New Direction For Our Proposed Active Orders

[Gemma]

[quote name='ofpheritup' post='1290820' date='Jun 8 2007, 11:22 AM']"Hook and eye" I just couldn't think of it. Sounds stupid now. Possible good second choices?

I can't see in any of this where Gemma is not open to suggestions or constructive criticism.
Behind the scenes I have emailed her numerous times, she is quite humble, actually sweet and very open to other's points of view.

I feel alot of the misunderstandings are just to frustrate her with the hope that she would quit.
Not from anyone here but from Satan.

It is obvious from this post that Jesus and Mary are on her side. And isn't that what all of us really need?
If God be for us, who could possibly be so stupid, dumb or dense (I'm paraphrasing here)enough to be against us?

Gemma, "THE TASK AHEAD OF YOU IS NOT AS GREAT AS THE POWER BEHIND YOU".[/quote]

Yes, velcro had crossed my mind, as well as the white plastic pins used to hold nurse's caps together. I had completely forgotten about hook-n-eyes.

I know how desperately the world needs this particular charism. There is much going on behind-the-scenes here at Cloister Outreach, and just because I'm not publicly (aka internet) documenting everything doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

Yes, Opher, if God is for us, who can be against us? Several priests have written in saying how they support our work with their prayers.

We're about to have our first Aspirant Gathering for the Cloisterites, and believe me, I WILL post pix on PM!

Again, thanks for the very kind words. They are most appreciated.

Blessings,
Gemma

[chelsea]

I have a quick question...maybe I'm just not understanding...let me know if this has already been answered.

You wont take final vows, but instead take temporary vows once a year?

[Gemma]

[quote name='chelsea' post='1291808' date='Jun 10 2007, 11:33 AM']I have a quick question...maybe I'm just not understanding...let me know if this has already been answered.

You wont take final vows, but instead take temporary vows once a year?[/quote]

As unusual as it is, yes, that's the way the Daughters of Charity did their vows. When the DCs first started in the 1600s, there was no such thing as an active women's religious order. ALL women religious were cloistered. Therefore, the DCs couldn't take solemn perpetual vows because they weren't cloistered. I know it all sounds very strange to our modern-day ears when we have such wonderful active women religious out there in the field, but such was not what St. Vincent de Paul was up against.

In fact, someone just sent me something from ebay which said that yes, the DCs took yearly vows, and if someone wanted to leave after a certain amount of time, they could when their vows expired. Now I can hear others exclaiming, "But that's foundational suicide!"

I look at it like this--if a sister's love for Christ and the apostolate aren't enough to keep her at the convent, nothing else will. It's like two lovers who tell each other, "If your love for me isn't enough to bring you home each night, what's the use of continuing the relationship?"

The Daughters of Charity also didn't have a formal habit-taking ceremony which included dressing up like brides, either. The novices lined up at a closet (I guess it was a closet) and were given their habits without fanfare. More modern-day books and other publications may show the DCs with Brides of Christ sitting in the pews across the aisle from them, but that's not the way it started.

We're still trying to get the timeline down for when they started doing things, but as it stands now, if our bishop or whomever says not to do the vows on a yearly basis, we'll have no choice but to do it the "modern" way.

HTH.

Blessings,
Gemma

[chelsea]

[quote name='Gemma' post='1291894' date='Jun 10 2007, 02:50 PM']As unusual as it is, yes, that's the way the Daughters of Charity did their vows. When the DCs first started in the 1600s, there was no such thing as an active women's religious order. ALL women religious were cloistered. Therefore, the DCs couldn't take solemn perpetual vows because they weren't cloistered. I know it all sounds very strange to our modern-day ears when we have such wonderful active women religious out there in the field, but such was not what St. Vincent de Paul was up against.

In fact, someone just sent me something from ebay which said that yes, the DCs took yearly vows, and if someone wanted to leave after a certain amount of time, they could when their vows expired. Now I can hear others exclaiming, "But that's foundational suicide!"

I look at it like this--if a sister's love for Christ and the apostolate aren't enough to keep her at the convent, nothing else will. It's like two lovers who tell each other, "If your love for me isn't enough to bring you home each night, what's the use of continuing the relationship?"

The Daughters of Charity also didn't have a formal habit-taking ceremony which included dressing up like brides, either. The novices lined up at a closet (I guess it was a closet) and were given their habits without fanfare. More modern-day books and other publications may show the DCs with Brides of Christ sitting in the pews across the aisle from them, but that's not the way it started.

We're still trying to get the timeline down for when they started doing things, but as it stands now, if our bishop or whomever says not to do the vows on a yearly basis, we'll have no choice but to do it the "modern" way.

HTH.

Blessings,
Gemma[/quote]


That makes sense i suppose. I guess i've just never heard of it done that way. i was never familiar with the daughters of charity. There is a woman I taught confirmation with who used to be a DC but then left and got married.
I'm very interested in this new order! I'm kind-of-not-really-but-am discerning, and this order is very intriguing.

[Gemma]

[quote name='chelsea' post='1292018' date='Jun 10 2007, 05:03 PM']That makes sense i suppose. I guess i've just never heard of it done that way. i was never familiar with the daughters of charity. There is a woman I taught confirmation with who used to be a DC but then left and got married.
I'm very interested in this new order! I'm kind-of-not-really-but-am discerning, and this order is very intriguing.[/quote]

We can start off-board correspondence and discernment -- if you'd like.

We also have a virtual "come and see" in the form of a yahoo group: Cloister Outreach Foundations. The group won't do many people much good if questions aren't asked!

[url="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cloister_outreach_foundations/"]http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cloister_outreach_foundations/[/url]

I know of quite a few vocations that developed from those who "weren't even looking." I know one personally who is now in the Carmel of Port Tobacco, MD.

Is your former DC friend willing to talk about her experiences? Cloister Outreach also has a yahoo group for ex-nuns (and ex-friars, for that matter).

Hope to hear from you!

Blessings,
Gemma