[angelofmary]

:topsy: Anyone know of any customs from community's :lol_roll: , Good topic I think!

I know Poor Clare's go bare foot in the confines of the Monastery.

[angelofmary]

Sorry Double Post :bump:

[Muus]

:getaclue:





:D

[InHisLove726]

I know the Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Renewal go barefoot when in a chapel for daily prayer. I've also seen photos with the Friars and Sisters barefoot during profession ceremonies. ;)

I also know that it is a primary custom (although others may do it) that the Carmelites use the phrase "Praised be Jesus Christ!" as a greeting, where the other person is supposed to respond, "Now and Forever!" I couldn't quite get the hang of this with the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus in East Chicago. There was one Sister that repeated it 3 times before I knew what she said. LOL! I felt so bashful afterwards. :topsy:

This post has been edited by InHisLove726: 17 June 2009 - 06:01 AM

[VeniteAdoremus]

Dude. Where to start?

First: not all customs apply to all communities, even within the same Order :)

Dominican nuns wear shoes! Not because they're not hard-core (they are) but because St. Dominic was asked to wear shoes while preaching, to tell him apart from Albigensian preachers. They used to be very strict about this, but nowadays some nuns and sisters wear sandals if they want to.

Dominicans sing the Salve Regina every evening after Compline (many others do too, nowadays), and serve the youngest friar/sister first at meals. (Both are traditions from the early days of the Order.)

Carmelites have an empty Cross (that is, without Corpus) above their beds to remind them that they should partake (love that word*) in Christ's crucifixion themselves.

Contemplative Sisters of St. John go to manifestations etc. to pray for those there. Even when they don't give a talk, and if applicable all through the night.

Most rosary-wearing religious wear it on their left side, because right-handed people would wear their sword there (for easy pulling).

*partly because it sounds like "pancake", I admit.

[FSM Sister]

Are you sure Dominicans always pray the Salve Regina after Compline? They might change with the seasons (like my Franciscan Community.)

We chant the Salve Regina during ordinary time.

There are quite a few Marian antiphons, actually, but in the Liturgy of the Hours, the four most widely used are sung after Compline (Night Prayer) according to the liturgical season.

Alma Redemptoris Mater (sung at from the first Sunday in Advent until Candlemas)
Ave Regina caelorum (from Candlemas until Wednesday of Holy Week)
Regina caeli (sung during the Easter Season)
Salve Regina (ordinary time)

[AbsconditaInDeo]

FSM Sister, on Jun 17 2009, 10:09 PM, said:

Are you sure Dominicans always pray the Salve Regina after Compline? They might change with the seasons (like my Franciscan Community.)

We chant the Salve Regina during ordinary time.

There are quite a few Marian antiphons, actually, but in the Liturgy of the Hours, the four most widely used are sung after Compline (Night Prayer) according to the liturgical season.

Alma Redemptoris Mater (sung at from the first Sunday in Advent until Candlemas)
Ave Regina caelorum (from Candlemas until Wednesday of Holy Week)
Regina caeli (sung during the Easter Season)
Salve Regina (ordinary time)

I'm almost positive that Dominicans always chant the Salve Regina after Compline. I know that during certain season like during Easter, they may add another antiphon like the Regina Caeli after chanting the Salve Regina. But yes, Dominicans always chant the Salve Regina after Compline. And I think most also chant the O Lumen (a hymn to St. Dominic) as well after the Salve procession.

[FSM Sister]

I'd ask my Dominican friend, but she's on retreat. Oh well!

[VeniteAdoremus]

They do :) ALWAYS.

And yes, the O Lumen too, although I don't know how widespread that is. My community does it. And during Eastertide they add the Regina Caeli, but nothing extra during Advent.

(You can see it in a bad video here - this was the feast of the birth of St. John last year, hence the cappas.)

[Noemi]

VeniteAdoremus, on Jun 18 2009, 09:27 AM, said:

They do :) ALWAYS.

And yes, the O Lumen too, although I don't know how widespread that is. My community does it. And during Eastertide they add the Regina Caeli, but nothing extra during Advent.

(You can see it in a bad video here - this was the feast of the birth of St. John last year, hence the cappas.)

Surely. Salve Regina+O lumen after Completory. I read an article about it... ;)

OSM always sing the half of the Ave Maria before all their community prayer (Liturgy of Hours) and even before Masses! They end the L.of H. with prayers in connection with Our Lady, Mother of Graces.

And when I go there, my first way should be: kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament. :)

In some convents they pray Ave Maria before meals. Some nuns also pray Ave Maria before writing a letter.

[the lords sheep]

Something unique to my future community is that novices only wear the white veil when at home. If they are out in public or doing any type of ministry, they wear the black veil. It goes back to their foundations when people in hospitals would refuse the help of the "white veils" because they were new. School children also wouldn't respect the "white veils" as much. So now, when they're out and about (especially during their mission year), novices sport a black veil.

[rosamundi]

FSM Sister, on Jun 18 2009, 03:09 AM, said:

Are you sure Dominicans always pray the Salve Regina after Compline? They might change with the seasons (like my Franciscan Community.)

No, we always say the Salve. St Dominic had a vision of Our Lady, St Cecilia and St Catherine of Alexandria. Our Lady told him "I am she whom you invoke every eve, and when you say, Eia ergo, advocata nostra, I prostrate myself before my Son, entreating Him to protect this Order."

Since then, Dominicans have always sung the Salve after Compline.

[VeniteAdoremus]

the lords sheep, on Jun 18 2009, 01:38 PM, said:

Something unique to my future community is that novices only wear the white veil when at home. If they are out in public or doing any type of ministry, they wear the black veil. It goes back to their foundations when people in hospitals would refuse the help of the "white veils" because they were new. School children also wouldn't respect the "white veils" as much. So now, when they're out and about (especially during their mission year), novices sport a black veil.

Oh, that's a really nice quirk :) I love the practical streak :)

rosamundi, on Jun 18 2009, 02:18 PM, said:

No, we always say the Salve. St Dominic had a vision of Our Lady, St Cecilia and St Catherine of Alexandria. Our Lady told him "I am she whom you invoke every eve, and when you say, Eia ergo, advocata nostra, I prostrate myself before my Son, entreating Him to protect this Order."

Since then, Dominicans have always sung the Salve after Compline.

And Our Lady gets a LOT of exercise.

Man I love her :)

[Noemi]

the lords sheep, on Jun 18 2009, 01:38 PM, said:

Something unique to my future community is that novices only wear the white veil when at home. If they are out in public or doing any type of ministry, they wear the black veil. It goes back to their foundations when people in hospitals would refuse the help of the "white veils" because they were new. School children also wouldn't respect the "white veils" as much. So now, when they're out and about (especially during their mission year), novices sport a black veil.

Wow, it's very similar to a Congregation - unfortunately it joined to another Congregation. :) The novices wore white veil at home and black in church. For first profession they got a silver ring, for final, they got a golden one. :)

[Maria_Faustina]

Poor Clares start their day at in the midnight hour. They rise to say Matins, and then go back to sleep, and then rise again for Morning Prayer! It's beautiful.
They also observe the Lenten fast year-round (that includes a perpetual abstinence from meat).
The superior of a Poor Clare community is an abbess, even if the convent isn't technically an abbey, or connected with an abbot.
...Franciscan joy is also a custom. :)

[philosobrat]

Among the Salesian Sisters, we have a lot of customs.

* Greet one another with "Viva Gesu!" responding with "Viva Maria!". This tradition goes back to St Francis de Sales, the patron of the Salesians. I believe that Don Bosco and Mother Mazzarello borrowed the practice from the Visitandines for us. ;) It is a reminder to us that we are to "Live Jesus!" and to be an image of God's love for all.

* We have a prayer that we say before we drive: "O Lord, may your blessing guide our way, defend us from evil, and keep us from harm." Then we say the Angel of God prayer and Mary, Help of Christians pray for us.

*On the feast of the Assumption we are given a practice for the year based upon one of Mary's virtues. It is supposed to be our "inheritance" from Mary at her Assumption! It is one of my favorite practices because the practice is always timely!

* Once a month the sisters meet with the animator (name for the superior in our Institute) to discuss where she is at and how she is doing with her health, community life, spiritual life, and anything else she wants to bring up or clarify. The old term for this is "rendiconto".

* The 13th (Mother Mazzarello), 24th (Mary Help of Christians), and 31st (Don Bosco) are observed each month with special dedications.

*Every evening the animator or someone in a leadership position with the community, gives something called the "Good Night". It is meant to be a 2-3 minute long thought about the coming day's Gospel or a reflection on the events of the day. Don Bosco intended it to be a way to help the young people and Sisters to go to bed with a "good thought". This tradition is alive and well and in Salesian school our Sisters do something similar for the young people in the morning assembly called the "Good Morning".

I could go on... but these are just a few. :)

[VeniteAdoremus]

I had no idea about any of those Salesian practices! My sisters have a before-drive prayer too, with a lot of guardian angels involved. But I don't think it's a Dominican thing (they didn't tell me, in any case).

I especially love the "Good Night". I got to study some of Don Bosco's works when I became a summer camp leader (required reading) and I really loved him... he has so many good, practical ideas. But this one wasn't in my reading, or I forgot.

Do go on. :D

[laetitia crucis]

philosobrat, on Jun 19 2009, 01:59 AM, said:

*Every evening the animator or someone in a leadership position with the community, gives something called the "Good Night". It is meant to be a 2-3 minute long thought about the coming day's Gospel or a reflection on the events of the day. Don Bosco intended it to be a way to help the young people and Sisters to go to bed with a "good thought"....

The SSVMs/IVE also do this, following Don Bosco's example. :thumbsup:

In addition, the SSVM/IVE...

- Have pizza every Friday night (or Saturday if there is a Friday evening apostolate and hence no time to make homemade pizzas). :eat:

- After blessing food, one shouts "Viva la Virgen!" To which all respond, "Viva!"

- Do not refer to each other by "Sister" when talking amongst themselves, but usually shorten their names or give each other "nicknames" as it is more "family-like". But in public, they will use the title "Sister" plus a proper form of their name to address each other.

- After a Mass of Ordination, Vows, or Investiture, or Major feast day they always have a huge feast after wards which includes a "show" for the guests put on by the sisters, brothers, and priests. This usually entails singing, instrumental pieces, and occasionally jokes and hilarious skits.

Hmm... :think: ... there are many more, but I shall refrain as time is short. :)

[VeniteAdoremus]

laetitia crucis, on Jun 19 2009, 08:14 PM, said:

- Do not refer to each other by "Sister" when talking amongst themselves, but usually shorten their names or give each other "nicknames" as it is more "family-like". But in public, they will use the title "Sister" plus a proper form of their name to address each other.

That one is so cute! There's a Sr. Maria Sterre der Zee (Mary Star of the Sea) and they call her "Sterretje", or "Little Star".

[laetitia crucis]

VeniteAdoremus, on Jun 19 2009, 02:17 PM, said:

That one is so cute! There's a Sr. Maria Sterre der Zee (Mary Star of the Sea) and they call her "Sterretje", or "Little Star".

I totally agree! :) Another sister I know goes by "Santo" (though her whole name is also an advocation of Mary), but as she is quite petite, they call her "Santito". ("Little holy one.") I love it! Ah! It really does make things feel more family-like. :grouphug: