14 replies to this topic

[curiousing]

Hi everyone,

(I really hope it's ok to post topics like this in the Phorum...)

I do vocations research, and I am looking for religious sisters or brothers who would be willing to be interviewed for about an hour about their experience of God's call to their religious vocation. I'm having quite a difficult time finding volunteers, and frankly, I'm starting to freak out, because this is my thesis project. I'm pretty sure Phatmassers include some religious, so if any of you religious out there know of a community in the Eastern U.S. that might have some willing interviewees, I would REALLY appreciate a referral. There are a few criteria that interviewees must meet:

1) Must be in an order that is faithful to the Magisterium of the Church.
2) Must be American. (No offense to anyone. It's just that cultural diversity seriously complicates scientific comparability and so makes analysis a major headache.)
3) Must have taken final vows. (Another comparability issue.)

I live in Virginia and am willing to travel up to 10 hours away for interviews. I need 7 more contemplative/cloistered interviewees and 15 more active-order interviewees. If I get each of these all in one house, that would be totally amesome (and way cheaper in gas!).

I prefer religious sisters, but will be very happy to receive referrals to communities of brothers and even to priests or seminary students.

Thank you very much!
curiousing

[the171]

I wish I could help, but I'm still a wee little aspirant. Prayers that you get your interviews! Have you called up the communities in your diocese?

[Byzantine]

If it wouldn't mess up your studies to interview sisters of the Byzantine Rite, I would bet that Mother Theodora of Christ the Bridegroom Community in Burton, OH would be willing to help.

[NazFarmer]

I know that there are a lot of religious orders in the NE section of Washington, DC who may be willing to be interviewed. Off the top of my head there are: Poor Clares, Benedictine monks (priests and brothers), Franciscans of the Holy Land, and at least two other orders that I can't remember the name of. The area is called 'The Little Vatican' because of how many religious live there. Since you live in VA, you might want to give that area a try. If you google 'Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in DC' you'll find where the area is. You could probably e-mail one of them and ask what other orders live in the immediate area (there are a LOT).

Joe

[maximillion]

You might like to post this in Vocation Station too............

[Deus_te_Amat]

Drive to Nashville and interview the Dominicans?

[the171]

HA, there's enough. Problem solved.

[Amppax]

DtA beat me to it. Yeah, post this in VS, if there are any orders near you (and I'm sure there are) they'll know about them.

[BigJon16]

Them people know more about religious communities than Google...

[EmilyAnn]

Them people know more about religious communities than Google...

VS is the Google of Catholic vocations.

[curiousing]

I wish I could help, but I'm still a wee little aspirant. Prayers that you get your interviews! Have you called up the communities in your diocese?

[Sigh] There are only two communities in my diocese! One of them I interviewed. The other won't respond. I'm branching out into surrounding states now.

God be with you on the path to vows!

[curiousing]

If it wouldn't mess up your studies to interview sisters of the Byzantine Rite, I would bet that Mother Theodora of Christ the Bridegroom Communityin Burton, OH would be willing to help.

It would. I have to keep the backgrounds as similar as possible for this study. But I am keeping a list of Byzantines for possible comparison at the PhD level, and I didn't know of this community, so thank you very much! (There are some Byzantines in Sugarloaf, PA, too, if you're interested: http://www.byzantine...carmelites.com/.)

[curiousing]

I know that there are a lot of religious orders in the NE section of Washington, DC who may be willing to be interviewed. Off the top of my head there are: Poor Clares, Benedictine monks (priests and brothers), Franciscans of the Holy Land, and at least two other orders that I can't remember the name of. The area is called 'The Little Vatican' because of how many religious live there. Since you live in VA, you might want to give that area a try. If you google 'Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in DC' you'll find where the area is. You could probably e-mail one of them and ask what other orders live in the immediate area (there are a LOT).

Joe

I did not know about this, but I have contacted a lot of communities in DC, so I've probably hit most of them. Some of them are cloistered. Why in the world would anyone put a cloister in the middle of a city? I guess that's where they need prayer the most. ;-)

Thanks, Joe!

You might like to post this in Vocation Station too............

Ah! Will do! Thanks!

[curiousing]

Drive to Nashville and interview the Dominicans?

Wrote them already. Awaiting a reply. I contacted 43 communities today alone...

[Deus_te_Amat]

Wrote them already. Awaiting a reply. I contacted 43 communities today alone...

Alright. They are in the middle of their general chapter, but I'm sure they will respond once things settle down a bit.