Why Is There A Lack Of Information

[Sarah147]

In response to the original post, it's just awful. A parish I went to even listed in there to contact the vocation person for my Bishop's office, and after I did so, they were pretty clueless as to how to help. They didn't recommend much, and the places they did suggest weren't all that good. Not much of direction/guidance, etc.

There was a sheet in another parish that had a slip, where you fill out "interested in sister/priest/brother/deacon/etc." and send it off. They sent some recommendations for some not so good places.

So, I've learned to stick to the guidance of good spiritual directors, phatmass, and my own intuition/God's guidance. I'm for Traditional places, habit, 20s/30s, faithful to the Holy Father, etc. I've run into some very laid back, untraditional places; a place that busied themselves too much and were falling from the original rule, as I saw it; as well as some "we think we're holier than the Pope" places; so, I'm learning the right balance. It takes a lot of discerning, talking, visiting, reflecting--for me anyway.

Edited January 30, 2011 by JoyfulLife

[Totally Franciscan]

JoyfulLife's post was very true. I cannot stress enough how important it is to ask questions and a lot of them. I had an extremely bad experience with a community that on the outside seemed very holy, very well balanced, yet there were "secrets" on the inside that I didn't know of until I entered. On the inside, those "secrets" were made to look like a positive rather than the sinful negative that they were. Those under solemn vows never contradicted the powers that be under the name of obedience. The bishop eventually shut the community down, and those under solemn profession scattered to the wind. Very, very sad. Please be extremely cautious about any community. Phatmass is a wonderful entity whereby one can ask for information of various orders from people who have been in those communities or know them very well.

[franciscanheart]

[quote name='Digitaldame' timestamp='1296406275' post='2206712']
... but we're not Vocation Sisters ...
[/quote]
What do you mean by that? I'm lost...

[Digitaldame]

[quote name='hugheyforlife' timestamp='1296452388' post='2206937']
What do you mean by that? I'm lost...
[/quote]
In the UK there used to be a Congregation of Sisters who devoted themselves to providing information about different religious orders and congregations. They were called Vocation Sisters and did their best to help discerners find the right place. I don't think they exist any more. Because our web site is fairly user- friendly, we get a lot of general questions about vocations, including vocations to active Congregations which we're not qualified to answer. Didn't meant to be cryptic!

[franciscanheart]

[quote name='Digitaldame' timestamp='1296480021' post='2206984']
In the UK there used to be a Congregation of Sisters who devoted themselves to providing information about different religious orders and congregations. They were called Vocation Sisters and did their best to help discerners find the right place. I don't think they exist any more. Because our web site is fairly user- friendly, we get a lot of general questions about vocations, including vocations to active Congregations which we're not qualified to answer. Didn't meant to be cryptic!
[/quote]
Ooooohhhh. Well that makes sense.

[Studiumecclesiae]

If they carry on like that, the crisis will go worse and worse. It's exactly the same in my diocese. The religious life is inexistent, [i]VOCATION[/i] only means to priesthood, there are leaflets about it but nothing about the Religious Life and the vocation director would "ignore" my phonecalls, my messages to be in contact with him and get some help for discernment.

The Internet is a blessing, and Phatmass, and all sorts of yahoo groups, and religious communities websites, but it remains hard to find a spiritual director who would understand us and not take us for lunatics who are mad about God and have no sens of sensibility.

[LaPetiteSoeur]

[quote name='Studiumecclesiae' timestamp='1296572841' post='2207399']
The Internet is a blessing, and Phatmass, and all sorts of yahoo groups, and religious communities websites, but it remains hard to find a spiritual director who would understand us and not take us for lunatics who are mad about God and have no sens of sensibility.
[/quote]

In my diocese, they are really trying. I know they are. I work for them! Oy! But I think for a long time (and still today) so many dioceses are worried about priests...

I've also been incredibly blessed to have two campus ministers (one a sister, the other a deacon) who are incredibly helpful and understand discernment in general. Also, I've got a great pastor and a sister at my church (less traditional, but still amesome) who have been great. I wish everyone had the same people I did helping them out!

And yet, sometimes I still feel alone. That's when I log onto Phatmass! Being a young woman who is seriously discerning (and hoping to enter, at some point, anyway) is so countercultural.

Hopefully, the diocesan websites will catch up with us and the burst in vocations.

If you're looking for a good spiritual director, what about asking your pastor for help?

Dieu vous benisse, and merci everyone--for being there in my (our) discernment(s).

[Jennifer G.]

Our archdiocese has a link on their website for vocation information, but it's just a contact list (with some websites), including ones with a nun or sister that's from the archdiocese - most of which seem to be teaching, nursing, community, or missionary work.

[Studiumecclesiae]

I can't ask my pastor to help me because I am rather traditional and my diocese is the opposite. I believe a modern priest can't understand what I yearn for.
I tried many times and it only "damaged" my aspirations, my mind, my soul.
Nuns are inexistent in my diocese. None would wear a religious habit. It has a strong influence on my discernment, I just feel very depressed.

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='Studiumecclesiae' timestamp='1296636181' post='2207709']
I can't ask my pastor to help me because I am rather traditional and my diocese is the opposite. I believe a modern priest can't understand what I yearn for.
I tried many times and it only "damaged" my aspirations, my mind, my soul.
Nuns are inexistent in my diocese. None would wear a religious habit. It has a strong influence on my discernment, I just feel very depressed.
[/quote]


I know how you feel. We have active Sisters in our diocese but they are non-traditional communities with no habits as well. We only have one order that wears the habit, but it's a very small community and I don't see them very often because there are probably only 3 or 4 Sisters.

When I asked for a spiritual director, I was referred to a Sinsinawa Dominican Sister within the diocese who was commissioned as the Delegate for Women Religious and Spiritual Coordinator. However, I took one look at their website and knew that it wouldn't work. When I was discerning, I was looking for only habited communities because that's what I felt called to. The Sister ended up becoming ill and a lay person took the Spiritual Coordinator position at the Church, so I was out of options. I finally found a priest who was willing to do it, but I ended the direction about a year in because I felt I wasn't learning very much from him.

[Studiumecclesiae]

Yea, same for me. and since i've been to the UK it's worse because there's no more liberal country. In France we had vocation groups we could talk about it, girls and boys together. Here in my new parish in England, nothing at all.

In France there's a website for vocations with a map of the country and there is a "Vocation Office" in each and every diocese and you can have a word with the ones running it. It's not like Come and See because they don't promote a specific religious order. But still there were some Xavierian nuns who would run it and promote their own order.