Books And Convents

[MarysLittleFlower]

I'm just wondering, - do most convents allow a postulant to bring Catholic books that have been helpful to her, even if they won't belong to her and will be in the monastery library? Can you 'donate' books in this way?

[Hemma]

I sincerely hope so. In fact it has been one of my standard questions when checking out a convent, because I have many of them (about 60 volumes Corpus Christianorum, Brepols edition make just the beginning). Normally they welcome it. Some might ask to make a list of them so that they can choose the ones they want to have.

[truthfinder]

There are some books that are so standard that a monastery will have several copies of it, so you'd want to check.  But otherwise, they'd probably let you bring it.  Now if it's your prized 400 year old spiritual manual from an obscure saint, you may want to reconsider that.

[MargaretTeresa]

...and this is why I'm happy I'm Pauline. #booksareimportant

[TheresaThoma]

I think it varies, I have a friend who is entering a monastery and she said that she was only allowed to bring a few books with her. I think the reasoning was that if you brought lots of books with you, put them in the monastery library and then discerned out it would be very hard (and awkward) to sort out which books are yours.  So she was giving many of her books away.

[Egeria]

I agree that practices vary, but generally I think that books would only become the property of the monastery after one had made solemn/final vows. In my experience, they were kept in a separate place until then, where they were accessible to others sisters but were not actually the property of the monastery.

[twohearts]

It would also depend on if the books you want to bring are in line w/the spirituality of the community you are entering. Some communities will not permit just "any" Catholic book.

You might need to present a list of the books you want to bring.

[SNJM]

Almost every single client I have worked with that has entered religious life - what would be considered the more "traditional" kind (including cloistered) was asked to provide a list of what books she or he wanted to bring. They were then told what books the library needed or wanted (or what books the candidate could use personally - as in one or two) and the rest were not allowed. I have told every single client, upon their entrance, NOT to throw away (or give away) not only their books, but also their car, furnishing, clothes, etc. . As many people on this board can attest, sometimes the first try is not where God wants you. 

 

I can share a story about a client who has since passed away and was very active on this board. She was SURE about where she was going. All those around her - including me - had a very bad feeling about the Monastery she chose (and this was not her first time in monastic life) and her "fit." She had a house, a good business, a car, etc. . Not only did she give away every last thing (feeling that was what Jesus would do), she asked her parish to have a party for her "to say goodbye." The parish did. It was a huge party; many were very grateful for her money, her possessions - and everyone was not only touched by her fearless journey into the cloister, they were appreciative of her generosity. 

 

After a mere two months, the Community itself felt she was not a good fit and asked her to leave. This Monastery was across the country from where her family lived. She was devastated at what she perceived to be a great failure, and worse yet, she had no transportation, no money, only the shoes and the dress she wore when she entered. She was also greatly humiliated because of the party and the parish support. She honestly felt - whether rational or not - that she could not face everybody again, so soon.

 

As a result, the Community bought her a ticket to where I live, and she stayed with me for three months. After staying with me, which was difficult and very close quarters, she moved onto another friend. She was able to get her job back, find an apartment, and rebuild her life. Her life was cut short by a car accident.

 

I share this story because she had a lot of options. I know many of the people on here are younger and don't own homes, on the contrary, you are struggling with debt. Whatever your situation, please have a Plan B. Pack your treasured items and put them in storage - even if that means in a corner of your parent's garage. (This includes clothing.) If you have a car, which you will not be using in the Monastery, let a family drive it until you make FINAL or SOLEMN vows. The same goes for money or, if you are lucky enough, with a house. Rent it. You do not have divest of all your earthly possessions until a certain time in your formation, and that can change based on the community. 

 

Lastly, a sad reality is that I have known more than I care to count monastic women who did not end up making solemn vows. They went all the way through; never thinking that there would be any issue whatsoever and I can promise you it was a great shock to find out that the Council had voted no. One I know personally was a Carmelite and three (that I know personally) were Poor Clares. I know active Sisters whom have also faced this reality but transferring out of an active community, while still very painful, is typically not as heartbreaking and difficult as it is for women in monastic/contemplative (Traditional) Monasteries. 

 

This is a long way to say KEEP YOUR BOOKS if you love them. If you are not allowed to bring them with, tuck them away until you are sure. 

 

Rose

[SophiaMaria]

Where I first entered you were allowed to bring ten books. The other place wanted a list of what I had but they never got back to me so I brought books with that I knew were solid and orthodox that they may not have in their library. ( which they did not) like it was said previously on here it depends on the community.

[maximillion]

 

 

please have a Plan B. 

 

 

Can't prop this suggestion enough...................it is ESSENTIAL you have a plan B and no, don't give everything away. Ask someone to care for stuff you may need if things don't work out.

[marigold]

I love books.

[MarysLittleFlower]

thanks for the replies! :) I love books too lol... it was mentioned that it might be allowed to bring a book or two to use privately... just to clarify - is this an option too? I mean would it be possible to give some Catholic books to the convent library (after checking with them) but also bring a book (let's say just one) that you really like to pray with personally? how would this be affected by the vow of poverty? I don't really mind books being in the library... just wanted to clarify though if keeping one or two in one's cell would be allowed, if it's not considered your possession. thank you! :)

[loveletslive]

It really just depends on the community. The community I am entering allows me to bring a few of my own books to keep in my cell/chapel stall. But my friend who is entering a different community has to give the books she brings to the community's library (so she's not bringing books she's already marked in/underlined).

[MarysLittleFlower]

thanks! :)

[Nunsense]

It's the same answer for so many things in religious life - it depends on the community. Some don't allow any books, some allow whatever you want to bring. My community let me bring along a picture of Jesus (that is my favorite one) to hang on the wall. Some communities will only allow you to have what is already in the cell - and not to move them around either! 

 

You really need to check with the community where you are entering for these kinds of details.

[Sr Mary Catharine OP]

You need to ask the community. It varies greatly from place to place and can change from year to year. We say that a postulant can bring 5 books for her personal use and to give me a list of the books she has and then I tell her what ones she can also bring that would be good for the library, God willing that she perseveres. However, none of her books go into the library until Solemn Profession. We have a special book case in the novitiate for their books. I might also let them bring some CD's or DVD's that we might find good to have as well. So, you really need to talk to your community. They are really the only ones who can answer this question.

 

We began limiting after having a number of postulants bring boxes and boxes of stuff and then leave 6 weeks later. Not only do we not have room for all this, the cost of shipping back home is usual quite high. And it is good to begin to be detached from one's stuff from the beginning. My experience is that after 6 weeks you don't even remember you have it back home. If there is something a postulant has back home that proves to be helpful to her she's always allowed to ask for it.

[Sponsa-Christi]

 

Lastly, a sad reality is that I have known more than I care to count monastic women who did not end up making solemn vows. They went all the way through; never thinking that there would be any issue whatsoever and I can promise you it was a great shock to find out that the Council had voted no. One I know personally was a Carmelite and three (that I know personally) were Poor Clares. I know active Sisters whom have also faced this reality but transferring out of an active community, while still very painful, is typically not as heartbreaking and difficult as it is for women in monastic/contemplative (Traditional) Monasteries. 

 

 

 

I know this is off-topic and kind of a sensitive issue, but I’m genuinely concerned, does this sort of thing happen often? That is, where a Sister will go through all the years of formation honestly thinking that everything is fine, and then get a great shock when she is simply not approved for final vows?

 

I know technically no community has to approve anyone for final vows. But it would seem unjust to “string along” someone who really wasn’t suited for the life, or to let someone pour years of their life into a community where it’s known that she doesn’t have a future.

 

Even if this sort of thing is more common than it should be, I’m hoping it’s still relatively rare? Wouldn’t a community ordinarily be in regular and honest conversation with a Sister throughout her formation regarding her suitability for final vows?

[Sr Mary Catharine OP]

I know this is off-topic and kind of a sensitive issue, but I’m genuinely concerned, does this sort of thing happen often? That is, where a Sister will go through all the years of formation honestly thinking that everything is fine, and then get a great shock when she is simply not approved for final vows?

 

I know technically no community has to approve anyone for final vows. But it would seem unjust to “string along” someone who really wasn’t suited for the life, or to let someone pour years of their life into a community where it’s known that she doesn’t have a future.

 

Even if this sort of thing is more common than it should be, I’m hoping it’s still relatively rare? Wouldn’t a community ordinarily be in regular and honest conversation with a Sister throughout her formation regarding her suitability for final vows?

 

I think it depends on the community. I know of a few non-Dominican monasteries where it happened this way. To be honest, there are a lot of sides to this sort of thing. First it may not be the community's custom to "warn" a sister that she may not be approved for vows. I really don't think that is healthy myself and we don't do this. ON THE OTHER HAND, there may have been quite a few hints and warnings and the sister just didn't get it.

Also, there is this thing called TIME! Sometimes it can seem that a sister's vocation is doubtful and then suddenly, it all clicks and she makes great progress in a short time. This is why I do prefer the more open-ended approach such as in Eastern monasticism.
 

In the end though, the decision to put in a white or black ball is entirely up to the conscious of each individual sister on the council and chapter. And they are free to keep their decision private. I know that when the community was voting for me for Solemn Profession I was in the choir bawling my eyes out and thanking our Lord for the past 6 years and telling him that if I wasn't to stay he'd have to show me VERY FAST what was next! Later the Sisters couldn't believe I was so worried! Well, I WAS!

[Egeria]

I know this is off-topic and kind of a sensitive issue, but I’m genuinely concerned, does this sort of thing happen often? That is, where a Sister will go through all the years of formation honestly thinking that everything is fine, and then get a great shock when she is simply not approved for final vows?

 

I know of one monastic community where I was told that this happened several decades ago - probably early seventies. The person who told me about it said that the sisters were kept on until they came up for solemn profession because they were needed for their work, but the community was too threatened by them to accept them to profession. The person who told me had been the assistant to the novice mistress but left the monastery because she could not in conscience go along with the injustice. When she had approached the novice mistress, the novice mistress had agreed with her that it was unethical but had felt unable to confront the abbess and her council. As I say, this was several decades ago and the community was probably rather dysfunctional and going through a difficult period and it certainly wouldn't happen there today. I've no idea how widespread it is elsewhere, but I wouldn't expect it of any of the communities that I know.

[SNJM]

Sister Mary Catharine's response perfectly connects go the experiences I have heard about (first hand). You must remember that each community IS different as is each nun. Sometimes, as Sister pointed out, the Sister in question "just didn't get it," and I have seen, after processing the experience with the former member, they were able to look back & see things they didn't see at the time. I really like what Sister said and her approach. However, please remember that not all communities are healthy and this is part of your discernment. Ask questions!!!