway. Maybe' they're postulants, since there's no wimple? I don't know. :unsure:
[/quote]

Those were some other kind of Norbertines. You never see the Canonesses out of their cloister. The postulants wear a black skirt suit with veil and a cross on the lapel.

Blessings,
Gemma

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Sr Mary Catharine OP

We are friends with this community and the mother of one of the sisters is a good friend of ours. The Norbertines have made 2 beautiful vestments for us as a gift from this friend.

The "travel" shots are probably norbertines from Europe because it says in the caption that they are here learning English. Similiar to Dominican nuns not all the Norbertines wear the same coif.

The Norbertines in CA do go out for certain meetings and events dealing with the Norbertine Order. They just went to their General Chapter.

Pray for them because the bishop is holding back on giving them permission to becoming fully professed Norbertine Nuns. Don't know why.

Also, any contribution you can make to their building fund they would be most grateful. Right now, they live in very cramped quarters.

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[quote name='Sr. Mary Catharine' post='1169994' date='Jan 19 2007, 05:08 AM']
We are friends with this community and the mother of one of the sisters is a good friend of ours. The Norbertines have made 2 beautiful vestments for us as a gift from this friend.

The "travel" shots are probably norbertines from Europe because it says in the caption that they are here learning English. Similiar to Dominican nuns not all the Norbertines wear the same coif.

The Norbertines in CA do go out for certain meetings and events dealing with the Norbertine Order. They just went to their General Chapter.

Pray for them because the bishop is holding back on giving them permission to becoming fully professed Norbertine Nuns. Don't know why.

Also, any contribution you can make to their building fund they would be most grateful. Right now, they live in very cramped quarters.
[/quote]

Don't they, if given the funds to do so, want to build a larger monastery, with a retreat house?

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DiscerningSoul

It always wonderful to see other communities

Jessica
[url="http://www.xanga.com/ADiscerningSoul"]http://www.xanga.com/ADiscerningSoul[/url]
[url="http://blog.myspace.com/147329732"]http://blog.myspace.com/147329732[/url]

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I wrote to them for info once and they sent me a stack of newsletters. Their newsletters are really informative and have lots of pictures, so it was really fun to go through them ^_^

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  • 2 years later...

I woke up around midnight, thinking about what it'd be like to live in Tehachapi...
not sure that i'd be cut out for it... i'm afraid i'd get claustrophobic, and i'd probably be allergic to their bees with the honey gathering... but they seem nice... better than suicide

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[quote name='Michele' post='1828627' date='Apr 8 2009, 01:16 AM']I woke up around midnight, thinking about what it'd be like to live in Tehachapi...
not sure that i'd be cut out for it... i'm afraid i'd get claustrophobic, and i'd probably be allergic to their bees with the honey gathering... but they seem nice... better than suicide[/quote]

Michele - are you ok? that last sentence seems very strange --- contact me if you need to talk about anything. I am in California too (Orange County). I don't know if I can help, but yes, anything is better than suicide! I hope that was some kind of strange joke???

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:smokey: I thought the sisters in California were some of the Norbertine Sisters from Europe
that came to the US.I can't imagine why the Bishop would try to hold the sisters up on anything. Maybe I need to do a litlle more research.
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the lords sheep

[quote name='Michele' post='1828627' date='Apr 8 2009, 09:16 AM']I woke up around midnight, thinking about what it'd be like to live in Tehachapi...
not sure that i'd be cut out for it... i'm afraid i'd get claustrophobic, and i'd probably be allergic to their bees with the honey gathering... but they seem nice... better than suicide[/quote]

I echo Nunsense's concern. Prayers coming your way.

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in Shakespeare's plays, Romeo and Juliet, a convent was recommended to Juliet by the friar, but she just wanted Romeo back, and she stabbed herself, instead of choosing to keep living. in Hamlet, Ophelia was told by her ex-boyfriend that she should go to the convent, but she ended up drowning herself with grief. Unfortunately, neither of these girls had a strong foundation of the faith, or they might have checked out the convents. I've been told by both priests and boys to check out convents, and I have actually gone to visit convents. Not that I will necessarily stay at one forever, but it'd be better to live there than not live at all. Life is beautiful.

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[quote name='Michele' post='1837689' date='Apr 16 2009, 04:48 PM']in Shakespeare's plays, Romeo and Juliet, a convent was recommended to Juliet by the friar, but she just wanted Romeo back, and she stabbed herself, instead of choosing to keep living. in Hamlet, Ophelia was told by her ex-boyfriend that she should go to the convent, but she ended up drowning herself with grief. Unfortunately, neither of these girls had a strong foundation of the faith, or they might have checked out the convents. I've been told by both priests and boys to check out convents, and I have actually gone to visit convents. Not that I will necessarily stay at one forever, but it'd be better to live there than not live at all. Life is beautiful[/quote]

Yes, life is beautiful whether one is single, married or in a convent -- but the reasons for marriage and the reasons for entering a convent both need to be more than fear of death! I hope you are not considering a convent because you are afraid you might kill yourself? If so, please get some help right away from your priest or doctor.

Many convents these days use psychological testing of candidates, and if you told them about these feelings, you would certainly be advised to seek help for this rather than attempting to enter religious life.

I have sent you a PM if you need to talk. My prayers are with you. :pray:

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  • 5 months later...

The most recently posted report on the Norbertine sisters, from the newsletters at St. Michael's Abbey (Norbertine fathers), said that Tehachapi now has nineteen women. Anybody have more recent info?

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