oremus1 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Friends, I have the following superficial questions about nuns / sisters and convents. If you have any questions that are not deeply meaningful ones, please add them. No need to answer them all, please share your thoughts on any Q that interests you! 1) What is the youngest 'upper age limit' you have seen and for which one? I saw a few age 28. 2) Is it true that some convents have farms? can you name any, for those who love animals? 3) is it true that some convents butcher their own meat? 4) what is the most elaborate *current* habit you have seen? 5)what is the most simple habit you have seen? 6) do the look of the habits influence your opinion of the values of a community? for example, if they wore a black and white very crisp wimple and habit would you think them strict? or a loose 'sack' tied with a rope at the waist, would you think they had an emphasis on poverty? etc 7) what do nuns do for fun? 8) what would you miss most from 'the world' when you go in? 9) what would you take with you (if anything) apart from liturgical books and clean clothes? 10) any funny nun jokes or situations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maximillion Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Oh Oremus, how long do you want this post to be.......? :saint2: :hehe2: As I am into bumping my post count I will answer over a couple of posts - and give others a chance to chime in. Funny stories....oh yes, many of them. The youngest upper age limit I think I have seen is 25 but I don't know where.....I could be mistaken. In a way I hope so. Loads of communities have at least reasonable sized 'smallholdings' - less than a farm but bigger than an allotment. (You might like to look on Pinterest for the loads of photos of Sisters with their various animals, everything from hens to miniature horses.) And yes at least a few butcher their own meat, but I would say this was very definitely exceptional. I have to put my hand on my heart and say that now that I am no longer a nun or looking to enter, I do have feelings about habits. :blush: I really dislike the bunched look....a tunic tied round the middle. (Sorry!) I was also very sad that my community wore black. If I was discerning now I would find it hard to resist enquiring where the habits are colourful! Like the Nashies habit - though without the cape which to my mind is tradition only, not that there is anything wrong in that. Like the Children of Mary....those massively long veils. Jesus probably shakes His head at me wondering if He taught me anything at all about vanity! :hehe2: What WE did for fun? Licit or illicit? (Well you can't have a bunch of healthy active young women around without high spirits getting them into bother sometimes). Yes......licit. Sketches and skits, often poking friendly fun at the other Sisters. Plays, poetry making, music, singing, hikes through the forest. We once all dunked ourselves in the Seine - no that was illicit, ooops! Picnics on Sunday afternoons. Playing charades was a fav in my community and they were very good at it. Guess the Saint. We once tried to make candies on a camp stove in the night noviciate. My excuse was that they were to be as a gift for R Mother's feast day. We never did manage to scrape the burnt sugar off the parquet flooring, and Sr Household had me on my knees for months using every vile smelling concoction she could brew in her cave to try and remove it. My NM had me kneel in refectory for five meals holding the burned pan, and don't ask me what she did with the camp stove. She was amused though, I could tell. Yeah - that one almost got me demoted! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oremus1 Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 Maxmillion, that is so funny!!! oh dear, I am sure those nuns were laughing at you holding that burned pan!! re the habits, I love that bunched look, the tunic with he cord! I think it is only Franciscans who have that now. and a small number of carmelites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maximillion Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 :saint2: One time me and Sr M sneaked into the guest house and watched a late TV showing of the latest Frankenstein movie. It was pitch black coming back and I hadn't realised until then how creepy a cloister can be in a certain frame of mind. We never did that again. I can't recall what the penance was once I 'fessed up to Mother! I do recall it was something mind numbingly boring, like tidying the cupboard where we kept all the sheet music, and knowing that the following week it would be in a big mess once more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maximillion Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Of course I never did 'nuthin' like that once I was Professed........ :nun3: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oremus1 Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 oh dear maxmillon LOL you are hilarious. I always thought nuns look so serious. in fact I didn't even know they owned a tv. oh my!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maximillion Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 It was in the guest quarters............so were lots of stuff 'we' were not permitted. There were ALWAYS novices around there with some excuse. One of the things that attracted me to this community was that when I arrived for a stay, the first thing I heard as I went into the Enclosure was a gale of hearty laughter. "What? I thought they were silent?" I wondered. Turns out laughter did not break the Silence, though it was only meant to come from behind closed doors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AveMariaPurissima Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 What do nuns do for fun? Well, one time a few of us went to Disneyland. :nun: We even snuck in burgers in our pockets. :burger: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oremus1 Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 no way!!! why would nuns go to Disneyland??? how? where is that in the horarium??? what did you do there? what did mickey mouse do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maximillion Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 They prayed the LOTH on the roller coaster! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maximillion Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 This - from Summit. http://nunsopsummit.org/2014/07/professed-feast/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the171 Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 that nun doll in your avatar is hella creepy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cartermia Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Q 2&3 Abbey of Regina Laudis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veritasluxmea Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 As for farms... Yes, some convents, usually monasteries, have farm land and animals. Usually a garden, chickens, a dog, and sometimes even cows, goats, and sheep, depending on how much land they have and how long they've been established. The Caramelites in Alexandria, South Dakota have chickens, a garden, and a few dogs, and even goats in the past. I think they are working on getting a cow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truthfinder Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 There's a Carmelite convent in British Columbia that has alpacas. They also used to have donkeys, but these were more pet like, and they eventually gave them up, I believe (and not without some sadness). They still have a couple dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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