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Help for Discerning a Religious Vocation


InCordeRegis

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InCordeRegis

Hi Everyone!

I wanted to share this Go Fund Me page with all of you. A good friend of mine who is discerning a religious vocation, has put up this Go Fund Me page to help with the needed funds for a vocational discernment trip she hopes to make this summer and I know it would mean a lot to her if you could help by making a donation or adding her to your prayers!

https://www.gofundme.com/help-to-follow-god039s-calling

 

God Bless you!

To Jesus through Mary,

INCORDEREGIS

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This girl will have to travel to Italy, not New York.  Her expenses are going to be quite high.  Also, a young woman may not be in the position to really commit herself to a job if she knows she will be unavailable during this trip and perhaps enter this fall.  She also mentions her needs for the postulancy, which she would have to supply.  The amount is not ridiculous and certainly short of what she would actually need in total.  This is not the same as paying off someone's debts, which I do not support.

In saying that, I would, however, suggest to her the possibility of working for a temporary agency.  I did that in my younger years when I felt that I couldn't commit to a regular job, and it worked out great.

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InCordeRegis
18 hours ago, deusluxmea said:

Hey, not to be nasty, but is there some reason why she is not able to get a job? 

Please note, it doesn’t say on her Go Fund Me page that she is unable to get a job,or doesn’t have a job, but rather that she is working to earn the money and having garage sales and fundraising events, but does not have the needed funds for this trip and the basic things she’ll need, plus the trip there when she enters, and the essentials she’ll need to get for the postulancy, etc.…the amount she is asking for on Go Fund Me is much less than what the total cost of all of this will come to, which she would be unable to come up with, without the help of others.

8 hours ago, JHFamily said:

This girl will have to travel to Italy, not New York.  Her expenses are going to be quite high.  Also, a young woman may not be in the position to really commit herself to a job if she knows she will be unavailable during this trip and perhaps enter this fall.  She also mentions her needs for the postulancy, which she would have to supply.  The amount is not ridiculous and certainly short of what she would actually need in total.  This is not the same as paying off someone's debts, which I do not support.

In saying that, I would, however, suggest to her the possibility of working for a temporary agency.  I did that in my younger years when I felt that I couldn't commit to a regular job, and it worked out great.

Thank you! The things you pointed out were helpful and true. She is asking for help with much less than the amount needed for all that is listed, and the circumstances of traveling so far are different. I appreciate your charitable defense of my friend's request!:)

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I'm sorry but I don't think it's a good idea for people to ask for money like this on the internet. She should either raise money herself or ask family and friends. Even then it would be better if she could  raise the money by herself or go to a discernment event closer to home. 

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There are no discernment events closer to home if she feels called to this community.  What I don't think most people understand is that for people who attend the Tridentine Rite and wish to join a TLM (Traditional Latin Mass) community, there are not many choices.  It is a very hard predicament to find yourself in.  Some end up having to choose between the two, and that can be agonizing.  As far as I know, there is only one active Traditional community in the whole of the United States, and they are teachers.  It's the only choice.  This order that she is interested in is opening a foundation in the U.S., but it is not yet able to provide formation.  That must happen in Italy.  Among those of us that attend the Tridentine Rite, we understand the problems, thus we are willing to help any young person who wants to discern, whether we know them or not.  As a matter of fact, I find that most in this set of circumstances need financial assistance.  They are young, from large families, and have to travel long distances.   I have helped more than one young woman test her vocation, and I do not regret it, even if she returns home.

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I am still not comfortable with people trying to raise money through go fund me for this kind of thing.  Is there any reason why she cant get a job for a year and raise the money herself. Sorry but I've thought it over and I still dont approve of this way of going about things.   

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InCordeRegis

 

GraceUk, I understand your thoughts on this and I know there could be some worries about  raising the needed money online, but I also know there are a lot of others, who, like my friend are using Go Fund Me and have raised the money needed and gone to the Convent and with no issues from  raising the money they need in this way.

She would take more time to earn the money, but circumstances are lining up that this summer is the best time for her to travel there and discern with them...

As JHFamily noted, large families do not usually have the resources to help fund such trips and there aren't options closer to home if that is where she feels called, which she does. As well as there not being many active or semi-contemplative orders with the TLM like that here in the US...

She also doesn't have much family who can help her with this and most of her friends are in the same boat financially, large family on a single income, and have children going off to discern their vocations as well.

She does not have anything against waiting and earning the money herself, but in the situation she is in, she felt this would be the best way to try to raise the money she needs now to be able to go, besides what she is doing herself to earn money towards the trip. There are many others who use Go Fund Me for vocational discernment help as well. It is valid and a helpful means for financial help in our day and age.

Hopefully this made things a little clearer and easier to understand the situation she and other young discerners, who are in the same boat financially, are in.

I posted this to try and help a friend and am grateful  for the kind and helpful explanations given by JHFamily. Thank you!:)

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Thank you very much for explaining things. I'm sorry if I rushed to judgement. Here in the UK Go Fund me has had quite a lot of bad publicity from scammers and such and money collected not spent on ehat it was supposed to be spent on. But it certainly sounds as if your friend is genuine. I'm too distrusting of the internet perhaps.

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InCordeRegis

Your Welcome!:) And my apologies if I seemed harsh in my reply...

I understand, and that would cause more reason for concern about about online donation requests, with there being a lot of scams, people faking to get money,etc. on Go Fund Me in the UK...I guess I'm just kind-of defensive about it as she has run into enough people misunderstanding and thinking she is doing things too quickly, trying to avoid working towards it herself, etc. as they don't really understand her situation or that of other young discerners who are also in similar circumstances.

Thank you for your kind and understanding reply!:)

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My daughter entered Carmel at the age of 18 and loves her life.  Young vocations are a truly special gift that we have forgotten to treasure.

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That is lovely JFHfamily that your daughter entered Carmel so young and is very happy. I hope you don't mind me asking but did you have sny misgivings about how young she was before she entered. But it was the right thing for her.

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We had no misgivings whatsoever.  It had been apparent for a very long time that she was called to religious life.  Though she was young, she waited for many years and really prepared herself during that time.  I was more concerned that she was really of a Benedictine stripe, but I guess I felt that she knew what was in her heart better than her mother did.  In saying all that, though, the community told her to get a spiritual director when she was 16, and I think that really helped her understand why she felt called to Carmel in particular.

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Thanks very much for explaining things. It is great that your daughter had such wise guidance and people put their trust in God.

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