"Saint Bernard Abbey

etsSporond 189 f8c9gmh: 80gAMua516mcta3061g4ff Mr32a0981fah9 ·

On the 21st [of March], during our celebration of the Transitus, we witnessed a beautiful milestone in the life of our community.

Please join us in congratulating Brother Raphael Ray (Lebanon, TN) and Brother Damien Jackson (Anniston, AL), who have officially professed their simple vows!

After completing their novitiate, these brothers now enter three years of the Juniorate. Here, they will dive deeper into the Rule of St. Benedict, living out the promises of stability, conversion of life, and obedience in the 'school of the Lord’s service.'

We also ask for your continued prayers for our new novices: Br. Nicholas, Br. Boniface, and Br. Gabriel.

Special thanks to Anne Stephens for capturing the quiet joy and peace of this sacred day in these photographs."

Here's the news release (posted on march 23rd) about the three new novices. Again, there are pictures on the Facebook page. 

"Saint Bernard Abbey

etsSporond 189 f8c1gmh: 83gPMua516mcta3061g4ff Mr22a2981fah1 ·

Last Saturday’s celebration of the Transitus of St. Benedict was a day of deep joy and gratitude for our monastery.

In the course of the liturgy, three postulants were clothed in the holy habit and entered the novitiate, while two novices made their next step, professing temporary vows and entering the juniorate.

In our way of life, a man first spends six months as a postulant, learning the rhythms of prayer and community. He then receives the habit and begins a one-year novitiate, a more intense period of formation in the Rule of St. Benedict. After this, he may profess vows and enter the juniorate, a three-year period of continued formation before solemn profession.

With the reception of the habit, the new novices also receive new names:

Austin Smith is now Br. Nov. Nicholas (after St. Nicholas of Myra, feast day December 6)

Timothy Boland is now Br. Nov. Boniface (Apostle to Germany, feast day June 5)

Michael Maddox is now Br. Nov. Gabriel (after the Archangel, feast day September 29)

With this, the monastery now has all three archangels represented: Br. Michael, Br. Gabriel, and Br. Raphael.

Please keep these brothers in prayer as they begin this new stage of monastic life.

(Photos: the new novices. Photos of the newly professed juniors will be shared soon—stay tuned.)"

I have been lurking on this phorum for quite some time and I appreciate the wise answers many folks here give. I'll get right to the point: I'm discerning religious life with an order, currently as an aspirant just staying with the community but have some concerns about their formation process - I have not received any clear answers on what it will be like. Which, I know some of that is normal and to be expected, but the reason I am concerned is that these fellow sisters shared THEIR formation experience back in the day and it is rather strict and frankly would be considered abusive by today's vocational standards (asking forgiveness for dropping forks, public humiliations for postulants who did not finish their food on time)...the only clear answer I've gotten is that I would be spending my formation abroad doing hard manual labor such as farming, butchery, singing, studying, praying and playing. The sisters have expressed to me that this formation process may be still strict as it was back in their day, but they can't confirm the details of that. I appreciate their efforts to tell me what they can, but a part of me is starting to feel suspicious. I also am noticing I don't feel like their prayer style is aligned with what I am looking for in an order. I don't want to be anti-cross and a complainer, but rather am looking for feedback to help me make the best decision :) I have been considering the Sisters of Life as well because their order is fantastically run and I hear nothing but great things about them. What do you think? 

This Carmel is one of the most conservative and traditional Carmels following the 1990 Constitutions.  This is a wonderful monastery and based on the photos I saw, they are of French origin Carmel (the habit is "French style") and still wears the alpargatas or hemp sandals.

I am sad to hear this news.  

I have heard some nuns explain it as a protection of their own stillness or the heart of prayer, because the cloister contains the indwelling of the Trinity and we must protect it like a ribcage protects the heart. However, this explanation has served only to suggest that my loved ones are a threat to my relationship with God or that they are unwanted, and this is certainly not the case.

I also recognize that this struggle that my discernment causes my family might just be a cross that the Lord would like me to bear. 

Advice or no advice, please pray for my family and me in this discernment journey!

https://saintvincentarchabbey.org/vocation-office-come-and-see-july-9-10-11/

What Is Velocity?

Velocity is defined as the rate of change of displacement with respect to time. In simple words, it tells us how quickly an object changes its position in a specific direction. For example, saying a car is moving at 60 km/h is a statement of speed, but saying it is moving at 60 km/h toward the north is a statement of velocity.

Velocity vs Speed

The key difference between speed and velocity lies in direction:

Speed is a scalar quantity, meaning it has only magnitude.

Velocity is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction.

Because of direction, an object’s velocity can change even if its speed remains constant, such as when a car moves around a circular track.

Types of Velocity

There are several types of velocity used in physics:

Uniform velocity: When an object moves at a constant speed in a straight line.

Variable velocity: When either speed or direction (or both) changes.

Average velocity: Total displacement divided by total time.

Instantaneous velocity: Velocity of an object at a particular instant of time.

Importance of Velocity

Velocity plays a crucial role in everyday life and scientific studies. It is used in transportation, sports, engineering, space science, and many other fields. Understanding velocity helps engineers design safer vehicles, athletes improve performance, and scientists predict the motion of planets and satellites.

Conclusion

Velocity is more than just speed—it is speed with direction. By combining magnitude and direction, velocity provides a deeper and more accurate understanding of motion. Learning about velocity builds a strong foundation for studying physics and helps explain how and why objects move the way they do.

If you want, I can also write this article in simple language, exam-oriented format, or SEO-friendly style.

I am considering a Carthusian vocation. I only speak English so am only considering Transfiguration in the USA and Parkminster in the UK. Does anyone have any experience with either of these places? I have discerned with Benedictines and loved the freedom of the religious life but was drawn to the Carthusian charism, so I am not going in completely blind.

Pax

-God bless!

I've been discerning religious life (being a sister) for some time now and I'm finally scheduled to meet with a sister from the community I really love on Tuesday to ask questions and learn more. Buuuut I'm kinda impatient or at least want some second opinions on some questions I have. Also if there's anything else I should ask, I'd appreciate advice. 

So... 

What "affairs" does someone need to deal with in order to enter the convent (medical, financial, educational)? How many convents should I visit, or should I visit other convents even if I have my heart set on this one? When do I start telling other people about exploring religious life, especially outside of my immediate family? Is there a chance of me being sent to another country, should I join the community? What kinds of things can I do now to prepare me for religious life?

Thanks for helping out and any other advice or guidance is appreciated. 

PS- I'm looking into the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration in Mishawaka, IN.

https://fscc-calledtobe.org/2026/04/10/catholic-women-20-40-you-are-invited-discernment-of-spirits-retreats-in-the-madison-and-green-bay-dioceses-in-april-and-may/

Learn St. Ignatius’ 22 Rules of discernment enabling you to understand how God’s speaks to you and make wise and holy decisions.

I am in great need of recommendations for cloistered convents that celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass in its Extraordinary Form.  These communities seem to be few and far between nowadays, so any suggestions are welcome!  I'm particularly interested in Benedictine or Carmelite spirituality, but am open to others as well!

Just a girl in love with the Lord & the TLM :)

God Bless!

https://fscc-calledtobe.org/2025/06/09/houston-young-woman-called-to-be-franciscan-sisters-novice/

"For me, it means that all preconceived ideas and my whole life must be left behind for something better. I cannot force myself into the type of Sister I want to be. I can only allow myself to be guided by the Holy Spirit.”

Here's an rather extensive newspaper article, printed in the Colorado Sun but written by a freelance journalist. It includes some good information about the history of the place, the monks' work in contemplative outreach, the sale of the property, the new owner, and so forth. 

https://coloradosun.com/2026/01/27/saint-benedicts-monastery-closes-old-snowmass-aspen/

I am discerning the consecrated life. One question I haven’t been able to find an answer to is: If you enter an order that has houses in multiple locations, do you get to choose which one you go to? For example if one house is in America and another is in Italy, can you choose which country you end up in?

Maybe it just depends on the order? I thought it worth a try to ask.

Thanks in advance.

My background: I come from a non-denominational, culturally Christian family. I never felt much attachment to my faith, and after a series of deep personal struggles as I was entering into my teenage years, I began to consider myself agnostic. During my senior year of high school, I became interested in Catholicism, which I consider a mercy shown to me by the Blessed Mother -- the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the equality of all people before God, was incredibly touching to me. From there I became fascinated by Catholic Social Teaching. The idea that Christians have a moral obligation to provide food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, hospitality to the stranger, clothing to the needy, care to the sick, and so forth was foreign to the Christianity in which I was raised. I loved it, and for the first time I experienced true faith. I knew with all my being that the Gospel was true, and that the words contained in it had become incarnate in Jesus Christ, who offered himself up to death on the cross out of love for humanity. I felt such a strong sense of God's presence that I couldn't pray without crying tears of joy.

I would have started RCIA that year, and the thought of having to wait eighteen months before I could be baptized and received into the Church was agonizing. But I decided the most prudent thing to do would be to wait until I went off to college; at this point, I had no idea how my parents would react if I told them about all of this, and I was honestly worried that they would think I had gone crazy. I prayed for the grace to persevere, and thanks be to God, I did. I went through RCIA at my university parish, making great friends and meeting so many faithful young Catholics serious about the faith. I was officially received into the Church at the 2024 Easter Vigil.

Throughout this time, I also felt attracted to religious life. I would spend hours lost in research about different orders and communities. It’s like this irresistible magnetic pull, and ever since Easter it’s gotten stronger. The plans I once had for my future – finishing my degree, going on to grad school, and becoming a researcher – now look like mere straw to me. I prayed to God and told Him that I was His if only he would give me the courage to enter religious life. 

Right now, it’s summer break, so I’m living at home. Unfortunately, that means I don’t have access to my university parish and daily Mass, adoration, guidance from priests or pastoral counselors, etc. I’m using this time to try to strengthen my prayer life and come up with a plan for discernment. So far, this is what I have:

1. Now–End of Summer: Pray, continue to learn about religious life, research communities and make a short list of those I want to visit

2. Fall semester: Talk to priests at the university parish (it’s run by Dominicans, so they know a thing or two) and go to the community for support/advice. Start going on discernment/vocation retreats.

3. Spring 2025–Spring 2026 or 2027: Keep visiting communities, maintain contact with them, and hopefully discover which one I’m being called to. Finish degree and begin aspirancy/postulancy. 

Practically and financially speaking, I think this is completely feasible. My school gave me a generous scholarship package, so my tuition and living expenses are covered. On top of that, I have a work-study job with a stipend that has allowed me to save up ~$5,000 just in my first year, and I’m working a decently-paying job this summer, so I will be able to afford traveling to visit different communities. I started college with a lot of transfer credits from high school, so I can finish my degree in three years and graduate early. Alternatively, If my spiritual director or community decides it would be best to wait and graduate in four years to allow more time between when I entered the Church and when I enter religious life, that would not be a financial burden thanks to my scholarship.

Really, the biggest obstacle I can see for this plan is that I’m so worried about how my parents will take this news. They were surprised when I told them I was converting in August of 2023, but they came around pretty quickly. They’re cordial about it, and they’ll ask me how Mass went when I get back from church on Sundays, my mom offered to get me a rosary as a baptism gift (by that time, I had already amassed a small army of them LOL), things like that. 

But coming from a thoroughly Protestant background, they have pretty much zero frame of reference for religious life. I’m worried they’ll react to it as if I were planning on joining a cult or a commune or something. And I’m worried they’ll think I’m throwing away my potential: they know I previously had dreams of becoming a researcher and doing what I could to make the world a better place. I conceive of religious life as a direct expression of that desire to help people, but I don’t know that they’ll see it that way. I don’t want them to feel like I’m abandoning them. The community I feel most drawn to right now would allow me to go home for two weeks a year. But we’re a pretty tight-knit family, and I’m worried they’ll think that’s not enough. On top of all that, I have no idea how I would even approach all of this with my extended family, who are largely Baptist and in which there are zero other Catholics.

No matter what happens, I’m determined to start seriously visiting communities and discerning if/where I might be called this year. But I want to make this as painless for my family as possible. I love them and I know they want what’s best for me; the question is, how do I help them understand that religious life might be just that? I would greatly appreciate any advice you all might have. Thank you so much and God bless you all! <3

Book on Religious Vocation

December 2, 2025 With profound joy and gratitude to God, I am pleased to announce that the Holy See—through the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life—has granted permission for the establishment of a Discalced Carmelite Monastery in Northern Cooke County, Texas, in the Diocese of Fort Worth. This decision, confirmed by the favorable vote of the Dicastery and the permission of the President of the “Christ the King” Association of Discalced Carmelite Monasteries in the U.S.A., marks a moment of extraordinary grace for our local Church.

This foundation, the Carmel of Jesus Crucified, will be a place where the beauty of contemplative life radiates outward into the world. Through prayer, silence, work, and sacrifice, the Discalced Carmelite nuns will accompany the faithful and intercede for the needs of our communities.

New Discalced Carmelite Monastery to be established in the Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas - The Catholic Travel Guide:

The six nuns will come from Carmelite monasteries connected to the Christ the King Association of Discalced Carmelite Monasteries….a federation of Carmelite monasteries across the country. Along with those nuns are expected to come two women in formation for religious life, he said.

The Monastery will begin its life in Texas with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, scheduled for December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, at a temporary monastery location.

I would like to ask you what do you think about transferring. I am an active sister (already final vows for some years) and I am thinking about transferring in an enclosed order, because I felt drawn to the contemplative Lifestyle, the enclosure ecc. since the beginning of my discernment for RL. The desire was always there but it wasn't the time to follow it and I guess I wasn't mature enough. 

I find it very difficult from a moral point of view because of my taken vows. I know that the vows are given to God… but I let alone my congregation, so I feel plenty of guilt and especially shame. 

I am curious what do you think about it and if you know sisters, who transferred "succesfully". Unfortunately I heard that in most cases such transferring didn't go well, and I also guess that very few communities accept the decision in a healthy way, in the sense that they badmouth the transferred member.

So I am curious about your answers.