Suggestions Please?

[SisterAli]

My oh my...where do I start? Well....I won't give all of my story on here because some of it is very personal, but for once in my life. I truly, truly feel so strongly in my heart that I know what God's will is for my life and where He is calling me! There were signs, confirmations every single day I was there. Not only through homily's, gospels, the divine office, but through the Sisters themselves. And many things that happened or were revealed to me through prayer...There's way to much to explain, BUT if you have questions about the order or anything PLEASE ask!

The moment I walked through the door.....I knew...this was it. I had a 5 hour lay over in philedelphia airport, let me tell ya the Lord was really testing me there...the big word called TRUST! Hahaha, I was suppose to be at the convent by 2:45pm and I didn't arrive until 9:45pm! I was purely exhausted by the time I got there and hadn't ate supper yet! I couldn't leave the gate area because they kept changing my flight all the time and so I couldn't wander off really! Whew, but I just kept praying and praying...and good ole St. Joseph and the Blessed Mother really helped me out. It took me a few days after arriving to settle down....by the 3rd day of being there I just couldn't resist any more...and I knew and I frankly knew before I even got there that this was where the Lord was calling me, but a lot of fear and running away was getting in the way of my vocation and what the Lord was TRULY calling me to. But...once I gave my commited yes to the Lord during a holy hour...it was like this explosion inside of my heart, this freedom, peace, joy, happiness. I couldn't wait to be able to talk with the vocation director on that Friday.

So we went for a walk and the first 2 minutes it was just silence because I was so nervous ...I couldn't speak lol. Cause I knew once I told her what was going on inside...that was it......haha I let the door open and boy was Jesus happy So she finally said, so how are you doing? I just sighed really deeply because again I was so nervous. I said....well Sister...I'd like to enter! So she said well I'll have to talk to the Superior and she will be the one to make an announcement if we too feel God is calling you here. Of course our talk continued for about an hour and a half just asking several questions and getting to know me better. So the next day on Saturday, April 21st....I had a meeting with the Superior ...a very long one But a truly blessed one...she asked me ....would you like to still be a candidate...(after her asking several questions and talking about the order and such) I said YES Sister, with tears running down my cheeks. She continued on with a few more questions...then she asked one last time if I would still like to be a candidate and I said YES SISTER, by this time I was crying pretty good hehe, of course very happy tears! She said, okay we accept you as a candidate you will receive your Tau cross tonight at evening prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament!!!!!!!!! Basically by receiving the Franciscan Tau cross, means you have made a commitment to the order and are not looking at any other orders. So I asked to make my month stay as a candidate, where you and the community continue to discern whether the Lord is calling you. If they feel that the Lord isn't then they let you know and of course the person wouldn't be a candidate anymore. But I made my month stay.....and they do feel I have an authentic religious life vocation and to there particular community...so I will be entering either September of this year....or September of next year!!!!!!!!!! Praise God! So I ask ya'll for your prayers....and I do want to mention that I kept phatmass in my prayers everyday during my holy hour...and especially those whom sent me PM with prayer requests you were remembered greatly in my prayers! Again if you have any questions let me know!

My prayers! God Bless,

Allie

Edited May 13, 2007 by SisterAli

[cathoholic_anonymous]

Oh, God bless you! How wonderful! Reading your post has made me extremely happy. I was a little bit blue before, and it's amazing how somebody's good news can cheer you up.

Do you have any photos to share or anecdotes about the life in that particular community?

[SisterAli]

Yes I'm working on the photos right now!

I too can share there daily schedule and a few other things

[Starets]

That really is wonderful

[cathoholic_anonymous]

[quote]Yes I'm working on the photos right now![/quote]

And just why is it taking so long? It's past my bedtime! *Mutters imperiously*

[SisterAli]

can anyone tell me how to get pictures on here? im having a hard time. Thanks!

[SisterAli]

[img]http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb212/capuchinallie/100_0679.jpg[/img]

Convent from outside

[img]http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb212/capuchinallie/100_0676.jpg[/img]

Chapel

[img]http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb212/capuchinallie/100_0672.jpg[/img]

Parlor

[img]http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb212/capuchinallie/100_0666.jpg[/img]

Mountain

[img]http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb212/capuchinallie/100_0647.jpg[/img]

Mountain

[img]http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb212/capuchinallie/100_0677.jpg[/img]

Chapel

[img]http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb212/capuchinallie/100_0674.jpg[/img]

Room I stayed in

[img]http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb212/capuchinallie/100_0668.jpg[/img]

Storm rolling in

[img]http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb212/capuchinallie/100_0663.jpg[/img]

Grotto

[img]http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb212/capuchinallie/100_0650.jpg[/img]

Church across from the Convent

Edited May 14, 2007 by SisterAli

[EJames]

[quote name='SisterAli' post='1272726' date='May 13 2007, 05:33 PM'][img]http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb212/capuchinallie/100_0679.jpg[/img][/quote]
how wonderful, beautiful..May God give you His peace!
This is so awesome, which Sisters are these? i thought you were going to Capuchin Sisters of Nazareth in Tunkhannock PA? looks kinda similar?!!are the two Convents affiliated? or did they move from Tunkhannock to Williamsport?
[url="http://www.penitents.org/capuchinsisters.html"]http://www.penitents.org/capuchinsisters.html[/url]
i am searching for a hermit Priest who ministers to Capuchin Sisters in PA.

well, Pax et Bonum!

Edited May 14, 2007 by EJames

[Starets]

Looks like a good place. I loved the simplicity of the chapel.

[cathoholic_anonymous]

Yes, the chapel is wonderful. I like that kind of austere beauty.

[Nunsense]

Congratulations. It sounds like a truly beautiful love affair is just beginning!

[Ora et Labora]

It's beautiful Allie!!! I hope everything works out for you, which I'm sure it will! Are you still going to post the schedule??

[SisterAli]

[quote name='EJames' post='1272746' date='May 13 2007, 10:11 PM']how wonderful, beautiful..May God give you His peace!
This is so awesome, which Sisters are these? i thought you were going to Capuchin Sisters of Nazareth in Tunkhannock PA? looks kinda similar?!!are the two Convents affiliated? or did they move from Tunkhannock to Williamsport?
[url="http://www.penitents.org/capuchinsisters.html"]http://www.penitents.org/capuchinsisters.html[/url]
i am searching for a hermit Priest who ministers to Capuchin Sisters in PA.

well, Pax et Bonum![/quote]


Peace! These are indeed the Capuchin Sisters of Nazareth, they just moved into this new convent of November of last year, which is the formation house for postulants (Williamsport, PA). So currently there are 2 professed and 4 postulants in that convent. They both are very very much affiliated. The formation house for novices and professed are in Tunkhannock, PA.

Sister talked about that hermit priest and I frankly can't remember his name now....but he is amazing You could always call the convent and ask


[quote name='Staretz' post='1272850' date='May 14 2007, 06:35 AM']Looks like a good place. I loved the simplicity of the chapel.[/quote]

It's a wonderful place! I too.....love simplicity/poverty...beautiful!


[quote name='Cathoholic Anonymous' post='1272867' date='May 14 2007, 07:52 AM']Yes, the chapel is wonderful. I like that kind of austere beauty.[/quote]


There is so much beauty there with the mountains and valley and nature...wow..!

[quote name='nunsense' post='1272881' date='May 14 2007, 08:29 AM']Congratulations. It sounds like a truly beautiful love affair is just beginning! [/quote]

Thank you! A love affair....is definately what started to happen in my heart there....a very very deep love affair!!


[quote name='Ora et Labora' post='1272908' date='May 14 2007, 08:54 AM']It's beautiful Allie!!! I hope everything works out for you, which I'm sure it will! Are you still going to post the schedule??[/quote]


Thank you Hope you and the fam are doing well! As to the schedule...I'll post the schedule of the postulants because I don't know the professed schedule but most of it is the same!

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday

6:00am Rise
6:15am-8am Morning Prayer and Eucharistic Holy Hour
8am- Mass
8:45ish-Breakfast (the meal times are like there recreation time...they talk at the meals and there's no real set time limit on when the meal ends, whenever the Superior says so Then dishes (we sing praise and worship songs usually when doing dishes)
9:30am- 11:45am Class/Manual Labor/Apostalate (Depends on the day)
Noon- Midday prayer
then lunch, dishes
1:15pm-4:40pm-Class/Manual Labor/Apostulate
4:45pm-6pm - Evening Prayer and Eucharistic Holy Hour
Supper usually goes til 7:30-8pm.....communal time to talk about different things, then dishes
8:30pm-Nighttime Prayer then Grand Silence
2am- Office of Readings (Vigil) last for about 20 minutes then you go back to bed and the bell will ring again at 6am....(I thought this would be hard, but it really wasn't, your body adjust to it, and it actually was a very powerful thing for me...to know that at 2am college students and others are probably doing things they shouldn't be doing, therefore, we offer up that sacrifice for 20 minutes to pray for those people.

Monday is usually Manual Labor Day
Tuesday is usually class day
Wednesday is usually class day or sometimes take a hike...have a community day
Thursday is singing practice day
Saturday is cleaning day

Friday is basically a day of prayer like a desert day....they fast only on bread and soup on Friday and Wednesday's.
On Friday's you have the same prayer schedule and eating times, except after supper on Friday's you can say Night Prayer and go to bed to get caught up on sleep if need be, so you could be in bed by 7pm if you wanted to be The same is on Wednesday (Wednesday is a fasting day on bread and soup and the evening meal is in silence to medidate upon the Gospel that is read at the beginning of the meal and after supper you can go say night time prayer and be in bed by 7pm)

Friday you get to sleep in til 7am. This is true also for Sunday.

I hope this helps! Let me know of anymore questions!

God Bless,

Allie

[Ora et Labora]

Wow!! Thanks so much! So, do they have a site?? And yes, my fam is doing well. To bad you and my dad got cut off on his cell. It must of been the trees or something. I'm the one who answered the phone by the way.

[SisterAli]

[quote name='Ora et Labora' post='1272993' date='May 14 2007, 11:20 AM']Wow!! Thanks so much! So, do they have a site?? And yes, my fam is doing well. To bad you and my dad got cut off on his cell. It must of been the trees or something. I'm the one who answered the phone by the way. [/quote]


Ya, hahaha, it was funny the message he left. He said ya you musta been too high up on that mountain. Tehheee...I dunno who it was but I should call back because I never finished my story! I was wonderin' if that was YOU or Lauren!

Yes they have two websites:

[url="http://www.medugorje.com/sisters/"]Capuchin Sisters of Nazareth (main one)[/url] turn up your volume when on the main page and you can hear the Sisters singing

[url="http://www.penitents.org/capuchinsisters.html"]Capuchin Sisters of Nazareth[/url]

[Ora et Labora]

my comp isn't working. sorry!

Edited May 14, 2007 by Ora et Labora

[Ora et Labora]

whoops, double post.

Edited May 14, 2007 by Ora et Labora

[Ora et Labora]

my dad's silly. he's glad about your vocation though!! it's really awesome. you are so blessed to finally find a community you feel completely peaceful at! thanks a lot for the links...i will definitely check BOTH out! if you need anything or just want to talk, my PM is always open!

[Starets]

Sounds like a good schedule. So, when are you starting your countdown?

[Ora et Labora]

i think she said either this september, or next.