Sr Mary Catharine OP Posted July 19, 2015 Posted July 19, 2015 Have any of you seen this UK documentary? I can't believe she told the person at the store she was becoming a nun when she was sandal shopping! I didn't dare! In my day we asked for waitressing shoes! :-)
katherineH Posted July 19, 2015 Posted July 19, 2015 I loved this! Most documentaries seem to focus on discernment or what happens after they enter. I loved seeing the "in-between" stage of navigating life before entrance.
vee Posted July 20, 2015 Posted July 20, 2015 Just started watching it, so far the best part is with the CFR sisters in the car!!! OH MY GOSH LC's COMMUNITY!!! YAAAYYYYY!!! OH MY GOSH LCCCCC!!! although its old cos shes a postulant in that vid and shes in temprorary vows now
marigold Posted July 20, 2015 Posted July 20, 2015 I saw it when it first aired. I think we had a thread about it even...
Spem in alium Posted July 20, 2015 Posted July 20, 2015 This is a really good documentary. Thanks for sharing!
Gabriela Posted July 20, 2015 Posted July 20, 2015 (edited) That was a really good video. I'm glad they didn't sensationalize it or make it seem oh-so-holy. Normal women. Normal doubts. Is it just me, or do British media do a better job of presenting religious life and discernment respectfully? It seems to me that the articles and videos and whatnot that I see on these subjects out of the UK are so much more realistic and less dramatized than the US stuff. One thing I wondered, though: "You can't enter if you're not 100% sure!" What? Of the sisters I've spoken with, very few were 100% sure! They took the leap! Edited July 20, 2015 by Gabriela
Sr Mary Catharine OP Posted July 21, 2015 Author Posted July 21, 2015 Yeah, I wondered at that, too. So maybe it was out of context? 100% sure? Yikes! I agree that they do a better job across the pond portraying religious life.
clk Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 Vee, are you saying that the young woman who returned home eventually returned to the convent?
Spem in alium Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 That was a really good video. I'm glad they didn't sensationalize it or make it seem oh-so-holy. Normal women. Normal doubts. Is it just me, or do British media do a better job of presenting religious life and discernment respectfully? It seems to me that the articles and videos and whatnot that I see on these subjects out of the UK are so much more realistic and less dramatized than the US stuff. One thing I wondered, though: "You can't enter if you're not 100% sure!" What? Of the sisters I've spoken with, very few were 100% sure! They took the leap! I am with you: it was, to me, a very respectful documentary and very normal. Yes, I did wonder about the 100% too! That did surprise me. Perhaps Sister is right and it was taken out of context.
vee Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 Vee, are you saying that the young woman who returned home eventually returned to the convent? sorry for the confusion, I hope this clarifies things. The LC I was so excited to see in the video is a former phatmasser who entered the Dominicans of St joseph several years ago. She is still with that community and seems to be doing very well. As far as I know once she entered she has been in formation straight through until now. The young woman in the video who entered St Ceclia's abbey and then returned home a few months later I dont know her at all and dont know where her story has led.
clk Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 Thank you for clarifying, Vee. I think I was hoping she had returned.
Sponsa-Christi Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 Yeah, I wondered at that, too. So maybe it was out of context? 100% sure? Yikes! I interpreted this as being more like: "You have to be 100% sure that entering the community is the right step for you at this point in your life" as opposed to "you have to be 100% sure that you'll want to stay here forever."
Sr Mary Catharine OP Posted July 21, 2015 Author Posted July 21, 2015 Yes, Sr. Mary CathErine was a postulant back then! She is now in temporary vows. I interpreted this as being more like: "You have to be 100% sure that entering the community is the right step for you at this point in your life" as opposed to "you have to be 100% sure that you'll want to stay here forever." Yes, it could be that. Again. I suspect that part of our problem is that we are sort of listening into half of a conversation!
HopefulHeart Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 I really liked the documentary. It struck me as an honest and positive portrayal of religious life.
Sister Leticia Posted July 21, 2015 Posted July 21, 2015 Thank you to those who have lauded UK religious life programmes - very kind of you! I have to say though, that in my community this documentary got mixed reviews. Yes, there were good things and it wasn't sensationalised, but as I recall, we did wonder what footage had been edited out. For example, there was plenty of footage of Catherine dancing and modelling, but she was never shown praying or going to Mass except when she visited the convent. One of our candidates had met her a couple of times and felt that although she was as undecided and into partying as she was portrayed, she was also sincere about her faith, prayed, went to Mass and so on, and this didn't come across. Also, when Clara and Catherine were talking about their reasons for wanting to enter they didn't talk about being in love with Jesus, or centring their lives in God or anything like that. In a way, we heard more about God and call from Clara's family than from Clara! It's a pity, because we felt viewers might not have understood just what strength of love and call would impel any young woman to go through the anguish of saying goodbye to her family and giving away all her treasured possessions to enter a monastery. Why would you, unless you were sure you'd found your pearl of great price? It felt such a pity none of this was said, as we felt it was a missed opportunity. I contrast it with the interviews and newspaper artices a few months ago (after the interest in news of the increase in religious vocations) with Theo Hawkesley, the CJ postulant. She talked about increasingly centring her life on God and prayer, and growing in love and knowing God's love. Luckily none of this got edited out! Clk - in answer to your question, I heard that Clara went back to university to do a MA, but I don't know what she has done since. We felt she might well have a religious vocation, and so like you I would hope she had either returned to the monastery or entered somewhere else. But in a way it's a good thing I haven't heard about her, as I hope it means she can get on with doing whatever she's doing quietly, without unnecessary spotlights shining on her or reminders of what happened and how she was 4 years ago.
Amor vincit omnia Posted July 22, 2015 Posted July 22, 2015 sorry for the confusion, I hope this clarifies things. The LC I was so excited to see in the video is a former phatmasser who entered the Dominicans of St joseph several years ago. She is still with that community and seems to be doing very well. As far as I know once she entered she has been in formation straight through until now. The young woman in the video who entered St Ceclia's abbey and then returned home a few months later I dont know her at all and dont know where her story has led. Vee How is LC? What is her religious name now?
Gabriela Posted July 22, 2015 Posted July 22, 2015 Thank you to those who have lauded UK religious life programmes - very kind of you! I have to say though, that in my community this documentary got mixed reviews. Yes, there were good things and it wasn't sensationalised, but as I recall, we did wonder what footage had been edited out. For example, there was plenty of footage of Catherine dancing and modelling, but she was never shown praying or going to Mass except when she visited the convent. One of our candidates had met her a couple of times and felt that although she was as undecided and into partying as she was portrayed, she was also sincere about her faith, prayed, went to Mass and so on, and this didn't come across. Also, when Clara and Catherine were talking about their reasons for wanting to enter they didn't talk about being in love with Jesus, or centring their lives in God or anything like that. In a way, we heard more about God and call from Clara's family than from Clara! It's a pity, because we felt viewers might not have understood just what strength of love and call would impel any young woman to go through the anguish of saying goodbye to her family and giving away all her treasured possessions to enter a monastery. Why would you, unless you were sure you'd found your pearl of great price? It felt such a pity none of this was said, as we felt it was a missed opportunity. You make good points, Sister. I definitely agree on the first one. I wondered about that, too. She kind of reminded me of Eseni in the last American reality show about discerners. Only not so extreme. On the second point, though, I wonder if the editors thought the women's decision to discern that life was enough. Your paragraph reminds me of when I was in Israel, living in Jerusalem, and spending most of my Shabbats in the West Bank territories. There was one family in particular that I stayed with a lot. One Friday night at dinner, the conversation turned to living in the territories and the kick-back that can engender when people go out to Israel proper to work. The man of the family said that he's heard many conversations pop up in his workplace over the years and people always voice their opinions directly and loudly (as Israelis are wont to do!). When I asked what he says in such situations, he said, "I don't say anything. Everyone knows I live here. That speaks for itself." I often thought of that in my discernment, because one of the things I think is attractive about becoming a sister is that, when people start talking about God and faith and morality, your sitting there in habit speaks for itself. People know where you stand, and that you stand there firmly—with your whole life. That's a really beautiful and peaceful thing, IMO. I'm not saying every discerner to a religious vocation has actually made God the center of her life. But I think that the editors of the video probably thought that's so. And so they let it "speak for itself". Maybe? TO EVERYONE: I had an idea after reading through the thread again. Why don't we write a letter/email to the producers of the show and thank them for a respectful treatment of discernment? Would y'all be up for that?
vee Posted July 22, 2015 Posted July 22, 2015 Vee How is LC? What is her religious name now? hey! She is Sr Mary CathErine now, not to be confused with our Sr Mary CathArine how is she doing? Really well it seems, two thumbs up in fact
Feankie Posted July 22, 2015 Posted July 22, 2015 I don't think a "thumbs-up" really cuts it! :} She looks ecstatic
:o)Katherine:o) Posted July 22, 2015 Posted July 22, 2015 Wow! Such a great documentary! Showed the insights as to what actually happens during discernment with family, friends and the community.
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