The cloistered Dominican Nuns had the solemn profession of a young sister this past weekend in Buffalo. The house has two others in simple vows and two novices. They are expecting as many as four new novices soon. They seem to be the most traditional along with St. Jude's monastery in Marbury Alabama.

I used to go to their chapel when I lived in Buffalo in 99. Their chapel is beautiful. They're a beautiful community. I used to think about joining them.

Monasteries are filling up again. So cool.

I would cuddle with my weeble and wub to listen in on the Dominican novice mistress meetings (Sr. MC mentioned they have those every few years). All the mistresses sighing and weeping about their chock-full novitiates...

Thanks for the news, Vin

Thanks for the post Vin--you know, we have former phatmassers in both of the monasteries you mentioned--at least as of Christmas of '07, when Passionheart (now Sr. Veronica at Buffalo) and TheresaMF (now Sr. Jordan at Marbury) wrote me after I made donations to their monasteries. Good news all around!

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It's good to be reminded of some of the old pm'ers!

Cloister Outreach celebrates 20 years of existence this year. We are edified and humbled to see that our prayers and efforts are paying off.

Hopefully, once our own Cloisterites are founded, we'll hear about new foundations (of existing monasteries) being made soon afterward.

http://cloisters.tripod.com/cloisterites/

Blessings,
Gemma

I have been in communication with this Monastery, and have found the Novice Mistress to be one of the most welcoming and warm of all the Novice Mistresses I have encountered.

For those over 25, she was most welcoming and open to women of all ages, which is a refreshing testimony to true Christian values!

These nuns are great and consider older women only if you have NOT been married. Menlo Park Dominicans consider older women, married or not, or grown independent kids or not. Having not been married is a common requirement in almost all of the cloistered Dominicans I've found. Which is too bad.

Gosh, Laudem....I didn't know about that. I'm sorry for I wouldn't have posted about a community that makes restrictions in such a way.

It seems harder and harder to find American communities that live the traditional life, with the full and traditional habit, who are open to women over a certain age.

With that...I will start a new thread!

Just wondering, are they open to women who have been married and had their marriage annulled? I know that this is an big issue with many monasteries. Also have you considered looking at dominican monasteries in the UK? I have noticed that the UK is pretty open to women who had been married, older vocations and what not.

There are no Dominican monasteries in the UK; the nearest is in Ireland (and by that I mean the Republic). There are a few Dominican convents of sisters in the UK, though.

Double post sorry

Sometimes communities make exceptions even though their "required" age is listed as lower. I would encourage older women who are thinking of traditional Dominicans to look into St. Jude's in Marbury. Also, try the Cloistered Sisters of the Precious Blood in Watertown, NY. In any case, always let the sisters know. They may begin to change policies if they see more and more women interested, at older ages, while people are living longer.

The one in Ireland has a young novice and a sister in temporary profession

Their website states they "prefer" women from 22 to 40. But they don't say it's an iron rule anywhere.

You can find all the info here: http://www.dominicans.ie/siena/

This order, Sisters/Nuns of Perpetual Adoration state "Woman 18 years of age and older who are attracted by a life of Eucharistic Adoration and service may visit the convent for a day, experiencing firsthand the life of the Perpetual Adorer." So it looks like they have no upper age limit? They have a few monasteries in the US:

http://www.blessedsacramentmonastery.com/get.html - in Alaska
http://www.catholicanchor.org/archive06-17-05.html - article on Alaska nuns (scroll down little past half way)

http://adorejesus.org/english/ - San Fran, CA
http://www.sffaith.com/ed/articles/1997/1097gn2.htm - article on the San Fran monastery

Sisters of Perpetual Adoration - no website
2403 W Travis St
San Antonio, TX 78207
(210) 227-5546

http://www.perpetualadorationsisters.com/ - Sioux Falls, SD

Laudem Gloriae, thank you for that post. I had seen their website awhile ago, yes, their life really is beautiful.

From a letter I just received from novice Sr. Veronica (Passionheart) of this community: Sister Dominic Maria was the one who professed her solemn vows on March 31. The next Sister to make a solemn profession at Buffalo will be Sister Mary Faith, on Pentecost Sunday, May 11. It's good news for the life of this community!