Female Active Augustinian Communities

[:o)Katherine:o)]

Hello Everyone!

I have not posted in a while as I have not had much access to technology. I am a 2nd year aspirant at the Mater Redemptoris House of Formation in LaCrosse, WI. (Being an aspirant means that I am aspiring to do God’s will and am not an aspirant for a particular community). 

My spirituality is Augustinian and I am currently looking for an active Augustinian community and was wondering if anyone had an suggestions? 

 

I have already visited the Sisters of Saint Rita in Racine, WI.

I also want to mention that I am 30 years old. I know that some communities have an age cut off of 30 but do take exceptions into consideration. 

 

I would appreciate any suggestions or feedback that anyone may have! Thanks so much! 

[Sister Leticia]

Sisters who have Augustinian spirituality can be a bit hard to track down, as they often don't have Augustinian or St Augustine in their congregational name (unlike Franciscans and Dominicans). I suppose they're a bit like female Ignatian congregations who have all sorts of names - often, it's just a question of searching and digging around.

We have a few apostolic congregations which have Augustinian spirituality here in the UK, and I know one of them has sisters in the US - the Religious of the Assumption. I know a lot of their sisters here in England. 

This is their American website http://www.assumptionsisters.org/ and they also have a FB page you could follow. 

Thirty, by the way, is NOT old! Many apostolic orders (and a lot of monasteries) would happily accept someone way older than you! 

Blessings on your ongoing discernment: like this week's Magi, may you find, know and follow your star, which will lead you to what you are searching for.

[Nunsuch]

You might look at the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine. They have a motherhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. Their website is: https://www.srsofcharity.org/

 

[nikita92]

What about ones that wear a habit ?

[Sister Leticia]

Nikita - Katherine asked if anyone knew of apostolic Augustinian communities. She made no other "specifications", maybe because her discernment process is helping her to be as open as possible to whatever God's calls might be. 

Nunsuch and I responded to her request. The sisters we both suggested do not wear veils, although the Religious of the Assumption do indeed wear a habit, as laid down in their constitutions - they wear a uniform colour, maybe with a white blouse. Some of them also wear veils, depending on their culture and context, though most of those in the UK, and possibly the US, do not.

If you think Katherine ought to look as well at some congregations who all wear veils and a more distinctive habit, then why not make some suggestions?

But please, don't let's turn this thread into 2018's first debate about the merits or otherwise of wearing veils!

[:o)Katherine:o)]

Thank you @Sister Leticia and @Nunsuch for your suggestions! 

Yes, I have learned over time that it is harder to find them due to the titles of their communities. 

 

Thank you @nikita92 for your private message and information.

 

If anyone else has any feedback or suggestions I would greatly appreciate it! 

[msiona]

the order of norbertine of wilminton calif 8 sisters wear habits and various ministeries are Augustine  plus in calif a large enclosed monastery of sisters too  they both have a web page

 

Edited January 8, 2018 by msiona

[:o)Katherine:o)]

@msiona thank you! The Norberine sisters in California said that I was too old for their community. They are a new foundation and are looking for younger women. 

 

Do you have a link for the enclosed Monastery in California? If so, can you please share it? 

[beatitude]

In the UK we have an active Augustinian community called the Canonesses of the Mercy of Jesus. They're present in a couple of other countries, I believe, but not the US. They are lovely and they might know some congregations closer to you that you could contact.

If you're open to looking at cloistered communities as well as apostolic ones, there is a monastery of Augustinian nuns in Illinois. Again, I daresay they might be able to give you the names of some active Augustinian congregations, if nothing else.

[Nunsuch]

Of course, all Dominicans follow the Augustinian rule. There are a lot of congregations that do so, so my suggestion would be to research communities that seem otherwise attractive and then see if they follow that rule.  Another approach would be to specify what it is about Augustinian spirituality that appeals to you and then find communities that reflect these spiritual characteristics. 

[:o)Katherine:o)]

Thank you @beatitude for the suggestions! I have actually reached out to the community in Illinois several times and have not received a response. I will try again. 

 

Thank you @Nunsuch! That is a great idea! have done a bit of that over the past year or so. I have visited and talked with several communities. Right now my Formation house superior and my spiritual director are encouraging me to try to find an Augustinian community first. The Formation house is run by a Franciscan community and they follow the rule of St. Augustine. I find peace in the Augustinian roots but do not find the peace as I would in an Augustinian community if that makes sense. 

Figured I would reach out on here to see what people suggested  Thanks so much for your responses and feedback! 

[Nunsuch]

11 hours ago, :o)Katherine:o) said:

 

 

Thank you @Nunsuch! That is a great idea! have done a bit of that over the past year or so. I have visited and talked with several communities. Right now my Formation house superior and my spiritual director are encouraging me to try to find an Augustinian community first. The Formation house is run by a Franciscan community and they follow the rule of St. Augustine. I find peace in the Augustinian roots but do not find the peace as I would in an Augustinian community if that makes sense. 

 

Are you sure about this? I would assume that a Franciscan community would follow the Rule of St. Francis. Isn't that part of the point of being Franciscan? 

[:o)Katherine:o)]

@Nunsuch You are right! Sorry I was on headache medicine when I typed that. I meant to say that they follow the rule of St. Francis but their roots are Augustinian. 

[Nunsuch]

Hope your head feels better. I get headaches, too--so my sympathy.

[Thijs]

This link can help. You may wanted to discern joining an Augustinian community located in Asia-Pacific region

[Sister Leticia]

I've just seen a post from Thijs about a new postulant for the Sisters of St Rita. It linked to their FB page, which is called Sisters of St Rita OSA. There wasn't much info about them, though, just lots of photos - but now you have a congregation name you can google and enquire and find out more  about. 

[Nunsuch]

Here is a page for the Sisters of St. Rita, with vocation information, at least for the US.

http://www.sistersofstrita.org/your-gifts/vocation-considerations/

[:o)Katherine:o)]

Sorry for the delay in responding. At the formation house I did not have access to much technology. Thank you everyone for your information on the Sisters of Saint Rita. I actually discerned with them recently. They have two sisters and a novice. They felt that I was not a fit for their community. They are very small in the US and have some decisions to make in regards to their future so they aee cautious in accepting people at this time. Please keep them in your prayers. 

 

I am still looking for a community and would appreciate any information or suggestions that anyone may have. In the next couple of weeks I will begin to reach out to ones outside of the US for help as well.

 

Thanks again everyone for your help and suggestions!