Ann Arbor sisters can't build fast enough to house new members

[Shoshana]

Ann Arbor sisters can’t build fast enough to house new members

Ann Arbor, Mich., Aug 27, 2009 / 07:07 am (CNA).- Though the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist in Ann Arbor are celebrating the completion of the construction of their Motherhouse, they are already near capacity, with 17 new sisters entering at the end of this week. The community has grown from four sisters to 99 in less than 13 years and shows no
catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=16940

 

[allhers]

Aren’t they wonderful?!

For more information about the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, visit: sistersofmary.org.

 

[anode]

17 new postulants entering.

This year, 5 made final vows. Good. Very good. But not 17.

Count the final professions—only.

 

[GilChrist77]

This is the order I’m hoping to enter next year…but where will I sleep?? Just kidding, I know that God will provide. They are currently the fastest growing order in the world! :bigyikes:
Here is a picture (sorry it’s so small) of the chapel in the motherhouse. Absolutely beautiful!

JMJ+
~Betsy

Totus tuus Maria!

 

[Hidden_One]

17 new postulants entering.

This year, 5 made final vows. Good. Very good. But not 17.

Count the final professions—only.

How many entered in their ‘class’? Don’t count the final professions only, but also the original number of postulants.

 

[Shoshana]

How many entered in their ‘class’? Don’t count the final professions only, but also the original number of postulants.

You are right! Not all may make it to their final profession…but 17 is a very healthy number and reflects a real thirst for authentic, traditional sisterhood. Many communities are dying out with no postulants or novices because they have become so lax…

God bless you…

 

[Hidden_One]

You are right! Not all may make it to their final profession…but 17 is a very healthy number and reflects a real thirst for authentic, traditional sisterhood. Many communities are dying out with no postulants or novices because they have become so lax…

God bless you…

Yeah. There are a great number of communities that would have a great deal more life to them (and would die out much slower, if at all) if they got 5 postulants over 5 years and retained 5/17 of them.

Also, for all I know, Ann Arbour got, say, 7 postulants that year. Five of seven is a lot better than 5 of 17.

 

[anode]

You are right! Not all may make it to their final profession…but 17 is a very healthy number and reflects a real thirst for authentic, traditional sisterhood. Many communities are dying out with no postulants or novices because they have become so lax…

God bless you…

If you check out many communities in the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious, www.cmswr.org, and the communities listed in the Institute of Religious Life, www.religiouslife.org, which include habited orders felt to be faithful to the magesterium, you will fine MANY that are small and don’t appear to be growing–some not at all, and for all of them, certainly not rapidly. Some have a very limited web presence, no newsletter, etc. and very small numbers. For many it is only a dribble. I was surprised to find the following for this year’s FINAL professions, the only ones that count:

All of these institutes have had large novitiates and big websites for years:

Alton Franciscans (of the martyr St. George) TWO finals (they have a large novitiate)
Sisters of Life -very well known ONE final
Franciscans of the Renewal ditto ONE final
Caermelites of the SH, Los Angeles ONE final

Time will tell. But I think that it is simplistic to blame few final professions on “laxity”.

 

[Hidden_One]

All of these institutes have had large novitiates and big websites for years:

How many years? Anode, your statistics are not very useful when you don’t also provide the number of entering postulants in the year in which the professed entered. (The number of novices at the beginning of the novitiate would also be useful.) Also, you seem to post as though this is a comparison between orders that are theoretically growing rapidly and orders that are not growing or are growing slowly. Would it were that that’s the case! Most orders are shrinking.

 

[anode]

The implication is that the “lax” orders are shrinking and the “trad” habit-wearing orders are growing.

This is not true.

Only a few of the habit-wearing orders are growing. Some very slowly, some faster, those with a large media presence, who are often mentioned on the forums.

and there is high attrition in the novitiate. Last year, 6/18 of the Nashvilles made first vows.

 

[Shoshana]

The implication is that the “lax” orders are shrinking and the “trad” habit-wearing orders are growing.

This is not true.

Only a few of the habit-wearing orders are growing. Some very slowly, some faster, those with a large media presence, who are often mentioned on the forums.

and there is high attrition in the novitiate. Last year, 6/18 of the Nashvilles made first vows.

I have helped a group of cloistered nuns pack and move to the USA. They did wear a habit…but they were far from traditional. Actually, they were very lax. They took a vow of obedience …but…to themselves. Very, very liberal.

 

[anode]

The implication is that the “lax” orders are shrinking and the “trad” habit-wearing orders are growing.

This is not true.

Only a few of the habit-wearing orders are growing. Some very slowly, some faster, those with a large media presence, who are often mentioned on the forums.

and there is high attrition in the novitiate. Last year, 6/18 of the Nashvilles made first vows.

sorry, I cut this short.

con’t…Of the Nashville Dominicans who entered in 2007, of the original 18 (a very large number) 6 became novices–still a large number, but that’s 1/3. Maybe it will be more some years, lesss others. Maybe this year’s “low” in final vows for some of the much-mentioned orders will be much larger next year. Maybe not. I am going over orders in the CMSWR-council of Major superiors of Women Religious, a group founded, I think, in response to the Vatican and a reaction to the LCWR-Leadership Council of Women Religious, the “liberal” group. Of the 103 orders in the CMSWR, many are small in the US, but larger abroad, or small–period. Many have little information re their formation groups on their websites. Some have no websites, newsletters, etc. All wear habits.

 

[Mark77]

**God Bless all of the women and men who dedicate their lives to Jesus Christ.

Don’t worry about numbers, God is in charge!**

It is better to have far fewer total numbers, if those who profess are truly sacrificing themselves for Jesus!

"And he said to all, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (LK 9:23)

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, Ora Pro Nobis Peccatoribus!

mark

 

[Shoshana]

God Bless all of the women and men who dedicate their lives to Jesus Christ.

Don’t worry about numbers, God is in charge!

It is better to have far fewer total numbers, if those who profess are truly sacrificing themselves for Jesus!

"And he said to all, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (LK 9:23)

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, Ora Pro Nobis Peccatoribus!

mark

I do fully concur. That being said…back in the day when I was young (as I entered the convent in 1969)…and prior to that…there may have been a great number of postulants also, with a much smaller number being professed. This is not a problem from today at all. Being a postulant is exactly that…learning somewhat the convent life, being novice is also…it is the testing ground all the way. Even Mother Angelica is experiencing a good number of postulants, with less number for novices.

After seven years, we then see a true vocation and a totally professed Sister!

 

[goforgoal]

Shoshana- Oh how happy this makes me thank you for sharing this website. I’ll pray for the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist.

This video is two years old but still good:

youtube.com/watch?v=2s7YP3tWU_Y

Please Pray for the Discalced Carmelite Sisters who are in the process of building a new convent. I am also discerning a vocation with them

carmelspall.org/Home.htm

 

[debraran]

This is a wonderful order and has a youthfulness and holiness that will attract others.

I realize many come and sometimes dont stay (it’s luckily not a shameful things as it was years ago) but many orders retain most of their postulants. You can see it in the numbers as the years go on and sometimes I remember a novice now taking their final vows.

Some orders thrive, when others don’t. The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal have to turn some away, they just didn’t feel they would belong there, but still get over 15 a year it seems. The nuns also do well with vocations by today’s standards. EWTN is full to capacity with nuns and the “desert nuns” which broke off to go to Arizona, are getting 2 new postulants, so they will be full until they can build a new monastary. A young woman from Yale joined the Sister of Life in NY a couple of years ago which peeked my daughters interest and they are growing.

I have fear for the diocesan priests, they seem to be lagging. Maybe in our society, the more austere or orders with priests living together do better. I know the Dominicans near me have 3 regular priests, and about 7 living in the priory which help out during vacations and illness. The pull to the doicesan priest might not be as attractive to someone being pulled toward the priesthood. Some areas, the priest is seen during mass, some meetings and the rest is doing business and weddings, funerals, etc. You don’t always see the joy you see in other orders.