Mixed Order?

[InHisLove726]

Does anyone know of an order that is both Carmelite and Franciscan? I'd be very interested to check it out. I know that the Sister Servants of the Eternal Word is combined Dominican and Franciscan, so I was wondering if there was anything of the sort for someone drawn to both Carmelite and Franciscan orders?

Thanks in advance!

[FiereMargriet]

I don't know if a trip abroad is in the cards, but off the top of my head I know the [url="http://tiberiade.be/"]Tiberiade[/url] community (named after the Tiber river). I encountered them in Belgium, where the language of the community is French (although if you visit many do speak English), but they also have houses in France, Lithuania, and the Congo. Their chief patrons are SS Therese of Lisieux and Francis of Assisi. They are VERY contemplative but have an apostolate of hosting retreats for families and youth--I believe they also run some university dorms in Belgium.

They are a "co-ed" community, with both brothers and sisters. I went there on a retreat with a Lithuanian exchange student friend of mine, and while I could tell that it wasn't where I was called, I have nothing but fond memories of my time there. Their one postulant (a young woman) seemed very eager to make a foundation in America, so who knows? I'd try contacting them and maybe they'd know other communities with a similar spirituality.

[FiereMargriet]

Oh, and I should mention how they live both spiritualities--from my knowledge, they live the simple life of St. Francis (their grounds are beautiful, like a fairy-tale village), but try to practice the "Little Way" of St. Therese. A very good combination, in my opinion! Even if I am a Dominican!

[FiereMargriet]

edit: double post

Edited June 19, 2009 by FiereMargriet

[InHisLove726]

[quote name='FiereMargriet' post='1895534' date='Jun 18 2009, 09:34 PM']I don't know if a trip abroad is in the cards, but off the top of my head I know the [url="http://tiberiade.be/"]Tiberiade[/url] community (named after the Tiber river). I encountered them in Belgium, where the language of the community is French (although if you visit many do speak English), but they also have houses in France, Lithuania, and the Congo. Their chief patrons are SS Therese of Lisieux and Francis of Assisi. They are VERY contemplative but have an apostolate of hosting retreats for families and youth--I believe they also run some university dorms in Belgium.

They are a "co-ed" community, with both brothers and sisters. I went there on a retreat with a Lithuanian exchange student friend of mine, and while I could tell that it wasn't where I was called, I have nothing but fond memories of my time there. Their one postulant (a young woman) seemed very eager to make a foundation in America, so who knows? I'd try contacting them and maybe they'd know other communities with a similar spirituality.[/quote]

You are kidding?!?? I was thinking earlier that it would be incredible to have an order with both St. Therese and St. Francis as the patrons of a Carmelite and Franciscan order! I was watching St. Therese's biography on EWTN earlier today and felt overwhelming awe at the Carmelites again. It's so hard to give one up for the other.

I was also thinking of the kind of habits they would have, and I imagined a bluish grey (like the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal), with a Franciscan cord, and a Brown Carmelite scapular draped over the top. They would wear veils as well.

I imagined their name would be something like:

Sisters of St. Therese and St. Francis

or

Franciscan Sisters of St. Therese

I don't know if I have it in me to make a new foundation, but I'd be open to it. I hear so often that people are drawn to both spiritualities. Only what God wills!

Edited June 19, 2009 by InHisLove726

[InHisLove726]

I'll definitely look into the order you listed, though! That's neat that someone has though along the same lines as I have.

[Gemma]

[quote name='InHisLove726' post='1895549' date='Jun 18 2009, 10:47 PM']You are kidding?!?? I was thinking earlier that it would be incredible to have an order with both St. Therese and St. Francis as the patrons of a Carmelite and Franciscan order! I was watching St. Therese's biography on EWTN earlier today and felt overwhelming awe at the Carmelites again. It's so hard to give one up for the other.

I was also thinking of the kind of habits they would have, and I imagined a bluish grey (like the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal), with a Franciscan cord, and a Brown Carmelite scapular draped over the top. They would wear veils as well.

I imagined their name would be something like:

Sisters of St. Therese and St. Francis

or

Franciscan Sisters of St. Therese

I don't know if I have it in me to make a new foundation, but I'd be open to it. I hear so often that people are drawn to both spiritualities. Only what God wills![/quote]

[url="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Founders_and_Friends/"]http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Founders_and_Friends/[/url]

Sign up for this group--we have regular conferences on making new foundations.

Sounds lovely--please be open to its development.

Need rule, constitutions, horarium, formation program, novitiate, remunerative work, stable source of habit parts and four persevering members before one can get a bishop's approval. Running straight to the bishop with the idea is very premature--the charism has to develop, and be lived.

Blessings,
Gemma

[InHisLove726]

[quote name='Gemma' post='1895557' date='Jun 18 2009, 09:56 PM'][url="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Founders_and_Friends/"]http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Founders_and_Friends/[/url]

Sign up for this group--we have regular conferences on making new foundations.

Sounds lovely--please be open to its development.

Need rule, constitutions, horarium, formation program, novitiate, remunerative work, stable source of habit parts and four persevering members before one can get a bishop's approval. Running straight to the bishop with the idea is very premature--the charism has to develop, and be lived.

Blessings,
Gemma[/quote]

I honestly believe it would be a worthwhile endeavor. I do have the entrepreneurial spark in me and I always thought it would be quite interesting to start an order that has roots in both Carmelite and Franciscan spirituality. I don't want to do it unless Jesus asks me, though. Maybe I should jot these ideas down on paper with collective ideas as they come to me.

I imagine that the order would be active/contemplative and would serve both the poor (since St. Therese wanted to be a missionary, and St. Francis loved the poor), and be contemplative. The horarium would not be too difficult, but I think I'd have trouble writing a rule and doing the other necessary things.

We'll see. I'll pray about it, but I still want to discern with the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal.

[Maria_Faustina]

This thread really makes me smile. An order like that would be simply amazing. If it was God's Will. Of course.

[InHisLove726]

If God wills it in to being and gives me the idea, I imagine He will give me the graces necessary to do what needs to be done. It would be something to have a new order, but I've read about the process and it can be very tedious, very daunting work. All for the glory of God, though, right?

I do have some ideas (more than what I wrote here) and I'm trying to picture the order. Right now, they are just ideas, and I'm not even close to certain that it could happen, but it COULD happen. Like I said before, I am open to the possibilities.

[In The Arms of The Lord]

Oh WOW! What a beautiful idea! Just trying to imagine it sounds so beautiful; the habits, and the kind of schedule with both of the spiritualities. Maybe this is why the Lord put it in your heart to have a strong pull to both. I love your trust in the Lord, may you always have that strong trust in Him. I will keep this in my prayers for you.

Edited June 19, 2009 by In The Arms of The Lord

[InHisLove726]

[quote name='In The Arms of The Lord' post='1895851' date='Jun 19 2009, 06:27 AM']Oh WOW! What a beautiful idea! Just trying to imagine it sounds so beautiful; the habits, and the kind of schedule with both of the spiritualities. Maybe this is why the Lord put it in your heart to have a strong pull to both. I love your trust in the Lord, may you always have that strong trust in Him. I will keep this in my prayers for you. [/quote]

I think Jesus might be giving me a glimpse of what the future holds today on the Feast of the Sacred Heart (my most precious and favored devotion). If so, I hope I can follow Him with all the faith in the world.

"Oh my God! I love You!"--St. Therese

[FiereMargriet]

Glad I could help you! It's always so lovely to dream about founding an order. I don't know if God is calling me to do that, but sometimes I still like to think about it. And if you feel called to do so...by all means, do so! As you've said before, the Franciscan and Carmelite spritualities are really so beautiful together. (The habit sounds marvelous.)

I was just looking in the Phatmass archives, and I found this community as well: [url="http://www.littlesistersofstfrancis.org/"]the Little Sisters of St. Francis[/url]. Calling themselves "little" sounds very Theresian to me. It looks like they also give retreats. (I LOVE your idea about working with the poor. I always felt that if I were to join or found an active community, I would want to work in homeless shelters/soup kitchens.)

[InHisLove726]

[quote name='FiereMargriet' post='1895890' date='Jun 19 2009, 09:31 AM']Glad I could help you! It's always so lovely to dream about founding an order. I don't know if God is calling me to do that, but sometimes I still like to think about it. And if you feel called to do so...by all means, do so! As you've said before, the Franciscan and Carmelite spritualities are really so beautiful together. (The habit sounds marvelous.)

I was just looking in the Phatmass archives, and I found this community as well: [url="http://www.littlesistersofstfrancis.org/"]the Little Sisters of St. Francis[/url]. Calling themselves "little" sounds very Theresian to me. It looks like they also give retreats. (I LOVE your idea about working with the poor. I always felt that if I were to join or found an active community, I would want to work in homeless shelters/soup kitchens.)[/quote]

I was looking at the Little Sisters of St. Francis a few weeks ago. They are beautiful! Very Marian as well.

I've been 'having visions' of the order (I don't really refer to them as visions but I don't know what to call them) for the past few nights, and I started jotting the ideas down this morning in a little notebook. Something COULD happen from all this, but I am frightened about the idea of starting something completely new. I'm a bit of a chicken, anyway! But at Mass this morning, I offered it up and promised Jesus that if He wanted a new order, He would get one (all for the glory of God!), but please give me the graces to do it, otherwise, I'd run away with my tail between my legs!

Please continue to pray for my discernment. I am still considering the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal very strongly, so I am not really sure which way to go. I've got a job interview next week, and it's a job I really want (and NEED) and I hope I get it so I can make some pilgrimages and sort all these ideas out. I'd love to go to Assisi, Lisieux, and Ireland. In fact, if I am called to make a new foundation, I'd love to have a foundation in Ireland. It's becoming so secularized over there that God needs a loving presence amongst the people in the form of servants. I'd be honored and humbled to take up the cross if He gives it to me.

[Maggyie]

[quote name='InHisLove726' post='1895949' date='Jun 19 2009, 12:28 PM']I was looking at the Little Sisters of St. Francis a few weeks ago. They are beautiful! Very Marian as well.

I've been 'having visions' of the order (I don't really refer to them as visions but I don't know what to call them) for the past few nights, and I started jotting the ideas down this morning in a little notebook. Something COULD happen from all this, but I am frightened about the idea of starting something completely new. I'm a bit of a chicken, anyway! But at Mass this morning, I offered it up and promised Jesus that if He wanted a new order, He would get one (all for the glory of God!), but please give me the graces to do it, otherwise, I'd run away with my tail between my legs!

Please continue to pray for my discernment. I am still considering the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal very strongly, so I am not really sure which way to go. I've got a job interview next week, and it's a job I really want (and NEED) and I hope I get it so I can make some pilgrimages and sort all these ideas out. I'd love to go to Assisi, Lisieux, and Ireland. In fact, if I am called to make a new foundation, I'd love to have a foundation in Ireland. It's becoming so secularized over there that God needs a loving presence amongst the people in the form of servants. I'd be honored and humbled to take up the cross if He gives it to me.[/quote]

Honey I hope you don't think I'm raining on your parade But don't worry about founding a new order right now. It's fun to daydream about it, but put the notebook with your ideas away for now, in a place where you can always come back to it. It would be great to visit the Franciscan Sisters! But just keep things informal, casual with them. At the present moment I think you should just enjoy your life and the prospect of an exciting new job! Just relax and take life slowly... the lady who runs my Bible study once told me when I was getting myself worked up, "God is never in a hurry and neither should you be." Good advice! If God is calling you to found a new order or enter religious life He will still be calling in a year or two Enjoy the day that He has given you!