Some More Nashville Questions

[Maria Faustina]

Hey VS Pham,

Well, I am pretty set right now on graduating a year earlier. Nashville, of course, is where I think I'm called. So, I have a few questions about them-and some are also being asked by my guidance counselor. I know some of you have experience and knowledge of their community and I was hopin you guys could answer some of them. Here they are:

Does Nashville have a dowry? If so, how much?
What things do you have to bring with you when you are a postulant?
Are the classes only taken at the Motherhouse the first year?
How far in advance do you have to request an application in order to enter the same year you request it?
How are the retreats? Is it better to schedule a private weekend retreat or go on the pre-planned ones?


And this is more of an opinion type of thing: So, I'm planning right now to graduate when I am seventeen, and a junior in high school. You have to be a junior in high school to attend their retreats. Do you think, in my circumstances, that they would allow me to go on a retreat next year instead of when I am a junior? And yes, I have talked to Sister Mary Emily about this possibilty, although I have not expressed to her my retreat dilema. I don't want to pester her if you know what I mean


Thanks so much Pham! I need some of this info for my guidance counselor to give her a better idea of what I want to do with my life because she isn't Catholic and doesn't understand this whole process yet. But, she is definetly open to what I want to do
In Christ,
Maria Faustina

[she_who_is_not]

God Bless You!! The Nashville Dominicans are fabulous! I'm glad your guidance counselor is so open. I don't think they have a dowry, but I'm not sure. I think I gave a small contribution to their sister education fund once so my guess is no.

[Lilllabettt]

[b]Does Nashville have a dowry? If so, how much?[/b]

I think they do. Not 100% certain, but I think most places there's a small sum of money you're supposed to bring with you .. about enough for a plane ticket, in case you decide to go home ... if you don't have it, I don't think its a big deal. They won't refuse to take you because you can't afford the dowry.

[b]
What things do you have to bring with you when you are a postulant?[/b]

There's a list. Socks, and that kind of thing. Aprons is a big thing. Cleaning aprons, cooking aprons. There's a lot of aprons, more than what you'd think.

[b]Are the classes only taken at the Motherhouse the first year?[/b]

Don't know about this one.

[b]How far in advance do you have to request an application in order to enter the same year you request it?
[/b]
I know of somebody who asked to enter with a couple weeks to go to the date. Hard to get everything together that quick, but she did it, and it was okay with the Sisters.

[b]How are the retreats? Is it better to schedule a private weekend retreat or go on the pre-planned ones?
[/b]

I can't speak from experience about the private ones. I know of one girl who went, and the vocation directress had to be unexpectedly out of town, so she was sort of left to her own devices ...

The planned ones are designed to give a good, in depth picture of the community ... speaking with postulants, older sisters, get a look at the apostolate and how that jives with the contemplative life ... etc. I personally thought it was very well done.

One thing I'd do if I was discerning with them is try and see if I could visit some Sisters at a mission outside of Nashville, to see what the community life is like on that smaller scale ... because there's a good chance you'll spend a lot of your religious life in that setting, with a handful of Sisters.

Prayers for you and your discernment.

[Gemma]

[quote name='she_who_is_not' post='1716981' date='Dec 3 2008, 12:20 AM']God Bless You!! The Nashville Dominicans are fabulous! I'm glad your guidance counselor is so open. I don't think they have a dowry, but I'm not sure. I think I gave a small contribution to their sister education fund once so my guess is no.[/quote]

If you attend the 8am Sunday Mass at St. Mary's in Oak Ridge, TN, there are about 6 TN OPs in a pew toward the front. There used to be only 3 srs on mission there.

Blessings,
Gemma

[Maria Faustina]

[quote name='Gemma' post='1717230' date='Dec 3 2008, 08:22 AM']If you attend the 8am Sunday Mass at St. Mary's in Oak Ridge, TN, there are about 6 TN OPs in a pew toward the front. There used to be only 3 srs on mission there.

Blessings,
Gemma[/quote]


I believe that one of those sisters used to teach at my old school for only a while, and I know she moved to another St. Mary's back in TN. Her name is Sister Marie Bernadette, and she was like one of the sweetest people I have ever met!

[shortnun]

I'll use this bolded format b/c it's easy to read. I discerned with these sisters (ultimately to apply to another community in the long run), so my answers are merely observations from my experience.

[b]Are the classes only taken at the Motherhouse the first year?[/b]
No. Some of the postulants, particularly those going to get their teaching certificate/degree take classes with the novices (and black veils) at Aquinas College (which the sisters run).

[b]How far in advance do you have to request an application in order to enter the same year you request it?[/b]
Gosh-I know women who've waited over 12 months and those who've maybe had 12 weeks.

[b]How are the retreats? Is it better to schedule a private weekend retreat or go on the pre-planned ones?[/b]
I went on two group (the 5 day long) retreats. Each time I think we had over 20 women. It's a big group, but a nice number. The structure of their retreats are so helpful in getting a feel of what their life is like- the prayer, the apostolate, the community itself. They're having one (vocation retreat) in January and again in May (according to their website). I would think about emailing or calling Sr. Mary Emily to see if there's space available, if you can make it with travel plans and all.

Edit: spelling

Edited December 4, 2008 by shortnun

[Ave Maria Totus Tuus]

My best friend just entered this August, so I was lucky to get to live some of this out with her as she planned! Hope it helps.


[b]Does Nashville have a dowry? If so, how much?[/b]

You have to bring some money (cash?), I think around $150, just to have if needed, and there is a bigger entrance request which pays for your postulant outfits, winter coats, novice habits, etc. I think that is about $1200? It can't remember.


[b]What things do you have to bring with you when you are a postulant?
[/b]
Yep, there's a big ol' postulant packet with everything you need. Socks, undies, undershirts, shoes, a suitcase, and 8 aprons you make yourself (4 blue, 4 white) and they give you the pattern. The 4-volume Divine Office, a Catechism, a book of Vatican II documents, a Bible, some school supplies, a couple personal books if you'd like. Stuff like that.


[b]Are the classes only taken at the Motherhouse the first year?
[/b]
Postulants have classes at the Motherhouse and at Aquinas. The classes at the Motherhouse regard their whole postulant class, while their classes at Aquinas are particular to their current level of education. Only Novices (since they are basically cloistered that year) have class only at the MH.


[b]How far in advance do you have to request an application in order to enter the same year you request it?[/b]

As quick as you can get accepted and get yourself together! God's will.


[b]How are the retreats? Is it better to schedule a private weekend retreat or go on the pre-planned ones?[/b]

I would definitely attend one of the pre-planned Vocation Retreats. They are structured to give you a full view of their life. The Jesu Caritas Retreats are a great opportunity to get exposed to the community, but vocations/discerning is not really a planned part of the retreat. After going on a Vocation Retreat, I'd go back again for maybe a personal weekend if you feel so called. Just my two cents!


God bless you!

Edited December 4, 2008 by Ave Maria Totus Tuus

[DameAgnes]

[i]
Yep, there's a big ol' postulant packet with everything you need. Socks, undies, undershirts, shoes, a suitcase, and 8 aprons you make yourself (4 blue, 4 white) and they give you the pattern. The 4-volume Divine Office, a Catechism, a book of Vatican II documents, a Bible, some school supplies, a couple personal books if you'd like. Stuff like that.[/i]

Good heavens, don't they wear bras?

I can't think of anything more uncomfy than being generously endowed and without a bra!

Edited for italics

Edited December 5, 2008 by DameAgnes

[the lords sheep]

I'm sure bras are included in "undies" (I also think there was an unmentioned [u][i]etc [/i][/u]in that list)...

Edited December 5, 2008 by the lords sheep

[Carmeliteheart726]

[quote name='DameAgnes' post='1719126' date='Dec 4 2008, 07:06 PM'][i]
Yep, there's a big ol' postulant packet with everything you need. Socks, undies, undershirts, shoes, a suitcase, and 8 aprons you make yourself (4 blue, 4 white) and they give you the pattern. The 4-volume Divine Office, a Catechism, a book of Vatican II documents, a Bible, some school supplies, a couple personal books if you'd like. Stuff like that.[/i]

Good heavens, don't they wear bras?

I can't think of anything more uncomfy than being generously endowed and without a bra!

Edited for italics[/quote]

LOL

[Maria Faustina]

[quote name='DameAgnes' post='1719126' date='Dec 4 2008, 08:06 PM'][i]
Yep, there's a big ol' postulant packet with everything you need. Socks, undies, undershirts, shoes, a suitcase, and 8 aprons you make yourself (4 blue, 4 white) and they give you the pattern. The 4-volume Divine Office, a Catechism, a book of Vatican II documents, a Bible, some school supplies, a couple personal books if you'd like. Stuff like that.[/i]

Good heavens, don't they wear bras?

I can't think of anything more uncomfy than being generously endowed and without a bra!

Edited for italics[/quote]

That totally made my day LOL!!!!!

[Ave Maria Totus Tuus]

Of course they do! Indeed, it is bunched in the "undies" category... LOL

Indeed, there was an assumed "etc"!

Y'all are wonderful! Prayers all around.

[VeniteAdoremus]

I'm trying to think of what you can do with eight aprons (besides the obvious knot-your-own-parachute option).

[Lilllabettt]

[quote name='VeniteAdoremus' post='1719899' date='Dec 5 2008, 10:26 AM']I'm trying to think of what you can do with eight aprons (besides the obvious knot-your-own-parachute option).[/quote]


Well, you need some for cleaning (with chemicals, in bathrooms) and those need to be separate from the ones used for cooking, because you don't want that around the food. And then you might need a "scrap" apron for doing really down and dirty stuff ... like painting. You need some of each kind to wear while the others are being washed. And if its a big house (like the Nashville Motherhouse is) you might need duplicates of each in different locations, because there's no time run clear across the campus to get a work apron.

It really adds up. White habits are hard to keep clean, especially the sleeves.

Edited December 5, 2008 by Lilllabettt

[DameAgnes]

[quote name='Lilllabettt' post='1720019' date='Dec 5 2008, 12:49 PM']It really adds up. White habits are hard to keep clean, especially the sleeves.[/quote]

It always amazes me how pristine the white habits look (although I note they yellow with washing, as most whites do) but I was recently with a few Sisters of Life and noted that - for all the aprons they wore - they really had a challenge to keep their sleeves clean. I joked about it to a sister and she looked at the habit of one of the newer novices and sighed a little and said, "yes...I can't remember when my cuffs looked that perfect!"

She also put up with my question as to why the sisters all move their scapular aside before sitting..."it's because they're blessed."

Ah. Makes sense.