I was recently thinking about why some orders, like the Nashville Dominicans, the Legion of Christ, and others are flourishing with those wanting to enter.

The answer is because they are really authentic. They are orders that are truly what the Religious LIfe is.

I know in my dioceses there is one sister house that hasn't had any new vocations for my 35-40 years.

This order stopped wearing the habit a long time ago. And why don't they get vocations? Because in a sense they are not authentic religious life, not the ideal community.

Your thoughts?

Peace,

Eddie Lee

I agree...I think many of the young people looking into a vocation to the religious life want to live the life authentically. If they are going to live it, they want to do it all the way. I think there are those who want to "water down" the Faith and religious life.-But many would want to embrace the Faith in it entirety if only they were presented with the Truth. And I think that that is what many of the flourishing orders are doing. They are staying faithful to the Church and Holy Father, they are wearing the habit...etc

we are looking for stability and an adherence to the truth that is unheard of to some people.

Orthodoxy is big.

I don't really feel sorry for the orders that aren't making it. That may sound harsh, but as we have seen those that are true live on. God tests some with trials yes, but if they maintain the vision they do very well.

And they are just plain cool as well.

I know several communities in my area and while it is true that our local Poor Clares community is flourishing and there is a trend towards communities in habits. I don't think habits are the primary source for this.
I do believe that authenticity of the community does play a part though. I know of two communities I would think of on either end of this spectrum. Both are non-habited communities. One, though has women who wish to enter is refusing any new vocations (they have decided that it is time for them to turn out the lights). The other community is thriving because they have more easily changed with the times and are willing to change and grow.
Also it appears that the life expectancy of any given community (observation by religious I have discussed this with) is normally about 200 years. There are very few communities that last beyond that, and they are very special!

Young people today do not want half-hearted Religious Life, which has often resulted from the tragic misinterpretations of Vatican II. In the wake of the 60's, when seminaries and convents went "bad" in some areas, we had the magnificent John Paul II remind us "do not be afraid", and constantly urging authentic Catholicism. Young people listened, and now they're not going to settle for being half a priest, or half a nun, or half a brother. They want the fullness of the Religious life, and I think that's why authentic Orders have survived.
And I think that after Vatican II, even though there was a vocation crisis, it was for the good, because half-hearted Orders have died, and truly beautiful, authentic Orders have flourished and been born. That may not have happened had the young people not had to choose between habit and no habit, true poverty and pretend poverty, virtue and vice, etc.

Grace is not cheap.
People WANT to give their life to something bigger and better than they are.
We want to belong here, so in the end we can belong there.


Those orders who have de-volved to "catholic and ...." are thankfully dying off. Those orders who make God their primary purpose and have a clear sense of purpose and a clear identity are flourishing.

I didn't join the Peace Corp because it was easy

Heterodoxy is contraception for the religious life.

You know, I never thought of it that way, but it's true!

I am in agreement with everybody. I just can't stomach Catholicism with all the junk mixed in. There are orders that don't wear habits that are healthy, but they are few and far in between. If I enter religious life, I don't want to say, "Christ, I will give you most of me and my life." I want to say, "Here I am. I give myself totally to you."

In St. Louis, you practically grow up with all kinds of the older Sisters, and you come to realize that most of them aren't bad. There are the wacky ones though.

I love my order because there is no wackiness--just orthodoxy!

Orthodoxy brings vocations. It's as simple as that. Young people don't want a religious life that is watered-down or "easy"; they want the real deal.

i agree!

Exactemonde!