During my 14 yr vocation journey (due to waiting til the kids grew up! Yes, God called me back then and has prepared me quite well), I have had many women ask about who would take them at this "old" age and then I have seen many women call in on EWTN shows like "Life on the Rock", "EWTN Live" and the older "Mother Angelica Live" shows asking about older vocations and I had been surprised by the hosts answers as they either didn't know or had very little info on where the women could go. I would think they could have someone reasearch this and have a link or section on their EWTN website for this reason - for women and men.

I have been written to by a few orders (after an initial inquiry by me), that I should go join a lay order or given names/addresses/links to very liberal, no habit, no structured orders who would take older vocations - and this AFTER telling them of my call to full habit, traditional orders!

Anyway, in case there are any newcomers or recent members not knowing where to look or feeling there's no hope to enter a good traditional, full habit order that is inline and keep their founders ideals, here are some women who answered God's call and were lovingly accepted by a wonderful order.


Here are some links from the Office of Vocations from Toledo, OH. This main page link - http://www.toledovocations.com/women-in-fo...-formation.html - shows all the women's pictures. If I remember correctly, all the women in the black/white postulant habits are the Visitation postulants and then the full habit of b/w are the Visitation novices. The links below are some I just picked out - I didn't pick all of them. Some of these women are 59 & 70 and are novices! How wonderful!

I am assuming as the Visitation mentioned is the one in Toledo, as it's a Toledo site, but there are other Visitations that keep the founders (St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal) original idea and reason for the Visitation that older women and women with other problems be admitted to the Visitation (of course as long as they had a vocation and could live the Visitation life which wasn't based on physical austerities).

http://www.toledovocations.com/women-in-fo...tina-honor.html
http://www.toledovocations.com/women-in-fo...e-spangler.html
http://www.toledovocations.com/women-in-fo...thy-schulz.html
http://www.toledovocations.com/women-in-fo...er-kermode.html
http://www.toledovocations.com/women-in-fo...debbie-uhl.html
http://www.toledovocations.com/women-in-fo...e-golisano.html

Will they all persevere? Maybe, maybe not, or they may be called to other orders or an active order. But as some priests and Mother Abbesses/Prioresses have told me, just as many young as older vocations leave and don't persevere or go to other orders or discovered they did NOT have a vocation and it has NOTHING to do with age.

This is wonderful to see. Mature women can bring a great deal to a convent or monastery. We young whippersnappers don't have a monopoly on divine blessing.

I wouldn't join a convent with only young women. I think. Not that I have -that- much to say in where I'm going, but...

Two of my standard questions are "What is the age limit" and "What do you do with older sisters?" If the older sisters move to a home, I wouldn't like it... because a) they belong in their convent, where their vocation lies and b) we need their life experience, and for that we need them around!

The Tyringham Visitation also has a full habit. The Snellville GA has a full habit; unfortunately, they don't seem to have a website, but have links which show their abbess in a full headgear.

The Brooklyn Visitation is getting a lot of vocations and they seem to have a full habit--once again, I don't think that they have a 'full' website!

Some of the visit. houses have shortened the habit a little, I think for reasons of safety! Too easy to trip, partic going up or down stairs.

All of the "First Federation" of the Visitation wears the full habit given by the founders. One of the Toledo sisters told me that after VatII, the fullness of the sleeve was the only thing changed--more like a long-sleeved shirt sleeve now.

The "Second Federation"--I have Georgetown, D.C., and Brooklyn listed on my website. Both have modified their habits to be more "business-like." The rationale, I think, was similar to the St. Cecilia Dominicans changing their postulants' garb to vest-and-skirt from dress-and-cape. One aspirant told me vest-and-skirt looked more "professional."

Here is my website:
http://cloisters.tripod.com/

I have all of the First Federation and the aforementioned two houses of the Second Federation listed. The Second Federation has closed a lot of monasteries since VatII. The demise of one of the West Virginia convents is documented in "Breaking Silence" by New Day Films. This videotape is going to be part of our Cloisterites' novitiate training.

Pax et bonum to PM VS.

Blessings,
Gemma

Here's two links for the Snellville, Georgia, Visitation nuns:

A blog that featured them: http://kellywegelphoto.blogspot.com/2007/0...astic-life.html

Their diocese bulletin, Georgia Bulletin, has had many articles on them. This link is to an article that has pictures on them and their work of baking altar breads: http://www.georgiabulletin.org/local/1999/06/03/h


Here's a lovely story on a nun professing vows in the Toledo Visitation: http://www.toledovocations.com/myblog/i-as...whole-life.html

I agree and I pray to enter a community that keeps the older sisters with them, but as a nurse for 15 yrs and most of those years in nursing homes, I can understand and see where there are some times or certain cases when there is no other choice but for an order to send a sick, elderly nun/priest/monk to a religious nursing home. Of course it would also depend on the number of sisters in the community, their age, etc. There are some diseases, conditions, etc. that couldn't be taken care of by the sisters - especially if there are few of them or most being older and elderly themselves. Especially if the sick nun was heavy and had transferring to a bed or wheelchair, turning for diaper changes or wound care to the bony prominences on the hips and bottom if the sister couldn't be turned well. There's just so much involved with time, medicine, supplies, equipment for a sick person and it's even a trial in a nursing home!

Then there is also the problem if a sister was to get Alzheimer's, senior dementia, senility, or other mental problems the elderly can get and turn a quiet, non-violent person into a combative, swinging, hitting, etc. patient! I don't know how many monasteries have or could afford a visiting nurse for some things if there was no former nurse among the sisters. But the sisters who aren't really bad and can be kept in the monastery, they definitely should be.

I pray to God I don't get that sick and go fast when it's my time so I won't be sent to a nursing home if I did get very bad!!!

Dear Mary,
You are so right about the sad need to put some of the older sisters into the caring hands of professionals.
Thank you for posting all of this great information about the Visitations! They have a wonderful charism.
And...just for a bit of levity...how can one NOT just love that habit!?
TradMom

Marysfriend,

Glad to hear someone other than just myself has that tape.

If you wish to PM or email me, please do so.

Blessings,
Gemma

LG,

One of the apostolates (requested by the cloistered nuns) that our proposed Cloisterites will eventually have is the "Brothers and Sisters Ministries"--a cloistered nursing home.

Blessings,
Gemma

+

That is awesome! I didn't know there still were Visitation sisters, who wore the full habit and lived community, etc. here in the US. We have Vis sisters in MN, but they must be second federation...

There are also a couple recent threads just about orthodox communities that accept older vocations!

God Bless!

Just thought I'd post here, there's a Visitation Monastery in Stamullen, Co. Meath, Ireland, which is a foundation from the Snellville, GA Visitation. Besides their address, I could only find these few lines about them online,

I bet they're a lovely community though.

I just love the Visitation nuns too. The blog from the Washington monastery is awesome. They seem to have such an authentic life, filled with sisterly charity. Thanks for mentioning them again!!!!

As I am writing Mother Mary Bernard of the Toledo Visitation (and hope to visit), she sent me in the mail a few weeks ago a letter and a page that has a picture of 2 novices who where just newly professed with their new names and the mention of upcoming First Professions and a Solemn Profession on these sisters (ages given are from the Toledo Vocation's website and the sisters are probably older now):

Sr. Noel Faustina, who is 59 yrs old, (see [ http://www.toledovocations.com/women-in-fo...ina-honor.html )://http://www.toledovocations.com/wome...na-honor.html ) will make her Solemn Profession on September 6, 2008.

Sr. Connie, who is 70 yrs old (see http://www.toledovocations.com/women-in-fo...-golisano.html )://http://www.toledovocations.com/wome...golisano.html ) made her First Professions and is now called Sr. Josepha Maria.

Sr. Kathy, who is 56 yrs old (see http://www.toledovocations.com/women-in-fo...hy-schulz.html) made her First Profession and is now called Sr. Maria Gabriela.

Sr. Debbie, whose age isn't given, (see http://www.toledovocations.com/women-in-fo...ebbie-uhl.html) will make her First Profession on September 14th - the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.


On First Profession, the Visitandine gets the silver cross they wear around their necks. The pictures the newly professed sisters on the Toledo Vocations site shows them WITHOUT this cross, but in the picture Mother Mary Bernard sent me, they ARE wearing the cross. Their smiles of pure joy are something to behold!

UPDATE:

Try this link for Sr. Noel Faustina to my above post: http://www.toledovocations.com/women-in-fo...tina-honor.html

OK another UPDATE:

If you want to see these Visitation postulants and novices I posted, COPY the link to your browser and erase the ( ) - parentheses! I usually try to leave spaces before and after them but forgot in that post! Sorry!

LOL, no problem. Here we go

Thanks, Margaret, can I hire you as my secretary and write my posts for me! lol!

Hey!

I've found a website that lists many orders and their website within different states that consider women ages 45+. Here's the site: http://www.consecrated-life.org/over_45.htm

I know they may not all be traditional so if anyone decides to take a look you may have to pick through them.

This is a good list but has to be updated. The following are monasteries/orders I have contacted and say they DO NOT consider past 35 or 40 yrs of age and others have other problems as stated below:

Carmel of Mobile, AL - not past 35 or 40

Visitation of Frederick, MD - has closed, sisters gone to various other Visitations

Indianapolis Carmel - closed

Benedictine Monastery of St. Gemma, Greenburg, PA - not taking past 40 (or their stated limit) - contacted these
sisters last year



The rest I don't know about as they are either of no interest to me, wear a modified or no habit or are too liberal for me. People should still contact them because it wouldn't be the first time a monastery said no to an older age to one woman and yes to another!

Actually, that's St. Emma's Benedictine Monastery. St. Gemma was a Lay Passionist.

Blessings,
Gemma

Does anyone know, are there any Visitation monasteries in England, or anywhere else in the UK?

There is at least one, as far as I'm aware. I can't find a website, and I make no guarantee as to how up to date this information is.

In reference to my early post with links to the Toledo Visitation sisters clothing, first vows, etc., their Novitiate sent me a lovely letter with pictures and a brief paragraph written by each novice on her vocation, etc. and about the little family of ducks that visited them and their chapel!

I also noticed that the same sisters I mentioned in the other post are mentioned in an updated page of Toledo Visitation's web site under "Monastic Musings". It gives the recent first vows and the upcoming ones and Solemn Profession of Sr. Noel Faustina (link given in other post).

Go to: http://www.toledovisitation.org/musings.htm