Convent Tells Woman She Can't Become a Nun Until Student Loans Are Paid Off

[Makarioi]

I saw this on AOL today and I'm surprised to see it.  Not sure whether or not the she went to the media, the media got wind of it and are trying to make something of it OR she just needed help and didn't know where to go.  Wonder what the Sisters of Life think of this? 

 

A New York woman who wants to become a nun has been told she'll have to wait to take her vows until she pays off her student loans.

Alida Taylor, 28, told New York's CBS2 that her desire to become a nun happened after she graduated from the University of Louisiana, moved to New York and took a job with a Broadway costume designer.

"When I moved to the city, I had all these desires. I wanted to have a career, a family and marriage, but your heart begins to shift," she told CBS2.

Alida was hoping to join the Sisters of Life Convent on the city's Upper West Side, but was told she has to pay off her student debt first.

"That financial debt, having that be resolved allows her to freely enter into her vocation," Sr. Mariae Agnus Dei of the Sisters of Life told CBS2.

Alida had planned to pay off her student loans over the next 10 years. Now, she's set up a Go Fund Me page to help pay off the $18,000 in time to make the convent's September deadline.

Why is the convent so strict about the debt? A job outside the convent is not an option, and the convent does not provide a salary or stipend for nuns.

"Religious life is a full-time job, so to speak, so she wouldn't be able to work and enter into religious life," Sr. Mariae Agnus Dei told CBS2.

 

[Quasar]

It seems totally reasonable!  It would be scandalous to enter and default on loans.

[Marie Villalovos Smith]

I believe this is what almost all orders require. The Order cannot afford to take on the debt of the person requesting entrance. Many vocations have had to pay off student loans before entering religious life. Pax

 

Edited July 16, 2016 by Marie Villalovos Smith

[Makarioi]

Oh I agree!  Just surprised to see it plastered on the Internet. 

[Marie Villalovos Smith]

Everything is on the internet these days...far to much.. pax

 

[veritasluxmea]

To be fair, it's not uncommon for there to be some news out there about women joining religious orders. One of our own phatmassers here talked on the radio about her discernment before joining a monastery. It sounds as though the vocation director knows about the article, and the point of the article is to raise awareness for paying off debt, not just get publicity for joining a religious order. I personally wouldn't want there to be an article about my discernment, but for other people if a little prudence is used, I think it can be a nice way to witness that the Faith is still active. 

Here's another woman looking to pay off debt before joining the Sisters of Life. 

https://www.gofundme.com/v9vmqz5w

Here are some other examples of women getting interviewed before joining religious life. 

http://www.cm-life.com/article/2016/02/student-going-to-be-a-dominican-sister

(If anyone's wondering, yes, she did get accepted and will be joining us this August!)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/07/20/catholic-group-religious-aspirants-student-debt/12909507/

http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/women-making-radical-choice-to-become-nuns/article_852fe845-c25f-57ec-8d8b-47c160762c52.html

Edited July 16, 2016 by veritasluxmea

[Sr Mary Catharine OP]

This seems to be a common practice to get help paying off a debt. Personally, I have some issues with it and would prefer that a woman go through Laboure or Mater Ecclesiae Foundation. We are hoping that some day we can set up our own sort of "fund" for this sort of thing. What I like about Mater Ecclesiae is that they don't pay the whole thing off at once so that if you leave you resume responsibility for your debt which is after all, your responsibility. And if you stay they pay it all off eventually. I would have a really hard time having people pay off thousands of dollars for my debt, enter and discern it is not my vocation and leave debt free.

 

[Makarioi]

9 hours ago, veritasluxmea said:

To be fair, it's not uncommon for there to be some news out there about women joining religious orders. One of our own phatmassers here talked on the radio about her discernment before joining a monastery. It sounds as though the vocation director knows about the article, and the point of the article is to raise awareness for paying off debt, not just get publicity for joining a religious order. I personally wouldn't want there to be an article about my discernment, but for other people if a little prudence is used, I think it can be a nice way to witness that the Faith is still active. 

Here's another woman looking to pay off debt before joining the Sisters of Life. 

https://www.gofundme.com/v9vmqz5w

Here are some other examples of women getting interviewed before joining religious life. 

http://www.cm-life.com/article/2016/02/student-going-to-be-a-dominican-sister

(If anyone's wondering, yes, she did get accepted and will be joining us this August!)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/07/20/catholic-group-religious-aspirants-student-debt/12909507/

http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/women-making-radical-choice-to-become-nuns/article_852fe845-c25f-57ec-8d8b-47c160762c52.html

Yes, I'm aware. I've learned a lot over the years from all of you!  Some have more hurdles to overcome than others before entering.  This wasn't the result of a web search, it was on the front page of a major internet browser -AOL is what I meant .  Honestly, the tone of the title and the article struck me-- 'she can't do THIS because she has to do THAT FIRST' rather than the softer, positive approach of the others.  

[veritasluxmea]

4 hours ago, Makarioi said:

Yes, I'm aware. I've learned a lot over the years from all of you!  Some have more hurdles to overcome than others before entering.  This wasn't the result of a web search, it was on the front page of a major internet browser -AOL is what I meant .  Honestly, the tone of the title and the article struck me-- 'she can't do THIS because she has to do THAT FIRST' rather than the softer, positive approach of the others.  

Yeah, I agree the article, and in general having publicity about discernment, has some issues. I guess when you're in formation you won't have access to the internet to see articles about yourself anyways!

[Guest]

I thought that the young woman (actual CBSNewYork article) had a pretty good attitude to her situation :

Quote

"“The Lord when it’s his will, he always provides, and I just trust him,” Taylor said."

Also, there is a Comments section at the end of the CBSNewYork article HERE

 

[katherineH]

The tone of the article and video struck me similarly.  It seemed like the journalists were making it out to be a cruel and draconian rule, and the reasoning for it was not fully explained.  It makes sense that if the sisters don't have a steady source of income that they wouldn't be able to take on postulants' payments, especially if there are 10-15 of them in a class!

[beatitude]

On 7/16/2016 at 2:01 PM, Sr Mary Catharine OP said:

This seems to be a common practice to get help paying off a debt. Personally, I have some issues with it and would prefer that a woman go through Laboure or Mater Ecclesiae Foundation. We are hoping that some day we can set up our own sort of "fund" for this sort of thing. What I like about Mater Ecclesiae is that they don't pay the whole thing off at once so that if you leave you resume responsibility for your debt which is after all, your responsibility. And if you stay they pay it all off eventually. I would have a really hard time having people pay off thousands of dollars for my debt, enter and discern it is not my vocation and leave debt free.

 

I'm happy to donate to help cover someone's debt even if they don't persevere, as I don't see it as me helping a future nun or priest, but as me helping someone is trying to live out God's will in their lives - it's a great thing to do no matter what comes of it. But I can see why some people might be uncomfortable with having their debt paid if they didn't remain in the community.

[Feankie]

There was a nice article about this in today's (Sunday's) Chicago Tribune.  It explained a bit about her background, how she came in contact with the Sisters of Life, and a bit about her journey.  They had a quote in it from one of the Sisters and also a few sentences about how it is common practice today for those going into R.L. to be asked by their communities to have their debts/loans paid off and the rationale behind that thinking/requirement.  Very explanatory and thought out IMO.

[Pia Jesu]

One of the national (US) news channels announced this morning that the New Jersey woman has had "the door opened" regarding her desire to enter the Sisters of Life!  She had hoped to raise $12,000...but, as of today, has
almost doubled that amount ($22,000+).  After paying off her student loans, she plans on donating the rest to the House of Prayer where she resides.

Sr. Catherine makes a good point in her post (about Laboure and Mater Ecclesiae being a more appropriate, perhaps, source of financial help).  Gofundme worked for this woman...and we will certainly support her with our prayers.

[emptyforgod]

I ran into a similar dilemma when I started discerning religious life right after college. I realized that God was asking me to find a way to pay it off myself. As Sr. Mary Catharine OP me toned, I began to see some issues with this type of fundraising. So, I found a job and started working. In three years, I have paid off about. 98% of the debt that I had by living simply. And God-willing, if doors continue to open I will be ready to say yes to the Lord.

[orapronobis]

I just think it's such a shame that young people should have to wait (or in some cases, never enter) because they got a higher education. In the UK you don't have to pay back your student loan until you're earning over 24,000 a year (so many never even pay a penny back) 

[Quasar]

On ‎7‎/‎22‎/‎2016 at 1:46 AM, orapronobis said:

I just think it's such a shame that young people should have to wait (or in some cases, never enter) because they got a higher education. In the UK you don't have to pay back your student loan until you're earning over 24,000 a year (so many never even pay a penny back) 

Orapronobis- Interesting!  In the US, most student loans are either private or federal.  With federal loans, there are more options.  For example, they set your loans payments in proportion to your income, and if you work for a non-profit or government entity, the loans are forgiven after 10 years of payments (the payments having been in proportion to the income you were earning at the time). 

I am glad that there are options for people with debt who are pursuing religious life, whether that be through government service programs or through generous donors!

Edited July 23, 2016 by Quasar

[Sister Leticia]

Yes, here in the UK there is a government student loan scheme, so it's not treated like other "normal" debts, and repayments are made directly from someone's salary. But although it's good that repayments don't kick in for people on a low income or not working for whatever reason, it does mean people can end up still repaying their student loans 10 or more years after graduating - longer if, for example, a woman marries and raises a family, then goes back to work several years later.

As far as entering religious life is concerned, though, I imagine different communities have taken different approaches. Although the student loan isn't legally a debt, some might say it morally is, as it was taxpayer-funded money lent on a specific understanding regarding eventual repayment. With an apostolic order whose members will have salaried work outside the convent, accepting a candidate with an outstanding student loan is less of an issue. But a monastery, or an order of priests or one like the MCs or Little Sisters of the Poor, whose members work entirely in their own institutions, is different. I must admit I don't know how they regard student loans, as I've never asked anyone entering or working in formation in one of these orders/monasteries about this! (If ever I do, I'll come back and let you know!)

And of course, students can also have other forms of debt as well, such as credit cards and bank loans or overdrafts, and these DO have to be paid off before entering the noviciate.