Vocations Trivia Game

[Gabriela]

Aka "the learning thread". Post interesting, little-known facts about vocations here.

 

I'll go first: What's the difference between a "sister" and a "nun"?

 

Go.

[PadrePioOfPietrelcino]

I believe it is a similar distinction as between a Friar and a Monk...

[Spem in alium]

Nice idea!

I think a nun lives a more contemplative, cloistered life, while a sister is more active in ministry. :)

[ChristinaTherese]

"Sister" is a popular name for women in religious life. (http://www.catholicreference.net/index.cfm?id=36510)

 

"Nun" is a more specific title for a woman in a cloistered, contemplative order, but it is also used more generally for any woman in a religious order. (http://www.catholicreference.net/index.cfm?id=35181)

 

ETA: Those are summary-ish of the dictionary entries linked to.

Edited April 26, 2013 by Christina Thérèse

[PhuturePriest]

A Nun takes different vows than a Sister takes. Brother Jay from Catholic Answers Forums has practically written books with his posts about the subject. I would direct you to him if you had any questions on it. His name there is JReducation.

[Maximilianus]

What is the difference between an institute of consecrated life and a society of apostolic life?

 

 

Bonus: name one institute of consecrated life and and one society of apostolic life.

Edited April 26, 2013 by Maximilianus

[Totally Franciscan]

Aka "the learning thread". Post interesting, little-known facts about vocations here.

 

I'll go first: What's the difference between a "sister" and a "nun"?

 

Go.

 

A nun makes Solemn Vows.  A sister makes Perpetual Vows.  It is the vow that is the distinguishing feature between nuns and sisters.  Most nuns live in cloistered monasteries, but the living arrangements are not the distinguishing feature between the two.
 

[ToJesusMyHeart]

What is the difference between an institute of consecrated life and a society of apostolic life?

 

 

Bonus: name one institute of consecrated life and and one society of apostolic life.

Can't articulate the difference, but 

 

Inst. of Consecrated Life: Regnum Christi

Soc. of Apolstolic Life: Apostles of the Interior Life

[PadrePioOfPietrelcino]

In researching an answer I found this...so I stole it.

 

"Generally, societies of apostolic life are secular. They are real communities, such as the Secular Franciscan Order. They do have some kind of profession and rule. But they are not consecrated religious. Consecrated religious belong to Institutes of Consecrated Life. As to habits and the title Brother or Sister, that really depends on the statutes of the society. The Secular Franciscans used to wear a habit and use the title brother or sister. In fact, the Secular Franciscans of the Immaculate still do so.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF"

 

I was just so to the point that changing it would have made it longer :)

[PadrePioOfPietrelcino]

Easy peasy one...

 

What does it mean to be discalced ?

[Mary's Child]

lol I know without shoes

 

[Guest Allie]

What is the difference between the Rule and/or the Constitutions of an Order/Congregation/Community?

[Gabriela]

What is the difference between the Rule and/or the Constitutions of an Order/Congregation/Community?

 

Ooooh, that one's hard. From what I understood from my VocDir, the rule is followed by the entire order, but the constitutions are for specific communities. It's really confusing with the Visitandines, because there's a rule, a constitution, and a... something else, I can't remember.

 

Is that right?

[Gabriela]

A nun makes Solemn Vows.  A sister makes Perpetual Vows.  It is the vow that is the distinguishing feature between nuns and sisters.  Most nuns live in cloistered monasteries, but the living arrangements are not the distinguishing feature between the two.
 

 

My understanding is that solemn vows are perpetual vows. Those two are the same. The other option is simple vows, which are temporary, usually renewed every year or every few years.

 

So: Nuns take solemn, perpetual vows. Sisters take simple, temporary (renewable/renewed) vows.

 

You are right that cloistered/contemplative communities tend to take solemn, perpetual vows, while active communities tend to take simple, temporary/renewable/renewed vows. But sometimes there are exceptions, so yes, what distinguishes nuns from sisters is the vows, not the apostolate.

 

Someone correct me if I am wrong. This is just what I thought I understood a Benedictine explain to me once!

 

(NOTE: Just because a sister's vows are technically "temporary", that doesn't mean she considers her vocation temporary! On the contrary...)

[Maximilianus]

Essentially Institutes of Consecrated Life make Religious vows and Societies of Apostolic Like don't.

The Society of Jesus is an Institute of Consrcrated Life and the Institute of Christ the King is a Society of Apostolic Life

[abrideofChrist]

Can't articulate the difference, but 

 

Inst. of Consecrated Life: Regnum Christi

Soc. of Apolstolic Life: Apostles of the Interior Life

 

Hmmm...  I think both examples are incorrect.

Regnum Christi -even on the top '3gf/3gm' levels are lay persons who are trying to figure out their charism right now under the supervision of the Holy See.  They were founded by a bi-sexual pedophile and used to generate funding for his immoral actions, so they'll have a hard time discovering their "charism".  They might become religious and on the other hand they might become a society of apostolic life or get entirely dissolved.  An example of an Inst of consecrated life is the Missionaries of Charity or the Daughters of St. Paul or the Christian Brothers.

 

The Apostles of the Interior life are -to my knowledge- still in the "Association of the Faithful" stage.  The last time I talked with them they were trying to figure out whether to be a religious community, a secular institute, or a society of apostolic life.  I think one of the last two options are probably what they'll be aiming for, but in the meantime, they are just an association and are not in public vows.  An example of a Society of Apostolic Life is the Oratorians.

[ToJesusMyHeart]

Hmmm...  I think both examples are incorrect.

Regnum Christi -even on the top '3gf/3gm' levels are lay persons who are trying to figure out their charism right now under the supervision of the Holy See.  They were founded by a bi-sexual pedophile and used to generate funding for his immoral actions, so they'll have a hard time discovering their "charism".  They might become religious and on the other hand they might become a society of apostolic life or get entirely dissolved.  An example of an Inst of consecrated life is the Missionaries of Charity or the Daughters of St. Paul or the Christian Brothers.

 

The Apostles of the Interior life are -to my knowledge- still in the "Association of the Faithful" stage.  The last time I talked with them they were trying to figure out whether to be a religious community, a secular institute, or a society of apostolic life.  I think one of the last two options are probably what they'll be aiming for, but in the meantime, they are just an association and are not in public vows.  An example of a Society of Apostolic Life is the Oratorians.

My spiritual director IS an Apostle of the Interior Life, and she told me that they're a Society of Apostolic Life. 

 

:)

[ToJesusMyHeart]

Also, they made/renewed their public vows in my parish this year and all years prior on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 

[Chiquitunga]

wait, I thought Societies of Apostolic Life don't take vows. the only one I know of (besides Apostles of the Interior Life now) is the FSSP who do not take any type of vows

[Chiquitunga]

My understanding is that solemn vows are perpetual vows. Those two are the same. The other option is simple vows, which are temporary, usually renewed every year or every few years.

 

So: Nuns take solemn, perpetual vows. Sisters take simple, temporary (renewable/renewed) vows.

 

You are right that cloistered/contemplative communities tend to take solemn, perpetual vows, while active communities tend to take simple, temporary/renewable/renewed vows. But sometimes there are exceptions, so yes, what distinguishes nuns from sisters is the vows, not the apostolate.

 

Someone correct me if I am wrong. This is just what I thought I understood a Benedictine explain to me once!

 

(NOTE: Just because a sister's vows are technically "temporary", that doesn't mean she considers her vocation temporary! On the contrary...)

 

Yes, it is correct that the difference between Nuns and Sisters (although the terms are interchanged a lot in casual speech & nuns can always be called sisters) are the type of vows they take, Solemn for Nuns, Simple for Sisters.

 

Sr. Mary Catharine would be the best one here to explain the difference between the two.

 

The temporary vows for both are Simple Vows. Final vows for Sisters are still Simple and are usually termed Perpetual Profession. Nuns' final vows are Solemn Vows/Solemn Profession. I have never seen Solemn Profession referred to as "Perpetual Profession" although sometimes I've heard them referred to as Solemn and Perpetual Vows. But I've only seen "Perpetual Profession" used to refer to the Simple final vows of Sisters. It's pretty much always an indicater when you see the term "Perpetual Profession" that these vows are not Solemn, otherwise they would use "Solemn Profession"

 

examples - Perpetual Vows/Profession

 

http://nashvilledominican.org/Vocations/The_Formation_Process

 

http://www.sistersoflife.org/about-the-sisters-of-life/formation

 

http://www.carmelitesisters.com/vocation/stages-of-formation/

 

http://feliciansistersna.org/become-a-felician-sister/formation-process/perpetual-profession

 

http://db.religiouslife.com/reg_life/irl.nsf/org/73

 

 

Solemn Vows/Profession

 

http://db.religiouslife.com/reg_life/irl.nsf/org/166

 

http://www.poorclaresstl.org/videogallery_items/profession/

 

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/catholiclife/2012/01/26/sister-elizabeth-makes-her-solemn-profession/

 

 

Some cloistered contemplative communities do not take Solemn Vows at final profession, like Passionist Nuns. They are always referred to as nuns, though strictly/technically they are not. In order for them to be able to take Solemn Vows they needed to be part of an Order (with a capital "O" or be one themselves) although I remember Sr. Mary Catharine once saying the way things are in Canon Law now, any community can take Solemn Vows if it's in their Constitutions. But anyway, for now they do not take Solemn Vows. I remember reading this in their history somewhere too. 

 

http://db.religiouslife.com/reg_life/irl.nsf/org/390

 

http://www.passionistnuns.org/blog/2011/07/16/different-stages-of-formation/

 

 

And here are cloistered Dominican Sisters that do not take Solemn Vows. I remember there was a Dominican Sister (already in Perpetual Vows), I think from this community, that went to Summit and went through formation again before making her Solemn Profession. 

 

http://www.dsopr.org/vocation.html