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The Benedictine Daughters Of Divine Will


Feankie

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www.benedictinesofdivinewill.org is the website of the new religious order founded by Mother Gabriel Marie, formerly Sister Mary Catherine, PCPA (OLAM monastery) Their website is up and running and they've already posted 2 newsletters. The best news of all is they have a new postulant! So that makes 3 professed sisters and 1 postulant in Italy.

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TheresaThoma

I read their most recent newsletter and I just have to say their postulant's entrance ceremony was pretty razzle dazzle. To have it be at the tomb of a saint especially one closely linked to your community, that is amazing!

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Guest Little Flowers

These are beautiful women but I don't know if it's prudent to name a community after a very controversial unapproved set of private revelations... potential discerners should have full-knowledge of this.

[url="http://www.unitypublishing.com/Apparitions/A%20Divine%20Will%20Conversation.htm"]http://www.unitypublishing.com/Apparitions/A%20Divine%20Will%20Conversation.htm[/url]


[left][font="Times New Roman"][size="3"]"As for the status of the writings with the Holy See, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith affirmed the following in a letter to EWTN of 4 October 2003,[/size][/font][/left][indent]
[left][font="Times New Roman"][size="3"]The writings of Luisa Piccarreta have not been judged by this Dicastery: as such they enjoy neither the official approbation, nor the official condemnation, of this Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In fact, they are currently being studied, by reason of competence, by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, after this Servant of God, [i]independently of the content of her writings[/i], received the [i]nihil obstat[/i] of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith regarding her cause for beatification. [/size][/font][/left]
[left][font="Times New Roman"][size="3"]As such, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith makes, at this time, no pronouncement on the writings in question."[/size][/font][/left][/indent]
More at: [url="http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/luisa_piccarreta.htm"]http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/luisa_piccarreta.htm[/url]

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I agree, Little Flowers. Looking at their website made me feel a bit perplexed, because it all seems so - jumbled. A Benedictine community, founded by someone who was formed as a Poor Clare, which is centred on the writings of Luisa Piccaretta? Was she a Benedictine in her spirituality? How do all these parts agree?

I will pray for the community as they grow, but I think it's important to remember that it is quite a special vocation to be called to a newborn community and it's nothing something that anyone should go into lightly.

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AccountDeleted

[quote name='beatitude' timestamp='1331339966' post='2398430']
I agree, Little Flowers. Looking at their website made me feel a bit perplexed, because it all seems so - jumbled. A Benedictine community, founded by someone who was formed as a Poor Clare, which is centred on the writings of Luisa Piccaretta? Was she a Benedictine in her spirituality? How do all these parts agree?

I will pray for the community as they grow, but I think it's important to remember that it is quite a special vocation to be called to a newborn community and it's nothing something that anyone should go into lightly.
[/quote]

I was actually fascinated by their apparent change from Franciscan to Benedictine as well. Mother Miriam (Rosalind Moss) did a similar thing, having done her formation at the Visitation (St Francis de Sales spirituality) and then changing to Benedictine. It may be that starting a new community is easier if it is done following the Rule of St Benedict, I have no idea, but it does make me curious.

And I agree, joining a new community isn't an easy thing and should be entered into only after careful consideration and the help of a spiritual director. I didn't listen to the advice I was given about this, and I learned the hard way. It does seem to be a special calling to follow a living foundress, and to join a community when it is very new.

I wish them all the best.

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You're right anyway I see that Luisa Piccaretta received spiritual direction by st Annibale Maria Di Francia and this makes me think they may be valid.
Of course prudence is needed but they seem quite genuine.
And I think they are Benedectine because suggestion of the bishop that reveiced them or some sort of similar thing.

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Mother Gabrielle Marie (their foundress, formerly Sr. Mary Catherine, PCPA) had Fr. Jacques Daly, a prominent Domincan, as her spiritual director in Italy. I think that he, perhaps, helped "bring out" the Dominican facet of the order's spirituality. I agree that after spending so many, many years as PCPA with its Franciscan charism, it would be a bit difficult to transition to the Dominican way of life. Sr. Mary Rose was also a PCPA for 7 years, so she's probably been on a learning curve as well. The other new professed member came from New York as a laywoman, and the new postulant is from the U.S. as well. I just received a long email from the sisters the other day, and their plans are to stay in Italy until and unless the Lord leads them back to the States.

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AccountDeleted

[quote name='Francis Clare' timestamp='1331393107' post='2398656']
Mother Gabrielle Marie (their foundress, formerly Sr. Mary Catherine, PCPA) had Fr. Jacques Daly, a prominent Domincan, as her spiritual director in Italy. I think that he, perhaps, helped "bring out" the Dominican facet of the order's spirituality. I agree that after spending so many, many years as PCPA with its Franciscan charism, it would be a bit difficult to transition to the Dominican way of life. Sr. Mary Rose was also a PCPA for 7 years, so she's probably been on a learning curve as well. The other new professed member came from New York as a laywoman, and the new postulant is from the U.S. as well. I just received a long email from the sisters the other day, and their plans are to stay in Italy until and unless the Lord leads them back to the States.
[/quote]

Are they also trying to be Dominican? I assumed that since Benedictine was in their name, they were trying to live the Rule of St Benedict. The Dominicans are different charism yet again. :unsure:

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My mistake!!!!! Yes, they [u][i][b]are [/b][/i][/u]Benedictine. I was just reading about a Dominican priest and lumped it all together in my brain!. So sorry for the confusion. :giveup: This has been a day of confusion all around on my part. They are definitely Benedictines.

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I also received a very nice email from them after I sent my best wishes and prayers. It appears to me that they are happy, prayerful and genuinely willing and anxious to bring on other vocations. If only I were younger and more adventurous, I would join them and start a community of Brothers. I have prayed for them from the time I heard of their venture. In following EWTN and the Sisters, I always felt drawn to Sr. Mary Catherine (now Mother Gabrielle)...she always appeared holy and devoted. This of course is just from observation while praying with them and hearing her speak on a couple of occasions.

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If you go to the OLAM website and click on new features, then go to monastery news, you'll find an update of both the community and Sr.s Mary Catherine and Margaret Mary (who is now a hermit). I think they had so many people asking that they finally had to post an answer.

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InPersonaChriste

[color=#800000][i]As many of you know, in 2009 the Holy See asked Sister Mary Catherine and Sister Margaret Mary to take sabbaticals of at least two years. Some of you have been asking about their plans now that the sabbaticals have come to an end.[/i][/color]
[color=#800000][i]Sister Mary Catherine requested and received from the Holy See a full dispensation from her vows. Therefore she is no longer a nun of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery. She is living in Italy, where she plans to remain permanently. She has founded a group of women who are now what is called a "public association of the faithful" under the auspices of the Bishop of the Diocese of San Marino/Montefeltro. The group hopes eventually to become a religious community.[/i][/color]
[color=#800000][i]Sister Margaret Mary is living as a hermit under the direction of the contemplative Carmelite monks of Wyoming. With the approval of the Most Reverend Paul A. Etienne, Bishop of Cheyenne, she has asked for and received permission from the Holy See to continue to pursue this way of life for the foreseeable future. She remains, however, a nun of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery, with our full support.[/i][/color]

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