Update From The Lockport Dominicans

[TheresaThoma]

You might remember these Sisters from this video
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJRbB0Oahls&feature=related[/media]

I was watching it again and wondered how thing were going for then. A quick Google search turned up their blog with this post from Jan 1, 2012
[quote]We, the cloistered Dominican Nuns of the Monastery of the Heart of Jesus, have chosen to withdraw from social media and primarily to use "snail mail" correspondence. This decision is part of our Community’s return to the traditional expression of Dominican monasticism as per [i]Summorum Pontificum[/i] (2007) and [i]Universæ Ecclesiæ[/i] (2011).
Therefore, this Xanga (blog) account will henceforth be inactive.

Vocational inquiries and prayer requests may be sent to the address listed below:
DOMINICAN NUNS
Monastery of the Heart of Jesus
155 Church Street
Lockport, Louisiana 70374-2552
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA[/quote]

[InPersonaChriste]

Yes I saw that!

[DameAgnes]

Did we ever find out if St. Therese (was that her name on the forum?) was invested?

[MargaretTeresa]

I have been told that the Lockport Dominicans are not in line with the church. Their bishop has told them they are not allowed to take any transfers or postulants. He does not recognize them.

This was told to me by someone who is discerning a Dominican contemplative vocation. I'm trying to find any such documentation but nothing yet.

[inperpetuity]

[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominican_Sisters_of_the_Heart_of_Jesus"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominican_Sisters_of_the_Heart_of_Jesus[/url]

There is nothing on the diocesan website about them.

[EmilyAnn]

I love that video. Except she stole my name. Sister Mary Agnes is MY name!


As to their communion with the Church, the website for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux lists several sisters from the Dominican Monastery of the Heart of Jesus under it's directory of clergy-religious. So I would assume they're okay.

Edited January 10, 2012 by EmilyAnn

[Sarah147]

Edited January 10, 2012 by JoyfulLife

[TheresaThoma]

[quote name='MargaretTeresa' timestamp='1326149169' post='2365913']
I have been told that the Lockport Dominicans are not in line with the church. Their bishop has told them they are not allowed to take any transfers or postulants. He does not recognize them.

This was told to me by someone who is discerning a Dominican contemplative vocation. I'm trying to find any such documentation but nothing yet.
[/quote]
I did some more investigation on this. It turns out they are in the diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, After a bit of searching I managed to find the two professed sisters in the diocese's religious directory [url="http://www.htdiocese.org/ClergyReligious/ClergyReligiousDirectory/tabid/55/Default.aspx"]http://www.htdiocese.org/ClergyReligious/ClergyReligiousDirectory/tabid/55/Default.aspx[/url]
I doubt if there were any issues with the Sisters that they would be listed there. If anyone has any solid evidence to contrary please correct me.

[krissylou]

This question seems to come up a fair amount.

I have no personal knowledge myself, but from what has been said before, they are "not real Dominicans" -- they follow a Dominican charism but because they're so teensy (or something) they aren't formally part of the Order of Preachers. They are a Diocesean community, aspiring to be incorporated into the Order of Preachers once they grow a bit more.

[SNJM]

This is the appropriate person to contact regarding their status. I urge anybody interested in this community to do so before making plans to visit.

Coordinator for Clergy and Religious
Very Rev. Jay L. Baker, V.G.
PO BOX 505
Schriever, LA 70395

985-850-3122

[AnneLine]

My understanding is that they are not Dominican NUNS (2nd order) - in that sense yes, they are not 'real dominicans'. Even if they are following the Dominican Nuns' lifestyle, they can't call themselves 'nuns' if they aren't. T

There are a number of Domnican communities that are not nuns but en-route to this status -- they are Dominican in flavor and may at some point in the future end up as communities of Nuns if and when they apply an are accepted by the Order of Preachers as Nuns. But until they are formally accepted by the Master General, they aren't Dominican Nuns. (Someone may correct me if I am wrong, please.... )

Several times in the past I have seen them described as a Diocesan community, as part of the diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. That would make sense to me, providing they are on a good standing with their bishop. Certainly at one point they were; I would not presume that has changed unless someone has some solid evidence. It appears that they have been living as an enclosed contemplative community in a covent attached to a Parish.

SNJM has given us a very good resource -- the diocese's Coordinator for Clergy and Religious. If one of you gets a response from them to this question, please ask the Coordinator if you can post the response on here.

Over and above this....

From a discernment standpoint, if I were a potential candidate for the community, I would have some concerns about the community over and above this question. This is not meant as criticism, but as a list of my own concerns.

While I have seen several people enter, I'm not seeing any sign that anyone has professed in quite a while.
Has anyone heard anything about the 2 people who entered this year (one was a Phatmasser Kayla "St Therese")... or the 2 or three that were on their website as postulants the year before that?

Granted, in and of iself, individuals not perservering isn't a problem (that is what the Postuancy, Novitiate and Temporary Vows are for!) but if NO ONE is perservering, that would give me pause and make me more cautious.

I also get a little concerned that the community seems to be retreating in on itself; even traditional-minded communities need to stay open to connecting with potential discerners and the bigger world. However, they have given what they believe to be good rationale for their approach, and I will not judge them. Someone with a vocation to them might find all of this very appealing.

But again, the combination of all of it would lmake me step back and take another look if I were discerning,

Prayers for all concerned!

[OnlySunshine]

nevermind...

Edited January 10, 2012 by MaterMisericordiae

[Cherie]

It's always good for a potential candidate to do thorough research before entering a chosen community.

I think it's fair to say that as far as things on the outside, since they are listed in the diocesan directory, that there isn't a problem with them and the bishop. The pathway to becoming a religious institute of pontifical rite is a long one, and it's not always as clear-cut as it may seem. The bishop may very well have allowed them to call themselves, "Nuns," and so I don't think it's fair to make a judgment about that without having full knowledge of the situation. That can lead to rumors, slander, libel, gossip, and all sorts of unholy things. It's better to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they are in good standing with their Bishop and the Church, as we do not have any concrete evidence to the contrary.

As regards withdrawing from social media, I think that is a beautiful thing for a cloistered community to do, as it is part of their charism to be "withdrawn from the world." Honestly, it always bothered me when a community was too "out there" with social media, but that is just a personal preference of mine. I certainly don't think it's a sign of anything bad; on the contrary, I think it's a sign the community is growing spiritually and wants to be more faithful to their cloistered Dominican charism. It requires a lot of trust in God to withdraw from the internet like that, relying on Divine Providence to bring them new vocations.

The vocation to a small, new, growing community is indeed a special one. It takes a lot of courage, perseverance, and grace from God. There are necessarily many hardships to endure as the community grows (which includes "growing pains"!) and discovers its unique place in the Church, and the unique day-to-day devotions, horarium, etc., that they want to establish for themselves.

[AnneLine]

You have raised good points, Cherie Madame, and I thank you for them.

Prayers for the Lockport Community and for their discerners.

[inperpetuity]

[i][u]"As regards withdrawing from social media, I think that is a beautiful thing for a cloistered community to do, as it is part of their charism to be "withdrawn from the world." Honestly, it always bothered me when a community was too "out there" with social media, but that is just a personal preference of mine. I certainly don't think it's a sign of anything bad; on the contrary, I think it's a sign the community is growing spiritually and wants to be more faithful to their cloistered Dominican charism. It requires a lot of trust in God to withdraw from the internet like that, relying on Divine Providence to bring them new vocations."[/u][/i]

Thank you for your response, CheriMadame, I am of the same mind on this. A cloistered community making a conscious choice to withdraw from social media would definitely attract me more to them.