Benedictines Of Mary,

[Domine ut Videam]

Hey Pham!

I know i have been away for a really long time and have been casually dropping by in the past couple of weeks. I am happy to say that it is in search once again of religious community info...

My question is: What does everyone know about the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles? They are located in Kansas City and are currently in the midst of raising money to build their monastery. But that is pretty much all i know.

Has anyone visited these beautiful sisters or been in contact with them? I know that they are contemplative, but can you tell me some more about the community? Any info is welcome as i am very inquisitive about them. Am thinking that i might actually email them...but we'll see, all in good time.

Yours in Christ,
Lauren

[TNSeminarian]

They have a lot of information on their website, and the PDF files with their newsletter give a lot of great information about their community. The sister of a seminarian I know was there for a while and loved it! (She left because she felt called elsewhere, not because she didn't like it). I know that they do everything according to the Extraordinary Form (both Mass and the Divine Office), but they are incredibly faithful to the Church and Bishop Finn loves them (which would be enough for me)! They are also very faithful to the Rule... unfortunately a rare thing among Benedictines nowadays. They're really not that far away from BC and I'm sure that you could go for a weekend, and could probably get a few other girls to go with you (try the Nun Run girls... they're usually up for trips to convents). Anyhow, you have my prayers! God bless!

[Veritas]

+

My good friend Mary is entering there this summer -she would LOVE to tell you more about the community. Here is her blog -send her an e-mail! ( marygibson81@gmail.com )

[url="http://veritatissplendor.blogspot.com/"]http://veritatissplendor.blogspot.com/[/url]

God Bless & Mary Keep,
V

[DameAgnes]

Before Lent they said they were going to use the opportunity of Lent to re-do their blog - I think that's down for now.

They seem like a really wonderful community, though.

Edited February 25, 2008 by DameAgnes

[praying4carmel]

The Community Picture Makes me Smile! Such Love and Joy! They look like a terrific bunch of Women.

I know that seems cheesy, but You really can tell alot from their picture.

[Domine ut Videam]

I know they look stunning. But i have a question.

I have only contacted one other order before for vocational purposes and i must not have written my letter right or something because the reply i received was very structured and seemed like some mailing for group retreats, not at all what i was looking for. Does anyone have any advice about what i should state in my letter other than the fact that i am discerning and was wondering if they had any more info or suggestion concerning their order? Thanks!

In Christ through Mary,
Lauren

[the lords sheep]

Just be honest with who you are and, if you can, what you are seeking in a community. Ask any questions that you have, and If they do not answer your question, try again, especially if you are very interested in them. Also ask about their policies for visiting, especially since you're so close. You may also want to consider mailing the letter rather than emailing it. It seems more appropriate to contact them this way: it requires more time, prayer, patience and courage to do it that way (or at least I think!)
Just be patient and continue to pray!
God bless,
Lauren

[LilyofSaintMaria]

I've contacted the Sisters before and received a very nice letter and other material to look over. They also have a newsletter that I get about four times a year it seems. I don't think they have email and they stopped blogging because it didn't fit their contemplative life very well. They plan to keep people updated only through their site. I've haven't visited them or anything close to that, but have been keeping a close eye on them and their HUGE building project for a while. Their plans to me seem too big, but I must say I certainly dream of something like it. You have to write them to learn about what I'm talking about! I am extremely interested in them myself so any information you can find please post here. I am interested for the main reasons that they are completely Eucharistic and Marian. Their apostolate is devoted to the Mass. Another good way to learn about them is to call them up, they are very sweet on the phone!

Well, hope your search proves fruitful!

God bless,
Bernadette

[LilyofSaintMaria]

I've contacted the Sisters before and received a very nice letter and other material to look over. They also have a newsletter that I get about four times a year it seems. I don't think they have email and they stopped blogging because it didn't fit their contemplative life very well. They plan to keep people updated only through their site. I've haven't visited them or anything close to that, but have been keeping a close eye on them and their HUGE building project for a while. Their plans to me seem too big, but I must say I certainly dream of something like it. You have to write them to learn about what I'm talking about! I am extremely interested in them myself so any information you can find please post here. I am interested for the main reasons that they are completely Eucharistic and Marian. Their apostolate is devoted to the Mass. Another good way to learn about them is to call them up, they are very sweet on the phone!

Well, hope your search proves fruitful!

God bless,
Bernadette

[LilyofSaintMaria]

Sorry for double post - slow comp.

[tinytherese]

I spent a week with them practically a year ago. Not the right comunity for me but still a good community. We even went outside to play kickball. I wonder if people stared more at the nuns playing or the two girls playing with them. (One being me.) I helped with their ministry of making vestments for priests and recommended my parish priest to them. They also offer respites for priests downstairs. Their stay in their own room and don't have to talk with anyone. There's a kitchen and bathroom for them too. The respite really helps them. More communities should offer those free little stays.

Mother Therese is a wise and level headed prioress. She'll help you discern. Going there I attended my first Latin mass. It was beautiful and reverent.

The nuns do fast but if you're a visitor they offer you food. Don't be embarassed to ask for something to eat. They don't want you to faint.

Funny story time! The other inquirer and I had a small breakfast set out for us. It was carrot salad. I ate it but then threw it up. No one was around at the time, so I didn't startle anyone. I did tell Mother Therese though. She told me to lie down a while before daily mass and afterwards gave me something for my stomach. It really was the breakfast itself though that did it. I don't know why it was out there that morning. Usually they set out special bread, yogurt, or some kind of nut mix. Not many people can say that they threw up in a convent. I put that on my list of crazy things that have happened to me or that I've done.

I went back to school with a unique thing to say that I did over spring break. Not many high school seniors visit convents then. I didn't mention the throwing up though.

[tinytherese]

I spent a week with them practically a year ago. Not the right comunity for me but still a good community. We even went outside to play kickball. I wonder if people stared more at the nuns playing or the two girls playing with them. (One being me.) I helped with their ministry of making vestments for priests and recommended my parish priest to them. They also offer respites for priests downstairs. Their stay in their own room and don't have to talk with anyone. There's a kitchen and bathroom for them too. The respite really helps them. More communities should offer those free little stays.

Mother Therese is a wise and level headed prioress. She'll help you discern. Going there I attended my first Latin mass. It was beautiful and reverent.

The nuns do fast but if you're a visitor they offer you food. Don't be embarassed to ask for something to eat. They don't want you to faint.

Funny story time! The other inquirer and I had a small breakfast set out for us. It was carrot salad. I ate it but then threw it up. No one was around at the time, so I didn't startle anyone. I did tell Mother Therese though. She told me to lie down a while before daily mass and afterwards gave me something for my stomach. It really was the breakfast itself though that did it. I don't know why it was out there that morning. Usually they set out special bread, yogurt, or some kind of nut mix. Not many people can say that they threw up in a convent. I put that on my list of crazy things that have happened to me or that I've done.

I went back to school with a unique thing to say that I did over spring break. Not many high school seniors visit convents then. I didn't mention the throwing up though.

[LilyofSaintMaria]

Here is a news article about Mary Gibson. Check it out:
[url="http://thecatholicspirit.com/main.asp?SectionID=36&SubSectionID=41&ArticleID=1576"]Leaving the World[/url]

I have question about this article. The writer continually says that the Benedictines of Mary are cloistered. Is this correct? I never heard that. If this is right, what kind of cloister is it?

Bernadette

[inperpetuity]

I spent many Sundays with them one summer when they were in PA and then a discernment week as well. They are NOT cloistered, but monastic. This means that while their charism being Benedictine is focused on prayer and work (ora et labora) and keeps them pretty much around the monastery, they may go out for things like for example ordinations or like one time we went to a parishoner's house to go ice skating on their pond. The other thing is that they have regular visitors from priests to parishoners to family members come to the monastery for Sunday visits with the community. That is usually a joyous occasion. The newsletter really does give you a good idea of the type of life they lead which you can access on their website. They are a wonderful, vibrant community and have never had a shortage of vocations. I would encourage anyone who is even slightly interested to contact them. They are very sweet and very friendly and quite down to earth as well.

[gloriagurl]

[quote name='inperpetuity' post='1488838' date='Mar 30 2008, 04:21 PM']I spent many Sundays with them one summer when they were in PA and then a discernment week as well. They are NOT cloistered, but monastic. This means that while their charism being Benedictine is focused on prayer and work (ora et labora) and keeps them pretty much around the monastery, they may go out for things like for example ordinations or like one time we went to a parishoner's house to go ice skating on their pond.[/quote]

Another important distinction around the cloistered/non-cloistered designation/observance is Papal vs Constitutional Enclosure. I don't know this community nor have I read their constitutions but it's entirely possible that they are "enclosed"...colloquially many (for instance, the secular press) would simply define this as "cloistered" and since it can be a very fine juridical point, the nuns probably would not bother to make any correction. Some enclosed Benedictine communities are "constitutionally enclosed". Simply put this means that the limits of their enclosure are defined in their constitutions. That would be different say from the Benedictines of the Congregation of Solesmes who observe Papal Enclosusre. Inperpetuity is certainly correct in making the distinction between monastic and cloistered, but there is also this distinction regarding the definition of enclosure as well. Immaculate Heart in VT, for example is monastic (Benedictine) but they observe Papal enclosure, the Benedictines of Petersham are monastic, but constitutionally enclosed...though if you read their description of themselves they will use the word "cloistered" and I do believe it is proper to do so.

To make this a bit more concrete, one practical example would be that any papally enclosed nun would (by the laws applicable to papal enclosure) always have a physical barrier between herself and a visitor - grille, a table, half-wall - something - and when entering to visit a papally enclosed nun, the visitor would enter the room from different sides of this barrier, in most cases constitutionally enclosed nuns are not required (unless it's in their constitutions) to have a physical barrier between themselves and a visitor and usually (though not always) no wall is present around the enclosure - though this varies greatly from one community to another. At Petersham for instance there are no grilles or cloister walls, at Regina Laudis however, though constituionally enclosed as well you will find parlors and grilles and a cloister wall.....but then at Regina Laudis you will also find visitors working with the nuns, conversely this is not the practice at Petersham. At least some of this has to do with the interpretation of the approved constitutions by the "living community" and much of it may come from the Customary. Regina Laudis is running a 400+ acre farm (I think it's a lot more than that now, I'm not sure) and so the help of guests is welcome and probably even vital to the nuns - there is no such need at Petersham and so the community remains somewhat more removed from guests.

Since Vatican II all enclosed nuns, whether Papal or constitutional, whether they have retained extern sisters or not, are permitted to leave the enclosure for the necessities of life...according to their situation...communities with externs would not for example have to have a "choir nun" do the shopping but a community without extern sisters would have to designate someone to go out for "business concerns". Some enclosed communities may still be able to find doctors who will make "house calls" but I doubt that many will be able to do so, at least in the US, and so certainly medical needs are met outside the enclosure.

Now I think I've got this right, though I admit I did not go back to specifically check Canon Law on the fine points.

Pax