Could You Help Me A Little?

[jwingert72]

Oh, a little note. I didn't tell my family first (years ago.) and I sent in a postcard from the vocations guidebook. Oh my! Imagine my father's surprise when he went home early to pick up his golfclubs and found 20+ big brown envelopes stuffed in the screen door from all these religious vocation directors. When I mailed it I figured I could waylay the letters (not knowing they would be so big.) before anyone got home. I also made the mistake of checking off that I was interested in everything. So you can imagine the mail we got at home for several months. Actually I feel sorry for the mailman. I was in college and living at home. What a family story that is. My father couldn't speak to me for two weeks. But, it wasn't because he was angry or non supportive. He would choke up and just pat me on the head. He was afraid to speak, because for the first time I had left him speachless, and he was afraid he would ball like a baby. Just a little comic relief for everyone.

[agnes88]

Thank you so much, everyone!

I admit, I'm quite scared. I know I shouldn't be afraid, so I am trying to keep strong faith in Christ.

I was contacted out of the blue a couple of days ago by a Dominican nun. I have been trying to decide how to respond. I do not want to rush anything.

I will probably be meeting with my spiritual director tomorrow or the next day. I hope I don't unload too much stuff on him!

[agnes88]

[quote name='jwingert72' post='1876266' date='May 26 2009, 11:48 PM']Oh, a little note. I didn't tell my family first (years ago.) and I sent in a postcard from the vocations guidebook. Oh my! Imagine my father's surprise when he went home early to pick up his golfclubs and found 20+ big brown envelopes stuffed in the screen door from all these religious vocation directors. When I mailed it I figured I could waylay the letters (not knowing they would be so big.) before anyone got home. I also made the mistake of checking off that I was interested in everything. So you can imagine the mail we got at home for several months. Actually I feel sorry for the mailman. I was in college and living at home. What a family story that is. My father couldn't speak to me for two weeks. But, it wasn't because he was angry or non supportive. He would choke up and just pat me on the head. He was afraid to speak, because for the first time I had left him speachless, and he was afraid he would ball like a baby. Just a little comic relief for everyone.[/quote]
I've been thinking about this! My parents know I go to daily Mass and such, but they are not religious. I don't think they would be very happy to learn about my discernment! I think I'm going to keep it quiet for now until I learn more. I think with time they would be OK with more apostolic orders, but I can't imagine my parents supporting a contemplative vocation! I'll cross that bridge when I come to it!

[InHisLove726]

[quote name='agnes88' post='1876279' date='May 27 2009, 12:00 AM']I've been thinking about this! My parents know I go to daily Mass and such, but they are not religious. I don't think they would be very happy to learn about my discernment! I think I'm going to keep it quiet for now until I learn more. I think with time they would be OK with more apostolic orders, but I can't imagine my parents supporting a contemplative vocation! I'll cross that bridge when I come to it![/quote]

You never know! They might surprise you! I thought my mom was going to be very upset because it's not a well known vocation at all in our family. I'm the first to discern a religious vocation. She took it pretty well, all things considering, and said if it would make me happy to go for it. I feel like she is one of my biggest cheerleaders now, even though some stuff hasn't worked out.

All I'm saying is give your parents a chance.

[agnes88]

[quote name='InHisLove726' post='1876289' date='May 27 2009, 12:06 AM']You never know! They might surprise you! I thought my mom was going to be very upset because it's not a well known vocation at all in our family. I'm the first to discern a religious vocation. She took it pretty well, all things considering, and said if it would make me happy to go for it. I feel like she is one of my biggest cheerleaders now, even though some stuff hasn't worked out.

All I'm saying is give your parents a chance. [/quote]
My mom isn't religious, and my dad left the Church, so they don't really "get" religion very well. They both love and support me, though, and they want me to be happy.

[Hilde]

There are nuns. Happy nuns. Even here.

[quote name='laetitia crucis' post='1874466' date='May 25 2009, 01:50 AM']I did that vocation test a few years ago, and yep, various orders definitely called me and/or sent mail to me. I can't remember if they had an e-mail option, but I think they may have... perhaps that's something you'd be able to specify? [/quote]
Is it a test, or is it an application? I'm confused. Is what I see on that page the whole thing?

I would be a little nervous having people calling me, because English is not my first language. I guess it would probably work out fine though.

An I'm not Catholic yet( perhaps in 3 months or so )

Edited June 12, 2009 by Hilde

[Hilde]

Nobody knows?

[puellapaschalis]

[quote name='Hilde' post='1891427' date='Jun 15 2009, 07:53 PM']Nobody knows?[/quote]

I wonder if they would even call someone outside the US anyway. But I'm not sure.

[elizabeth09]

Carmelite sisters of the divine heart of jesus

[url="http://www.carmelitedcj.org/"]http://www.carmelitedcj.org/[/url]

Here is there web site.

[InHisLove726]

[quote name='Hilde' post='1888656' date='Jun 11 2009, 08:43 PM']There are nuns. Happy nuns. Even here.


Is it a test, or is it an application? I'm confused. Is what I see on that page the whole thing?

I would be a little nervous having people calling me, because English is not my first language. I guess it would probably work out fine though.

An I'm not Catholic yet( perhaps in 3 months or so )[/quote]

It's a vocation test to see where you best fit in (I'm sorry I didn't answer before; I didn't see your question). The communities that you match with will send you information by mail or email. You are not obligated in any way to visit them or keep contact with them. It is just a very good resource for those who are discerning. I've taken the test several times.

[Sister Rose Therese]

Hello Agnes,
Glad to have you here.
[quote name='agnes88' post='1874303' date='May 24 2009, 12:09 PM']Hi, everyone! I just completed my 10 posts in order to post in here!

As the title says, I am new to discerning and don't know what I'm doing. Reading your stories has been so inspiring to me!

Some things make me nervous and concerned, and I'm hoping you can help me out a little.


1. I don't know any female religious, and sometimes I doubt that any actually exist! Of course I look on the websites and see them, but that's all. I hear a lot about former nuns who left, discerners who can't find a fitting order, people who go through postulancy and leave... Are there happy sisters and nuns out there? I know some orders have lots of new, young vocations. Are these young women staying in and taking their perpetual vows? I need some reassurance. [/quote]
Yes, we exist.
And Yes, there are happy nuns and sisters out there!
And yes there are young women who are entering and taking their perpetual vows. I'm hoping to make mine August of 2010.
You should check around in your area to see if there are any general vocation fairs, camps, or youth conferences that have sisters. So you can see for yourself.

[quote]2. My spiritual director suggested I get in touch with a couple of orders of interest this summer. How do you go about this? What do you say when you contact them? I haven't been a practicing Catholic for two years yet (I don't come from a religious family and only started practicing in college), so I know I am not looking to enter right away.[/quote]
If you're just starting to look, you may want to see about attending an event like I just mentioned first, or just looking on-line yourself. If you sign up for one of the vocation sites (the ones that send your information to different communities) before you have an idea what you are looking for you'll be buried alive in mail.
If you do find some that really strike you as interesting, just send them an email and say you'd like to learn more.
[quote]3. Can you guys maybe give me some advice at looking at orders? I've found so many that look good, but I don't know if any of them fit me very well, if you know what I mean. I am trying to go where God leads me, but I don't know if I'm particularly good at following Him.

I like that the Dominicans say they "contemplative and share the fruits of their contemplation." That appeals to me a lot! The Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist look wonderful wonderful wonderful, but when I looked at their daily schedule, it seemed a little too packed full. I'd want more quiet and more time to pray than that!

I also love the idea of perpetual adoration. I do a daily Holy Hour now, and that and daily Mass are the center of my day. Since I love adoration and prayer, it seems that I should look at contemplative orders, but I don't really feel comfortable with the idea of a cloister. Also, I was reading the thread on unusual hygene practices... and that made me a little nervous! I want a simple and sparse lifestyle, but I don't know if I'm ready for washing out of a bucket!

I want to be mostly out of the world, but I also want to be able to get up and help people in the world directly. I would love to teach people and maybe kids about Christ and the Church, and I also want to pray a lot. Is there anything like that out there?[/quote]
It can be tough when you first start looking at these things. I think your other respondents have recommended some good websites to find orders.
I remember feeling attracted to many different things myself. The cloisters, perpetual adoration, missionary and charitable works... We're attracted to them all because they are all good. However, we are limited creatures and can't do everything. Personally, I knew it was going to be a Franciscan order that I would enter. Some in our community knew it would be a nursing apostolate, but didn't know what order. You may eventually find something like that becomes clear for yourself.

[quote]Do you have any advice?


Thank you all so much!!! I'm sorry this is so long!


Agnes[/quote]
Keep going to daily Mass and making your Holy Hours! Don't panic, God will guide you.
You might want to try praying a novena to St. Therese of Lisieux. She's not the patron saint of vocations for nothing.
God bless you.
Sister Rose Therese

[Hilde]

Unfortunately I'm only able to select US and Canada, so they might not want anyone from outside America. Weird.

I really wanted to take that test though.

[laetitia crucis]

[quote name='Hilde' post='1901432' date='Jun 25 2009, 06:42 PM']Unfortunately I'm only able to select US and Canada, so they might not want anyone from outside America. Weird.

I really wanted to take that test though.[/quote]

Maybe you could just select "US" or "Canada"? I wish I remembered the test better, but perhaps it could at least be of some help to you?

[AbsconditaInDeo]

[quote name='agnes88' post='1874303' date='May 24 2009, 01:09 PM']3. Can you guys maybe give me some advice at looking at orders? I've found so many that look good, but I don't know if any of them fit me very well, if you know what I mean. I am trying to go where God leads me, but I don't know if I'm particularly good at following Him.

I like that the Dominicans say they "contemplative and share the fruits of their contemplation." That appeals to me a lot! The Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist look wonderful wonderful wonderful, but when I looked at their daily schedule, it seemed a little too packed full. I'd want more quiet and more time to pray than that!

I also love the idea of perpetual adoration. I do a daily Holy Hour now, and that and daily Mass are the center of my day. Since I love adoration and prayer, it seems that I should look at contemplative orders, but I don't really feel comfortable with the idea of a cloister. Also, I was reading the thread on unusual hygene practices... and that made me a little nervous! I want a simple and sparse lifestyle, but I don't know if I'm ready for washing out of a bucket!

I want to be mostly out of the world, but I also want to be able to get up and help people in the world directly. I would love to teach people and maybe kids about Christ and the Church, and I also want to pray a lot. Is there anything like that out there?

Do you have any advice?[/quote]

I would really recommend e-mailing Sr. Joseph Andrew, OP (sjab@sistersofmary.org) of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. She can really help you with discernment and help you find a good order that may be a good fit for you. She has helped me A LOT with my discernment and I can't thank her enough for how much she's helped me. She is absolutely wonderful and very wise, and also very funny! Also, the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist are a very good, traditional Community that's bursting at the seams with vocations. I really recommend that you look into them. They're dominicans and they're mostly teachers. They teach in elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools. They're in Ann Arbor, MI and they have a holy hour everyday (they are very devoted to Jesus in the Holy Eucharist and the Blessed Mother, hence the name Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist). Check out their website (www.sistersofmary.org).

You'll be in my prayers!