religious orders...

[Domine ut Videam]

I have an announcement to make. And i know it is so soon after i just made the last one. But those of you who don't know, i have this very bad health problem. It doesn't prevent me from going through my evrryday life....but lately things have been really bad. And I am just really struggling and my SD is very concerned about me. So I have been instructed to put all vocation discernment on hold for the time-being. He says that God can't honestly be expecting me to actively discern a vocation, because I am just struggling to stay alive and to get through each day. Which makes perfect sense....sorry that i am being vague but.....it is just too much to type i don't have the time. Maybe Phatdaddy or OLAM dad can explain in more detail. I don't mind if they do. I'll probably be lurking and reading around in the vocation station....but not really posting too much because it really is such a cause of anxiety and anxiety is part of what makes it worse. I just really need to get this under control because my life (spiritual and physical) is careening out of control and i just can't do it anymore. Discerning my vocation just isn't an option at this time. I will be praying for all of you and I will definitely be saving this list because it is awesome. And i will still be here every day to talk about the faith, cause i'll be needing the community more than ever. Thanks so much.

-Yours in Christ
Lauren

[SisterAli]

Lauren-

I will add you to my prayers. May God be with you and guide you, heal your body from anxiety. May the Blessed Mother protect you and keep you.

God Bless,

Allie

[Gemma]

[quote name='Domine ut Videam' post='978627' date='May 11 2006, 03:42 PM']
I have an announcement to make. And i know it is so soon after i just made the last one. But those of you who don't know, i have this very bad health problem. It doesn't prevent me from going through my evrryday life....but lately things have been really bad. And I am just really struggling and my SD is very concerned about me. So I have been instructed to put all vocation discernment on hold for the time-being. He says that God can't honestly be expecting me to actively discern a vocation, because I am just struggling to stay alive and to get through each day. Which makes perfect sense....sorry that i am being vague but.....it is just too much to type i don't have the time. Maybe Phatdaddy or OLAM dad can explain in more detail. I don't mind if they do. I'll probably be lurking and reading around in the vocation station....but not really posting too much because it really is such a cause of anxiety and anxiety is part of what makes it worse. I just really need to get this under control because my life (spiritual and physical) is careening out of control and i just can't do it anymore. Discerning my vocation just isn't an option at this time. I will be praying for all of you and I will definitely be saving this list because it is awesome. And i will still be here every day to talk about the faith, cause i'll be needing the community more than ever. Thanks so much.

-Yours in Christ
Lauren
[/quote]

Lauren--Google "Our Lady, Untier of Knots". Neat prayer to Our Lady.

Blessings,
Gemma

[the lords sheep]

Does anyone know of any other orders that pray for priests? Its a charism that is of great interest to me.

Also, does anyone know if the Trinitarians of Mary are contemplative or active?

Thanks!!

[stlmom]

I think the Trinitarians of Mary are both contemplative and active, just by cruising their website.
God bless!

[the lords sheep]

I was told by my spiritual director (although I have yet to verify this with the Sisters) that the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma have a special devotion to pray for and support Priests and those in formation.
Just in case anyone was interested!!!!!

[HollyDolly]

I think Gemma mentioned some Mexican communities.
I know of two in San Antonio.
One is the Hermanas Josefinas,or Josephine Sisters who do domestic work in the seminaries here,and the Oblate Sisters of Jesus the Priest,who used to be here.The Oblate Sisters are still in the US,but I don't think they are in San Antonio anymore.And I seem to recall they have a website in english.Not sure about the Josephine Sisters
having a website.

[when2]

[quote name='Domine ut Videam' post='971303' date='May 4 2006, 05:00 PM']So, I have breaking news : !In fact, you are the first ones that I am telling. In the past few weeks God has revealed to me a huge aspect of my vocation. I have learned that I am too pray for priests. This is something that so completely corresponds to my heart and brings me such joy. And the realization hit me that they need to many fervrent prayers for the strength and the grace just to get up in the morning and to go throughout their day and lead their flocks. Also, missonary priests, the souls of priest, wow...... I can't even describe what God has shown me.....but the point is that i have realized that this is my vocation-->to pray for these chosen men: the servants of God. But I was just wondering, by an off chance as I was sharing this if anyone knew of any orders that had a charism that was like this? Just wondering. If not thats okay. I just have so much joy right now that nothing can bring me down!!!!!! Thanks so much!!!!

-Yours in Christ
Lauren[/quote]


I can't tell you where to go, but I ask that you do choose only the well established centuries (NOT near, or ALMOST a a century!) communities Franciscan and Carmelites and not the "We pray for Priest" communties. There is one community that has given me so much pain, I ask that if you find them, that I hope you are at least forty years of age, I was 18 years old and I went to the notorious ones. I have not been back to religious life since. Ask your Bishop first, promise yourself that, Iwent to my Bishop afterwards, big mistake. If you get this and need to ask which community I am reffering to, then respond and I will correspond. If anything is amiss as you visit a community, anything 'weird' so thought bythe good girl catholicism, "in passing conversation" said or done---- RUN and DON"T LOOK BACK OR REGRET

Promise yourself that, my community ruined my young life. Sorry I am not as promotional positive, but I hope you have a career first.

Almost a century is a drawing card for girls who think they will be the force of change- I promise you that! I promise you I logged in just to give you this advice. If you find the praying for priests so much your calling, i am nearly positive you found these papal cloistered sisters, who are not great. There is anoother community flousing in the East US and Canada that is at least over one century old foundress. Venerable Catherine Aur... I forgot how to spellher last name.

[when2]

[quote name='Domine ut Videam' post='973453' date='May 6 2006, 11:07 AM']Well, i have looked at all of these orders and two that really jumoed out at me were the Trinitarians of Mary and the Handmaids of the Precious Blood, but the Carmelites are always close to my heart.

I was wondering if anyone knew naything more about the Handmaids of the Precious Blood. There wasn't really that much info about them on the internet....so if anyone else has anymore information i would be sooo glad! Thanks again for all your help.

-Yours in Christ
Lauren[/quote]
I do know the HPB, been there-- HUGE BIG PAINS. I will be very candid with you...

please email me whenpigsfly2@aol.com, see the earlier post..are you desperate?

[EWIE]

[quote name='Domine ut Videam' date='May 11 2006, 03:42 PM' post='978627']
Discerning my vocation just isn't an option at this time. I will be praying for all of you.

Lauren, thank you for the prayers.
This is an Order with which I am familiar for years. They also have a lay association whose primary focus is to pray for Priests. They send you the first name of a priest who has requested prayers, and you promise to pray for him. It is a beautiful apostolate.

.[u]http://www.ichrusa.com/saintsalive/precious/[/u][b][/b]

[philosophette]

I would not recommend the Handmaids of the Precious Blood. There are many issues, but a primary one which I will publicly state is that their Order is dying out. Most of the Sisters are very old, there are only about 40 nuns in the entire world, and their replacement rate is extremely low. Essentially, if you enter their order, during your life time they will probably die out.

There are also some issues about them originally being founded as an active order, but then turning Enclosed after Vatican II.

Please really consider carefully.

If you want to PM me I can tell you more, but I would not recommend them. There are many other orders out there.

[HollyDolly]

I believe under the Diocese of Kokomo,Indiana they have the Handmaids of the Precious Blood.
The sisters seem to according to the photo i saw have quite a few sisters.Their main motherhouse is in
Jemenz Springs,NM. They are mentioned in the book Convent Life by Joan Lexau.
Don't know if they are really dying out. The Sister Servants of Christ the King in Wisconsin, the Sisters, Home Visitors
of Mary in Michigan,Sisters of Reparation of the Congregation of Mary in New York,the secular institute of Rural Parish Workers of Christ the King in Missouri,and several other communities mentioned in that book,are still hanging around,so they must attract some vocations,even if they aren't large numbers,else they should have disappeared years ago.

As far as I know they were always contemplative,but you may know someone who belongs to or used to be a member of these sisters,and there is more to the story.
Maybe you can tell us more.

[philosophette]

I lived near their convent and was a regular presence there for several years.

I will answer any questions people PM me, but I do not feel comfortable speaking publicly about the community.

The have papal enclosure.

[when2]

[quote name='Gemma' post='973644' date='May 6 2006, 02:57 PM']Handmaids of the Precious Blood are listed on my site: [url="http://cloisters.tripod.com/"]Society of Our Lady of the Cloister[/url]

They're on the American Cloisters page, under women's communities.

Last I heard, the Handmaids had a pretty full novitiate!

Blessings,
Gemma[/quote]

Hello,

I just saw your post. did you go there?

[when2]

Hello,

I want to clarify your information which is less clear and may be a disappointment. as I have been and seen the community experience as a vocation. The aposolate area you speak of is the Association of the Confraternity of Mary, who graciously allows, that is shares the names of the priests to be forwarded to the lay order, the Oblates of the Precious Blood and or other inquirers therein. The notification you will recieve with a name is not with the stamp of approval of the HPB community, it is of the un affiliated by this seperate Apostolate.

If necessary here, please let me clarify that the sending of the name of the priest is, when the candidate makes vocation contact is, always told that "the share in the apostolate is the work of the entire Church" and not something they will sound out openess to the candidate. This was my approach and of many others, and it is well discussed in community, as the baby steps to spiritual growth in the formators opinion/approach. No matter what the ardour experessed, the candidate then will be placed in notice and the dissemination of the indivdual into community, which either happens or doesn't. It is a very rigorous and mentally challenging task the protraction of the heart, inthe sharing of something that is then asked if the singularity is known to the candidate.

Unfortunately, the community lost 9 sisters in a year and a half, some time ago (to the mercy of death) and consequently. I hear they have not replenished themselves from what the community wrote publically. As personal experience, the novitiate lost 7 candidates during my stay there. This said detachment of this mentioned Apostolate may seem like an ungracious gesture; it makes them look good at the onset. It is as the candidate approaches through the lowest ranks of vocation in the Church, then they retract, in a way I cannot understand, except to say then, inmy hearing it was the ascension to the call to orders. However, the baptismal call is the central focus of what the formators need to hear if the conversation will be continued by them in primacy of the Call. It is understood by those who know the sisters with their interior familliarity the community is suffering and are deeply in need of prayers. I believe the balance is in the wills that be present.

To the person I am responding to here, I feel the need to explain and feel free to contact me also. I do know the Oblate Sisters of Jesus the Priest are a active-contemplative order for those who are looking...Praying for priests is beautiful. There can be difficulties to being successful to certain charisms. I am doing any candidate the pre-candidacy "come and see" discussion points here for discernment. I want to see successful religious there. to say or imply on deeper sharing information on the formation past in this Priestly vocation community, for their future to wish otherwise hurts me personally.

I say these things not because I want to discourage, but because the challenges placed to that particular formation is enormous. If any person considering a vocation there, as I have said in previous posts, wants to be successful there, in particular. I would be willing to speak pointedly that is, privately.

[Antoniette]

I know the Booklyn Carmel 361 Highland Blvd. Brooklyn, NY 11207-1910 is built next to a house of formation for diocesan priests of Brooklyn. Currently, they share their chapel. It is part of their lives to pray for priests.

If you are intersted in cloister, this might work for you.


Antoniette

[HolyHearts]

The Handmaids of the Precious Blood, I believe, have one the one house now,
in Jemez Springs. They pulled out of Rome b/c apparently no one could (or
would) learn Italian; which is a shame.... They had a Monastery near Chicago
but that too seems to have been closed. I am an Oblate of the Precious Blood;
but of late, they stopped their mailings to me (no longer live in USA). Some
months ago, they had a much needed change of Mother Superior.... Perhaps
that may help? It seemed as though EVERYTHING was concentrated in the hands
of one only person for many years. There were no levels of authority as most
Orders and Congregations know it & understand it. I have a good friend who
was in their community & who loves them dearly; but she could never stay....
She tried a few times. Lets keep them in prayer b/c the mens branch went
biserk; although they are trying to re-group according to their real charism in
a few places in the States & in the Philippines.

[Domine ut Videam]

wow i just checked into VS for the first time is over a year and saw this thread. Thank you all for your caring and heartfelt replies. I will take them all into consideration. Back when i first made this post, i was not really mature enough to be truly discerning my vocation , and now i am still in the beginning stages. this summer i will be teaching Totus Tuus and will hopefully continue discernment then. Anyways, thanks for the suggestions and God Bless!

Yours in Christ,
Lauren

[HolyHearts]

Glad you looked back! If you are still interested in a vocation of praying &
sacrificing for those in the Holy Priesthood, I would really recommend the
Discalced Camelites. They were founded by St. Teresa of Avila & that was
one of the major founding charisms. Too, look how many & varied Saints
& Blesseds they have and, of course, of the 3 Women Doctors of the
Church, 2 are Teresian Camelites!

[when2]

[quote name='HolyHearts' post='1519325' date='May 5 2008, 11:38 AM']The Handmaids of the Precious Blood, I believe, have one the one house now,
in Jemez Springs. They pulled out of Rome b/c apparently no one could (or
would) learn Italian; which is a shame.... They had a Monastery near Chicago
but that too seems to have been closed. I am an Oblate of the Precious Blood;
but of late, they stopped their mailings to me (no longer live in USA). Some
months ago, they had a much needed change of Mother Superior.... Perhaps
that may help? It seemed as though EVERYTHING was concentrated in the hands
of one only person for many years. There were no levels of authority as most
Orders and Congregations know it & understand it. I have a good friend who
was in their community & who loves them dearly; but she could never stay....
She tried a few times. Lets keep them in prayer b/c the mens branch went
biserk; although they are trying to re-group according to their real charism in
a few places in the States & in the Philippines.[/quote]

Hello,

I saw the much needed change of superiors also, was there. They left LV and Capena now?.
Who "could never stay"? I can see your understanding that "Everything was concentrated in one hand," to the truth of that, the novice mistress became superior. I didn't know they went to the Philippines?! Father Peter L went there. The Prioress has a council and the new Mther had been council for at least ten years..oh you said the men's branch went biserk! Well, they left the original constitutions three years after Fr. Gerald's death. the lawsuits that are now very public didn't help. Since you are an Oblate, it was a saving grace that Father Hardon's book was published after long long wait. Gosh, Fr H. died soon after, Father Gerald got his gift. If you haven't gotten the Sponsor, they stopped it. Also the latest instruction talks Eucharistic Adoration.

I did learn italian and now they have closed the Capena house?... so much for looking at a new future.

I love the charism,not what I could see as cult of personality happpening with one very decisive person

Do I know you maybe? Were you a formation sister, ever?