Waiting For My Application To Come

[phivan]

[quote name='He is Risen!' post='1536350' date='May 21 2008, 03:06 PM']oooh, I'm so excited I finally called Sr. Claire from the CFR sisters and asked for an application. I should be getting it in the mail soon. I've even found someone who offered to buy my car which would bring me out of debt and give me enough money for the first year of health insurance with them (expensive and mandatory) I have not told my parents about this yet but have been dropping big obvious hints, I'm nervous about that and the situation seems much more real the closer it gets. Please pray for me. The 2 week visit is the first 2 weeks of June, right around the corner, got to hurry up and get letters, transcripts, etc. ready. Here we go![/quote]

I'm so excited for you. I wish I could say what you did for myself. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Take care of yourself.

Blessings

[Deus te Amat]

[quote name='FSM Sister' post='1539163' date='May 23 2008, 05:46 PM']Congratulations! I remember the elated feeling (30 years ago!) and share your joy. Mine was a 70-page application, with dental and medical forms to be filled out by the physician. I about went bankrupt just on that part, and had no assistance from my parents. I can really relate to your post! When I finally told my mother, she replied (and with no emotion), "Well... you're over 18, so I guess we can't stop you." From the time I was 16 I had written to group after group, without getting a reply - then I discovered that my mother would always toss the replies into the trash! So - I rented a P.O. box.

Getting off work in time to go to the evening Mass was a daily challenge. I had tried to teach myself the LOTH, but at 17 and almost no catechesis (I didn't even know what "ordinary time" meant!) that was too lofty. I could figure out the days of the week, but what in Heaven's name was "Week I, II, III, and IV?" Don't even mention Feasts and Solemnities. In cases where just the antiphons were printed on the page, I used to think, "Why are there fewer prayers on those days?"

When the application was mailed in to the Franciscans (a different group than yours), I would stay after Mass and pray the rosary before going to the P.O. box. When a reply finally came, it was sheer torture leaving that envelope intact, going back to the church, and ....
drum roll....
praying another rosary.

One at a time, an old man or an old woman would come up, tap me on the shoulder, and ask, "Are you okay, dear?"

With all the distraction from within and without, it must have taken close to an hour to get through that rosary - start, stop, lose my place, start over in case it "didn't count," lose my place again...

The old people must have thought I was praying all 15 decades (remember, this was 30 years ago when there were just the 15 mysteries). One of the younger priests came by to lock the doors, asked me how long I was planning to stay - and I was sooooo nervous, all I could stammer was, "I ... don't... know...." So he said, "That's okay - just ring the doorbell at the rectory on your way out."

drum roll...

"Dear Mother Mary, if it is God's Will, please let this letter say 'Yes.' If this is not God's Will, then please! Help me to accept a 'No.' "(and I really tried to mean that!)

As I began to read the hand-written reply, which gave the entrance date and a list of what I should bring, not bring, etc. my eyes began to well up with tears of joy... and a tear fell right smack on the date and made it too blurry to read! Could I possibly remember it? Absolutely not! It was a day in January, but which one?????

Ever been so happy you wanted to HUG A STATUE of the Virgin Mary? It's a good thing there were no other humans in the church, or their ribs would have been crushed - and I'm not a huggy type person, ordinarily.

You will surely persevere if you place your hand firmly in our Lady's hand, and never let go. Always, always, make a conscious prayer when you bless yourself with holy water. Being faithful to that one, small thing will bring you many graces. You will mess up "big time" - because we all do - but don't be discouraged. Force yourself to be completely open, simple, and honest with your confessor, your superior, and yourself. (It gets easier!) Things that seem HUGE in the beginning will become small, in time. God's time. Give yourself completely to Christ, without reserve, and your joy will know no limits. He is yours, and you are HIS!

THIS is the greatest Love Story in this life. !!!!!!

May your soul be filled with the joy of Mary, at the Annunciation, the Nativity, during the hidden years in between, and at the Resurrection. May this joy strengthen you during those times you will inevitably experience the pains and trials of this life, as Mary did, in a thousand little hidden ways, and eventually at the foot of the Cross. (Remember, it was a thousand little hidden sacrifices that prepared her for that day).

God be with you, and be assured of my prayers!


Sister Mary Margaret,
Director of Formation
Franciscan Sisters of Mary
www.fsmcharism.net[/quote]

WOW!

Thank you so much, Sister, for sharing this story with us.

You are an inspiriation.

[phivan]

[quote name='FSM Sister' post='1539163' date='May 23 2008, 05:46 PM']Congratulations! I remember the elated feeling (30 years ago!) and share your joy. Mine was a 70-page application, with dental and medical forms to be filled out by the physician. I about went bankrupt just on that part, and had no assistance from my parents. I can really relate to your post! When I finally told my mother, she replied (and with no emotion), "Well... you're over 18, so I guess we can't stop you." From the time I was 16 I had written to group after group, without getting a reply - then I discovered that my mother would always toss the replies into the trash! So - I rented a P.O. box.

Getting off work in time to go to the evening Mass was a daily challenge. I had tried to teach myself the LOTH, but at 17 and almost no catechesis (I didn't even know what "ordinary time" meant!) that was too lofty. I could figure out the days of the week, but what in Heaven's name was "Week I, II, III, and IV?" Don't even mention Feasts and Solemnities. In cases where just the antiphons were printed on the page, I used to think, "Why are there fewer prayers on those days?"

When the application was mailed in to the Franciscans (a different group than yours), I would stay after Mass and pray the rosary before going to the P.O. box. When a reply finally came, it was sheer torture leaving that envelope intact, going back to the church, and ....
drum roll....
praying another rosary.

One at a time, an old man or an old woman would come up, tap me on the shoulder, and ask, "Are you okay, dear?"

With all the distraction from within and without, it must have taken close to an hour to get through that rosary - start, stop, lose my place, start over in case it "didn't count," lose my place again...

The old people must have thought I was praying all 15 decades (remember, this was 30 years ago when there were just the 15 mysteries). One of the younger priests came by to lock the doors, asked me how long I was planning to stay - and I was sooooo nervous, all I could stammer was, "I ... don't... know...." So he said, "That's okay - just ring the doorbell at the rectory on your way out."

drum roll...

"Dear Mother Mary, if it is God's Will, please let this letter say 'Yes.' If this is not God's Will, then please! Help me to accept a 'No.' “(and I really tried to mean that!)

As I began to read the hand-written reply, which gave the entrance date and a list of what I should bring, not bring, etc. my eyes began to well up with tears of joy... and a tear fell right smack on the date and made it too blurry to read! Could I possibly remember it? Absolutely not! It was a day in January, but which one?????

Ever been so happy you wanted to HUG A STATUE of the Virgin Mary? It's a good thing there were no other humans in the church, or their ribs would have been crushed - and I'm not a huggy type person, ordinarily.

You will surely persevere if you place your hand firmly in our Lady's hand, and never let go. Always, always, make a conscious prayer when you bless yourself with holy water. Being faithful to that one, small thing will bring you many graces. You will mess up "big time" - because we all do - but don't be discouraged. Force yourself to be completely open, simple, and honest with your confessor, your superior, and yourself. (It gets easier!) Things that seem HUGE in the beginning will become small, in time. God's time. Give yourself completely to Christ, without reserve, and your joy will know no limits. He is yours, and you are HIS!

THIS is the greatest Love Story in this life. !!!!!!

May your soul be filled with the joy of Mary, at the Annunciation, the Nativity, during the hidden years in between, and at the Resurrection. May this joy strengthen you during those times you will inevitably experience the pains and trials of this life, as Mary did, in a thousand little hidden ways, and eventually at the foot of the Cross. (Remember, it was a thousand little hidden sacrifices that prepared her for that day).

God be with you, and be assured of my prayers!
Sister Mary Margaret,
Director of Formation
Franciscan Sisters of Mary
www.fsmcharism.net[/quote]

Thanks for a lovely post Sr. Margaret. By the way, how many sisters are in your community? What are your apostulates? I checked your website but I don't get the whole picture. I'm just curious. That's all.
Blessings

[johnnydigit]

your first application? how exciting! it'll be even faster if you email it back. even then, it can be many weeks until they even get a chance to go over it as they can get pretty busy over there. i got my application in the email, scanned my documents, edited and attached my photos, then sent it back. california to new york in a matter of seconds.

one reason to not announce your intentions to people is that it may not work out. however a good reason to announce it is for the support and prayers.

[He is Risen!]

[quote name='johnnydigit' post='1544674' date='May 27 2008, 03:18 AM']your first application? how exciting! it'll be even faster if you email it back. even then, it can be many weeks until they even get a chance to go over it as they can get pretty busy over there. i got my application in the email, scanned my documents, edited and attached my photos, then sent it back. california to new york in a matter of seconds.

one reason to not announce your intentions to people is that it may not work out. however a good reason to announce it is for the support and prayers.[/quote]


The friars have e mail ! The CFR sisters don't have e mail, or maybe I just don't have their address. This is a very good idea. I'm getting down to the wire to get this stuff in. I can't find my Babtismal certificate, the church no longer exists and it was not Catholic so I'm not sure how records were kept. . Everything else is looking good. How has your search been going? I saw that you have found some other communities to check out? Keep us posted. Prayers.

[Stacey]

I had a similar problem, you could try writing to the diocesan office or one of the other churches putting all the details of your baptism - your name, parents names, rough dates of baptism and the church and you will probably get something back. Mine had gone to the city church archives - i needed a copy to be recieved into the church and they sent one very quickly, hope you get what you need, prayers for your application, i found it exciting and nerve racking but ultimately worth it, go with God, pax

[johnnydigit]

[quote name='He is Risen!' post='1544928' date='May 27 2008, 10:48 AM']The friars have e mail ! The CFR sisters don't have e mail, or maybe I just don't have their address. This is a very good idea. I'm getting down to the wire to get this stuff in. I can't find my Babtismal certificate, the church no longer exists and it was not Catholic so I'm not sure how records were kept. . Everything else is looking good. How has your search been going? I saw that you have found some other communities to check out? Keep us posted. Prayers.[/quote]

ya there are many ways they can work around not being able to get baptismal papers. some may take a photograph of the event, a vouch from reputable persons, etc.

oh, it's going.. slow.. must have lots of patience. CFR's wasn't for me, and i'm looking at the Franciscans of the Immaculate now..

[Caramelonion]

Don't worry...God will help you find what you need. He always does. I must say I'm also very excited for you...and hopefully that will be me in a few months.

[AccountDeleted]

[quote name='He is Risen!' post='1544928' date='May 27 2008, 10:48 AM']The friars have e mail ! The CFR sisters don't have e mail, or maybe I just don't have their address. This is a very good idea. I'm getting down to the wire to get this stuff in. I can't find my Babtismal certificate, the church no longer exists and it was not Catholic so I'm not sure how records were kept. . Everything else is looking good. How has your search been going? I saw that you have found some other communities to check out? Keep us posted. Prayers.[/quote]

Since your church was not Catholic, I am not sure how they will handle it, but my own Catholic church forgot to record my Baptism/Confirmation of 30 years ago! When I went to get a copy, they had no records of it but they did let me get letters from two people who were in attendance way back then, and they issued a new certificate for me. I am sure there will be a way and I will pray for you.

[johnnydigit]

oh and the vocation director has an email, but then he also has a monthly vocations newsletter (that you're already getting right?)

[He is Risen!]

My records are finally here. I was not expecting the church where I was confirmed to be able to produce a babtismal record for me but they really did, I didn't even ask Fr. Pat for one, I just explained the situation and asked him for confirmation records! I thought I'd have to go through the protestant army church for babtismal records and there I just got answering machines. I'm on cloud 10, thank you for your prayers everybody! It was just in time and everything that I needed, God is good.

I don't think the sisters have a vocation newsletter, I usually just pester Sr. Claire over the phone (when I can get a hold of her, which is next to impossible right now).