17 replies to this topic

[FuturePriest387]

So, as most of you know, a while ago (Wow, that was a triple rhyme!) I called the Franciscan Brothers Minor. As stated in the thread, I was very nervous about it as I stutter, but when the call came, my speech was pretty okay, and my conversation with Brother Fidelis Maria was the best I have ever had with a vocations director. We talked for about fifteen minutes, and he basically wrote down all of my private information. I figured that he would be like other vocations directors and not talk to me unless I called him. However, today proved that false. He called me, and I was completely speechless. I was caught completely off-guard. I had to re-compose myself after the initial shock, and I was completely confused. I didn't even know vocations directors would call you after a while to see how you were doing. He asked me about my prayer life, if I was reading anything, how my discernment was going, etc. It was sort of ruined because my house phone kept messing up, and after a few times of trying to talk he gave up and didn't try to call me back, but it really makes me happy to know that there are vocations directors that really do care and will call to check up on you.

Sorry if I bored you, I just needed to share my shock of the year.

[InPersonaChriste]

That is wonderful!

[Lil'Monster]

That is avvesome!!!

[Kayte Postle]

Great to hear!!

[BarbaraTherese]

Really great news! You could always ring him back if still interested in the Franciscan Brothers Minor and explain/apologize for the bad phone connection, it happens - or write surface mail, email.

[Immanuel]

I'm very happy for you Those are the kind of shocks that are great to receive!

[Queen'sDaughter]

The Franciscan Brothers Minor are the best!




Edited because I realized that the Bennies are. But the Brothers are a close second!

Edited by Queen'sDaughter, 08 March 2012 - 03:57 PM.

[andibc]

Wonderful! I would follow that call up with an old fashioned letter, just a friendly one thanking him for the call and responding to some of his questions.

[AuthorOfMyLife]

I'm very happy for you! Thank you for sharing this.
By the way, I stutter, too (especially when I am nervous), so I sympathize with you.

[FuturePriest387]

I did call him again today. I explained to him that I was having a bad connection yesterday, but I felt I should call him to explain further, and to ask a very important question. I anticipated it the entire day, and when it came time to call him, I breathed slowly and calmed myself down, I prayed, and then I called. I was so calm and I had it all planned out, and had a perfect plan on how not to stutter. Unfortunately for me, he didn't answer that time or the time after that. Instead, he called me back when I was completely off-guard again. I did well at first, but it kinda got bad in the middle. I don't really care though because he understood and all was well.

But really, Brother Fidelis Maria is a very great vocations director. He and a Salesian I talked to are a model for all vocations directors.

[Indwelling Trinity]

This is amesome FP! My contnued prayers for you!

Edited by Indwelling Trinity, 08 March 2012 - 11:10 PM.

[BarbaraTherese]

Re your post HERE - I am so very happy for you. When I read that your calls back were not answered by Brother Fidelis Maria as you had hoped .......... and then that he called you back and totally unexpectedly on your part, I thought to myself "Aint the Holy Spirit grand!" - Our God of The Surprise. Wonderful news and thank you very much for sharing. My prayers are with you daily also in both petition and thanksgiving!.............Barb

[FuturePriest387]

Re your post HERE - I am so very happy for you. When I read that your calls back were not answered by Brother Fidelis Maria as you had hoped .......... and then that he called you back and totally unexpectedly on your part, I thought to myself "Aint the Holy Spirit grand!" - Our God of The Surprise. Wonderful news and thank you very much for sharing. My prayers are with you daily also in both petition and thanksgiving!.............Barb

Honestly, I could've done without the surprise. I was having a really hard time speaking.

[BarbaraTherese]

I really am sorry to read that the surprise was not a happy one and presented difficulties. I hope you can take some consolation knowing the Brother FM is now aware of the problem you can have and is staying in contact with you nontheless - that it does not seem to be presenting any sort of an impediment and if in doubt, you can always ask him. Being a good Vocation Director, I am sure that if your speech problem was some sort of impediment to entering the FBM, he would have let you know.
If during your conversations with him you had spoken outstandingly without any problems, you might now be wondering if his attitude would remain the same once he became aware that you could have problems with speech.

Do you think it might be a good idea with Brother aware of your problem to ask him outright would it be any sort of impediment to the Franciscan Brothers Minor and your entering the Order? The response would put your mind completely at rest I hope. Contacting a Vocation Director can be an anxious time and I am sure that Brother is aware of this.

[FuturePriest387]

I really am sorry to read that the surprise was not a happy one and presented difficulties. I hope you can take some consolation knowing the Brother FM is now aware of the problem you can have and is staying in contact with you nontheless - that it does not seem to be presenting any sort of an impediment and if in doubt, you can always ask him. Being a good Vocation Director, I am sure that if your speech problem was some sort of impediment to entering the FBM, he would have let you know.
If during your conversations with him you had spoken outstandingly without any problems, you might now be wondering if his attitude would remain the same once he became aware that you could have problems with speech.

Do you think it might be a good idea with Brother aware of your problem to ask him outright would it be any sort of impediment to the Franciscan Brothers Minor and your entering the Order? The response would put your mind completely at rest I hope. Contacting a Vocation Director can be an anxious time and I am sure that Brother is aware of this.

I told him about this the first time I spoke with him, as stated in my original thread. It isn't usually a problem, and it's not as if I can't fix it. I just need some classes to help me is all. King George VI stammered and he was still able to be King and deliver speeches. In fact, he was a much worse case than I am. Besides, this would definitely not be a problem for any Religious Community. If this was going to stop me from entering a Community, that Community should really question its eligibility requirements. It's not as if I can't speak, I simply hate talking on phones, as phones are very difficult for me, which is characteristic for people that stammer. If I knew him in person and was able to speak with him personally it wouldn't be half as bad. Last August at the Midwest Catholic Family Conference I spoke to tons of people (Religious in particular) and I didn't have a problem.

[BarbaraTherese]

I told him about this the first time I spoke with him, as stated in my original thread. It isn't usually a problem, and it's not as if I can't fix it. I just need some classes to help me is all. King George VI stammered and he was still able to be King and deliver speeches. In fact, he was a much worse case than I am. Besides, this would definitely not be a problem for any Religious Community. If this was going to stop me from entering a Community, that Community should really question its eligibility requirements. It's not as if I can't speak, I simply hate talking on phones, as phones are very difficult for me, which is characteristic for people that stammer. If I knew him in person and was able to speak with him personally it wouldn't be half as bad. Last August at the Midwest Catholic Family Conference I spoke to tons of people (Religious in particular) and I didn't have a problem.

I am afraid my short term memory is not good which is why I did not recall what you wrote in your opening post. Over 35 years on psychiatric medication plus my now 66yrs has left a mark.

Very happy to read that any speech problem that may present itself is no impediment to religious life you seek. I hate talking on phones too - the telephone for me is for making appointments only. I just can't sustain a long telephone conversation and prefer a personal meeting. I would never be one to isolate in any way a person with some difficulty in life - I suffer Bipolar Disorder. Thankfully and very thankfully indeed it has rarely been troublesome over the past ten years. But this no reason to hold that it wont be in the future.

I am just happy to read that all is unfolding well for you.

[FuturePriest387]

I am afraid my short term memory is not good which is why I did not recall what you wrote in your opening post. Over 35 years on psychiatric medication plus my now 66yrs has left a mark.

Very happy to read that any speech problem that may present itself is no impediment to religious life you seek. I hate talking on phones too - the telephone for me is for making appointments only. I just can't sustain a long telephone conversation and prefer a personal meeting. I would never be one to isolate in any way a person with some difficulty in life - I suffer Bipolar Disorder. Thankfully and very thankfully indeed it has rarely been troublesome over the past ten years. But this no reason to hold that it wont be in the future.

I am just happy to read that all is unfolding well for you.

Oh, don't worry about it. I simply want you to know that he has been well-aware of the problem since I first called him. He senses a problem and asked if I had asthma or something, and so I explained and he was fine from then on. I'm sure if this affects my eligibility he would've told me right then.

Well, according to my book phone calls are no longer to be avoided, especially on my worst days. How fun.

Thank you. It's not quite unraveling, as I still need to discern between them and the Diocesan Priesthood, but I'll hopefully know at some point in my life.

[BarbaraTherese]

^{God's blessings on your discerning between religious life and the diocesan priesthood.}