Community Of St. John

[Kayte Postle]

I've been looking at them a lot lately, and wanted to know if anyone has discerned with them, or know more about them. (Isn't someone from vs entering with them soon? Can't remember who..) I've read through their US website, and I've looked through this thread, this one, this one, and this one. I really feel like I connect with them, but I have a couple of questions.

 

Are they allowed to have home visits? What is the apostolate of the apostolic sisters? Do the have the latin mass at all? Are the contemplative sisters cloistered?

[Sponsa-Christi]

I’ve never discerned with the Community of St. John, but I’ve spent a lot of time with them. They were very helpful to me when I was preparing to become a consecrated virgin. Naturally, I only have an outsider’s perspective on them, but based on my experience, I don’t have enough good things to say about this community! :)

 

Of course, best to contact them directly with your questions, but based on what I know:

 

- The apostolic Sisters do have home visits. I’m not completely sure, but I think the contemplative Sisters do as well. I’m not sure how often or how long the visits are, though.

 

- I think the apostolic Sisters do whatever kind of work is needed in whatever diocese where they happen to be. Their main focus is really on being a prayerful witness—I think they spend about four or five solid hours a day in prayer—so the actual kind of work they do is more secondary. I believe they teach at a primary school in Africa, and I think they run a retirement home somewhere in Europe. Usually, though, it seems that their work has a more “spiritual” focus, like leading retreats or bible studies, doing youth ministry, teaching catechism in parishes, etc.

 

- As far as I know, they Community of St. John never uses the 1962 missal for their community Masses. But, they celebrate the Novus Ordo in an EXTREAMLY reverent way. (E.g., I think they normally have a 30 min. thanksgiving after communion.) You might want to double-check on this, but I think I recall one of the Brothers saying that they feel the simplicity of the Novus Ordo fits their contemplative spirituality better.

 

- The contemplative Sisters aren’t cloistered in the same way that most cloistered nuns are cloistered. I think they try to avoid taking any more trips outside than they have to, and there’s a bigger part of their house that’s reserved to Sisters only. But they do run their own errands, and they interact in a fairly “normal” way with visitors. 

[Kayte Postle]

Thank you so much Sponsa! Wow 30mins thanksgiving after communion, how beautiful! I love that even the apostolic sisters are very contemplative, on the website they it says that the keep as close to a monastic prayer schedule as possible with the apostolate.

[TheresaThoma]

I have been discerning with the Community and they are wonderful. As far as answers to your questions this is what I have been told by one of the Sisters plus my experience on an Eagle Eye retreat lead by the community.

The apostolic Sisters do get home visits, once every three years. However for major events (illness or death of a parent or a siblings wedding) they can also go home. They can also receive phone calls (not more than once a month) and mail.

I don't believe they have the EF but their way of celebrating Mass is so reverent and beautiful. While on the retreat we sang all the responses in Latin which was lovely. 

Their apostolate is determined by what the diocese needs in the US there is more of a focus on the youth. They work in campus ministry, teen and young adult retreats plus parish work.

 

If you are interested I would suggest getting in contact with the Sisters (email or phone call). They are so wonderful and so helpful in discernment. 

[Kayte Postle]

I have been discerning with the Community and they are wonderful. As far as answers to your questions this is what I have been told by one of the Sisters plus my experience on an Eagle Eye retreat lead by the community.

The apostolic Sisters do get home visits, once every three years. However for major events (illness or death of a parent or a siblings wedding) they can also go home. They can also receive phone calls (not more than once a month) and mail.

I don't believe they have the EF but their way of celebrating Mass is so reverent and beautiful. While on the retreat we sang all the responses in Latin which was lovely. 

Their apostolate is determined by what the diocese needs in the US there is more of a focus on the youth. They work in campus ministry, teen and young adult retreats plus parish work.

 

If you are interested I would suggest getting in contact with the Sisters (email or phone call). They are so wonderful and so helpful in discernment. 

 

That's wonderful TT! Thank you for sharing, do you know if their families can come a visit them at all? I'm probably going to be contacting them, (and a few other communities) when I return to school for my senior year this fall.
 

[TheresaThoma]

That's wonderful TT! Thank you for sharing, do you know if their families can come a visit them at all? I'm probably going to be contacting them, (and a few other communities) when I return to school for my senior year this fall.
 

Whoops totally forgot to mention that! Yes families can come and visit (Sister didn't specify how often though).

Something to think about is potentially going on one of their young adult (or teen) retreats. I believe the next one will be a weekend retreat during Advent. Their retreat schedule (prayer and meals at the very least) is similar to their daily schedule and you get a feel for the spirit of the Community.

http://eagleeyeministries.org/programs/weekend-retreats

[Kayte Postle]

Whoops totally forgot to mention that! Yes families can come and visit (Sister didn't specify how often though).

Something to think about is potentially going on one of their young adult (or teen) retreats. I believe the next one will be a weekend retreat during Advent. Their retreat schedule (prayer and meals at the very least) is similar to their daily schedule and you get a feel for the spirit of the Community.

http://eagleeyeministries.org/programs/weekend-retreats

 

Oh my gosh, thank you TT. I will definitely look into it. Princeville isn't a terrible drive from uni for me, so it might be a possibility.