jumpfrog Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 I would like to have posted this on the vocations board, but I am not allowed to post there, since I am a new member. Kind of like, I have discovered, new members to Catholicism cannot follow vocations right away...I have been told that new converts must wait 3 years before attempting to persue a vocation. Can anyone clarify this for me? Is it true? I am going to be baptized in July, and I know that I still need lots of 'work' as a Christian and a Catholic, but I have a longing to become a sister of some kind. I am feeling rather discouraged in this, but not because of the wait time...I guess I understand that, although 3 years is a long time, when you consider that discernment and the stages of formation in a community are also very lengthy. Mostly I am discouraged because many of the orders I have looked at have age restrictions...I am already too old for most of these places (I'm 38 this year.) At the end of the waiting period I will be seriously too old! Some other orders do not have age restrictions...but I find that I tend to not be interested in these orders, for reasons I won't go into here. Does anyone think there is hope for me? How strict are the age requirements? Is there anything I can work toward that can somehow mitigate this deficiency? This is a very painful reality for me. I wish I had been converted sooner in my life, but it just didn't work out that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theoketos Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Simply not true. I know a good friend who converted last year (less then a year ago) and is in the seminary next semester. May God bless you for your bravery and may you find His will and follow the Love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatherineM Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 I sat next to a seminarian who had just been baptized last semester. He is from an order, that I can't remember right now, but it is discalced, because he showed up in sandals even in winter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laetitia crucis Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 From my experience (I am a convert, too), I've only met one order that requires at least three years before a convert pursues his/her vocation. (Then again, I do realize I haven't met every single order ever. ) Hmmm... I do know that there are some orders that do not have an age restriction (or that may list one but have exceptions), and there are also orders that allow converts to enter whenever God is calling them. One sister I know converted in 2006 (she entered the Church at Easter Vigil), met her order's sisters in that summer, then entered that same order in August 2006. Today she is a professed sister. And like you, I too wish I had converted earlier in my life -- all those sacramental graces!! -- but all is in God's mysterious timing. Anyway, fear not! As my spiritual has told me, "Have courage! If God has called you to the religious life, [b]no one[/b] can say 'No!'." lc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slisa Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 [quote name='jumpfrog' post='1879807' date='May 31 2009, 10:31 PM']I would like to have posted this on the vocations board, but I am not allowed to post there, since I am a new member. Kind of like, I have discovered, new members to Catholicism cannot follow vocations right away...I have been told that new converts must wait 3 years before attempting to persue a vocation. Can anyone clarify this for me? Is it true? I am going to be baptized in July, and I know that I still need lots of 'work' as a Christian and a Catholic, but I have a longing to become a sister of some kind. I am feeling rather discouraged in this, but not because of the wait time...I guess I understand that, although 3 years is a long time, when you consider that discernment and the stages of formation in a community are also very lengthy. Mostly I am discouraged because many of the orders I have looked at have age restrictions...I am already too old for most of these places (I'm 38 this year.) At the end of the waiting period I will be seriously too old! Some other orders do not have age restrictions...but I find that I tend to not be interested in these orders, for reasons I won't go into here. Does anyone think there is hope for me? How strict are the age requirements? Is there anything I can work toward that can somehow mitigate this deficiency? This is a very painful reality for me. I wish I had been converted sooner in my life, but it just didn't work out that way.[/quote] Usually communitites want you to have more time to really go deeply into the faith. Nothing would stop you from visiting communities now. There are several good communities that accept women in their 40's so keep on searching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osapientia Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 (edited) [quote name='jumpfrog' post='1879807' date='May 31 2009, 11:31 PM']I would like to have posted this on the vocations board, but I am not allowed to post there, since I am a new member. Kind of like, I have discovered, new members to Catholicism cannot follow vocations right away...I have been told that new converts must wait 3 years before attempting to persue a vocation. Can anyone clarify this for me? Is it true? I am going to be baptized in July, and I know that I still need lots of 'work' as a Christian and a Catholic, but I have a longing to become a sister of some kind. I am feeling rather discouraged in this, but not because of the wait time...I guess I understand that, although 3 years is a long time, when you consider that discernment and the stages of formation in a community are also very lengthy. Mostly I am discouraged because many of the orders I have looked at have age restrictions...I am already too old for most of these places (I'm 38 this year.) At the end of the waiting period I will be seriously too old! Some other orders do not have age restrictions...but I find that I tend to not be interested in these orders, for reasons I won't go into here. Does anyone think there is hope for me? How strict are the age requirements? Is there anything I can work toward that can somehow mitigate this deficiency? This is a very painful reality for me. I wish I had been converted sooner in my life, but it just didn't work out that way.[/quote] Yes there is hope for you. Many orders have age limits but will consider someone who is outside those limits. Contact the communities that interest you and ask about their policy. Some will not go outside their limits, some will. I think that for most orders the three year period is a suggestion, perhaps a strong one for some and not so strong for others. You don't say what kind of a community you are interested in joining....if by chance you are looking for cloistered contemplative life you could consider the Visitandine's - no age limit. Take a look if you are interested: [url="http://www.vistyr.org/index.html"]http://www.vistyr.org/index.html[/url] Some Poor Clare and Benedictine (cloistered) communities in the US take older vocations. As some on this board will tell you, there are fewer issues around the subject of age in Europe than there are in the US. Peace and keep Hope alive. **edited for typo Edited June 3, 2009 by osapientia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeniteAdoremus Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 It could easily take a few years to find the community that's right for you, so it absolutely wouldn't hurt to start looking. And retreats at monasteries are great ways to grow in the Faith, even if you don't end up joining there. And in the end, it's very easy: you won't be called to a community that does not accept you, so you don't have to worry about that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osapientia Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 (edited) [quote name='jumpfrog' post='1879807' date='May 31 2009, 11:31 PM']I would like to have posted this on the vocations board,[/quote] You might take a look here, though you are still (and would be even in 3 years) under this age limit. [url="http://consecrated-life-org.maritzia.com/roman-catholic-communities-in-the-united-states/communities-accepting-women-over-45/"]http://consecrated-life-org.maritzia.com/r...-women-over-45/[/url] and there are more.....the Visitation monasteries are not listed here that I could see and I know they take older vocations. I believe the Benedictines in Vermont - Monastery of the Immaculate Heart will also take vocations quite a bit older than you are now or will be in 3 years. The cloistered Benedictines in Petersham Massachusetts have an age range from 22-40. I believe they would discern with someone over 40 and I don't think they would be too stringent on the 3 years after conversion "rule". You've got choices. Edited June 3, 2009 by osapientia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC IMaGiNaZUN Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 I havent heard of a three year rule. I think that the idea is this, in your conversion experience, you have a ferver, that wears off. I have been told that numerous people, who converted, and went to seminary, and left after their first moment of darkness. When things are exciting in your conversion, they make a vocation much more exciting, however when the ferver of the conversion wears off, they perhaps the vocation phaze wears out. I am not saying there are no exceptions to this, but it is a familiar pattern. shalom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Arms of The Lord Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 Welcome Home! God bless you and may He keep you close as you discern His will for you. I am also a convert to Catholicism. I was just Confirmed in April, Holy Saturday. The next day, Easter, I had received a phone call from Mother at the Monastery i'm discerning with and a bought a plane ticket that week, and I leave tommorow for a 5 day visit. I have also heard of a 2-3 year waiting period for recent Converts, and it may be so with some people. I guess maybe it depends on the individual, but really it depends on when God says it's time! I always say, "It may be this year, 2 or 3 years, or even 10 or 15 years. What I know is that it will happen when He says it will." I pray that you will always hear and listen to His most gentle voice, which is heard in that beautiful silence. Though His voice seems to be such a soft whisper; I know that silence can drown out all the noise of the world. Put everything in His Hands, always Trust in Him, and keep praying. He will lead you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sister Rose Therese Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 Most communities want to be sure that your vocation isn't just first fervor, so they like you to have been practicing the faith for some time before you enter. You should still be able to look though. For most communities the age limit is more of a guideline. There is usually some flexibility. They may look at things like your flexibility for formation and community living, your educational background and how it fits with the apostolate, your health... Each community may view these things differently. But don't worry, if God is calling you, He'll take care of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeresaBenedicta Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 I met my spiritual director a few months after my baptism and reception into the Church. One of the first things we discussed was waiting three years before, God willing, entering any community. He too was a convert to the faith and his spiritual director had him wait three years before entering seminary. For myself, it's been a good thing. For others, it might not be. Apparentally it's not a hard fast rule. There may exceptions depending on the orders you're looking into. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumpfrog Posted June 3, 2009 Author Share Posted June 3, 2009 Wow, thanks for all the encouraging replies! Maybe the rule is no vows, but people can still discern and enter formation. I need time anyway, thanks to student loans and whatnot... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puellapaschalis Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 The rule I had heard was 2 years after adult Baptism/Confirmation/Conversion/etc. That's also the riot act I read to any of my Godchildren who get Neophyte Fever (it's real!) and want to run off to evangelise the savages in...the Netherlands Or anywhere else for that matter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walburga Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 [quote name='osapientia' post='1882268' date='Jun 3 2009, 05:00 PM']You might take a look here, though you are still (and would be even in 3 years) under this age limit. [url="http://consecrated-life-org.maritzia.com/roman-catholic-communities-in-the-united-states/communities-accepting-women-over-45/"]http://consecrated-life-org.maritzia.com/r...-women-over-45/[/url] and there are more.....the Visitation monasteries are not listed here that I could see and I know they take older vocations. I believe the Benedictines in Vermont - Monastery of the Immaculate Heart will also take vocations quite a bit older than you are now or will be in 3 years. The cloistered Benedictines in Petersham Massachusetts have an age range from 22-40. I believe they would discern with someone over 40 and I don't think they would be too stringent on the 3 years after conversion "rule". You've got choices. [/quote] NB The Benedictines in Westfield, VT have an age limit of 40yrs. and it's pretty firm - under 40, no divorces, no children. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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