Any sisters or nuns here?

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What was it like when you were a novice? What did you do every day?
 
I joined an order that was 360 years old. We were awakened at 5:15 and had 30 minutes to be dressed and in chapel. Our schedule went something like this:
5:15 rising
5:45 morning prayer
6:10 meditation
6:45 rosary
7:00 mass
7:45 breakfast
8:15 chores
10:15 litany
12:00 dinner
12:30 noon prayer
12:45 chores
3:00 coffee break
5:45 evening prayer
6:10 supper
7:30 recreation
8:30 night prayer and office of readings
9:00 prepare for bed
10:00 lights out

Chores could be anything from working at the nursing home, childrens home, cleaning around the convent, or running errands. Three or four days a week, we had classes on religious life. The time went by really quickly, and I enjoyed just about everything we did (except learning how to sew).

During my first year of noviciate, we spent 6 months helping in the kitchen and six months in the sewing room. During the second year, we could be assigned to one of the schools, or stay at the motherhouse and work at the nursing home or childrens home. Before I knew it, Profession Day arrived.

That was 26 years ago… I entered at 17 - so I had to spend an entire year as postulant, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.
 
I am a Sister of St. Joseph. My novitiate was in 2000-2001. Our schedule pretty much looked like this:

Mon = Piled into cars at 6am and drove to Boston for all day classes, came home, ate dinner, prayer, went to bed

Tue, Wed = Mass, breakfast, prayer, classes, lunch, classes, dinner, prayer, free time (to study, read, paint, do “homework” etc.), bed.

Thursdays = Mass, breakfast, prayer, ministry day (all novices volunteered at hospitals, schools, soup kitchens, jails, etc.), house chores, dinner, ministry reflection, prayer, fall asleep exhausted (!)

Fridays = Silence all day…a day of silent, individual prayer. Silence until after dinner (which was probably silence from the time you woke up until approximately 6-6:30pm), prayer, free time until bed (to study, read, paint, do “homework” etc.)

Saturdays = House chores, laundry, free time, prayer on your own, get done whatever needed to be done (clean your room, write letters, go to the pharmacy, etc.). Evening choir practice for next day’s Mass.

Sundays = Mass, dinner, group activities, Theological reflection, prayer.

We shared 3 cars among 14 novices, so “free time” was not like free time prior to religious life! 🙂

We also had a few times during the year when we went to a seminary or other religious house for retreat.
 
*I do so hope more religious who see this might post.

I was in community almost 20 years ago and left for family situations… hopefully to return next year.

I am so happy to see a forum like this for todays young [maybe not so young] Catholics looking into religious life.

A big thank you to those sisters who took the time to post!]
Blessings of Peace and All Good!*
 
I am a novice,

my timetable is something like this - some days differ slightly:

05.30 - Rise 06.00 - meditation followed by breakfast
07.00 - Morning Office 08.30 - Mass
09.15 - work 11.00 - Class
12.00 - Office followed by lunch 13.00 - half hour rest
13.30 - reading 14.00 - work
15.00 - choir practice followed by a quick drink
15.30 Recreation 16.30 - reading
17.00 - class 18.00 - Office followed by a meal
19.15 - personal space 20.00 - meditation
20.30 - Office then bed.
my day is quite flexible though as work depends on what needs doing and some days reading and work get switched around. It is tiring but balanced.
 
To All That Have Posted:

This may seem ridiculous but where in the schedule is there time to shower, get a haircut, exercise, go to the pharmacy and or do some other things in life? Just Curious 😊

OpusFan
 
OpusFan said:
To All That Have Posted:

This may seem ridiculous but where in the schedule is there time to shower, get a haircut, exercise, go to the pharmacy and or do some other things in life? Just Curious 😊

OpusFan
Click to expand...
That’s not so ridiculous-
Showering is usually a part of preparing for bed (listed in my timetable from 9-10.) Believe me, it doesn’t take an hour to remove a habit and put on a nightgown.
Living in community, there is usually someone designated to make the pharmacy run for all.
Exercise is a part of recreation. On Sundays, or in the summer, we would often pull out the bicycles and go for a ride - often, with the seamstress chasing after us warning “Don’t get those habits caught in the chain! I am not going to spend all next week repairing habits! Monsignor is waiting on his new vestments!”
As for haircuts - those of us who cut our hair could squeeze it in after supper. Some of us cut our own, or just let it grow. Mother Superior had quite a braid under her veil.
Community life takes care of most of the errand running - which I do not miss at ALL. One person does all the grocery shopping, several medical appointments are planned together, etc. so that trips to town are efficient.
 
Hi Sister MM,

Thanks for sharing those details with me and satisfying my curiousity. Thanks also for sharing with us who aspire to join religious life.

Sister if you may indulge me one more time, but how are family visits arranged and are you allowed out to dinner with your folks?

All the Best,

OpusFan
 
The answer to your questions depends on a number of factors, depending on the community, their apostolate, and the distance of family members. In my own case, as my parents lived several thousand miles away, they would be allowed to visit whenever they asked to do so (usually every couple of years) and would be allowed to stay in the guest quarters. A classmate of mine, however, had parents living in just the next county. They visited once a month but did not stay overnight. Both of us were allowed to go out for dinner with our families. I can’t think of an occasion when permission was denied… for any of the sisters.

I also have spent time living with other communities, due to studies. One community actually has facilities to care for the aging parents of community members. All available community members share in the apostolate. They often quip, "When a woman joins our order, we tell the family, ‘You haven’t lost a daughter - you’ve just gained a couple dozen of them!’ " Sadly, I knew of another community that refused to allow a member to take a leave of absence to care for an aging parent in need, saying that the needs of the community outweighed the family’s need - quoting the gospel, etc. Every community I know of has a statement addressing family visits and how situtations such as family need are addressed.

So, if you are discerning a community - ask to read their constitutions and see what they have to say on that topic.

Religious communities are families, and as such, they each have their particular charism and customs. Just like all married couples do not fit into the same mold, neither do all religious families. Each one discerns its own response to the needs of the people they serve, and the local church in a particular time. There are no carbon copies. The variety is probably similar to the variety you find in nature - flowers come in all shapes, sizes, and fragrances. Bloom where you’re planted!
 
Hi Sister MM,

Thank you once again. There are a gazillion vocation websites out there and many with a faq section, but very few answer the questions dealing with practical everyday life.

I really appreciate your answers on these practical matters as they will help me discern better the community which will suit me best.

Your Brother In Christ,

OpusFan
 
OpusFan said:
Hi Sister MM,

Thank you once again. There are a gazillion vocation websites out there and many with a faq section, but very few answer the questions dealing with practical everyday life.

I really appreciate your answers on these practical matters as they will help me discern better the community which will suit me best.

Your Brother In Christ,

OpusFan
Click to expand...
We are so very lucky to have all the tools today for discerning vocations. As a former vocations director for a community.[now 15 years ago… I must say isnt it nice to have all the resources today [that there are?]

I myself belonged to a community which I had to leave due to family situations. How blessed I am to have [hopefully] found communites which accept both late and returning vocations.

yes I agree for sure… once you find the rule you wish to follow, then visit the different communities.

Most treat families like their own but constitutions do vary. So therefore family visits may vary and of course a lot depends on whether one is in an active order or no? ]

Also as you can see the way the day progresses can vary from community to community.

I am so very happy to see so many active religious posting and do visit all the links shown many vocations magazines and websites offer great ways to narrow the choices down

blessings on your search and keep asking questions… as you can see many are willing to share their journeys with you

Peace and All That is Good!

We are so very lucky to have all the tools today for discerning vocations.
 
I have a friend that want’s to be a nun but she has prob’s with female issue’s (here period is really bad she end’s up bed ridden for a whole week sometime’s) is there any advice i can give her she’s 18 and that’s her dream
 
She probably needs to see a good GYN. I work at a school, and one of our teachers had a similar issue, and was treated by a Creighton specialist after the regular (very good and pro-life) GYN still couldn’t help her. I’m not an expert, but have heard of similar problems with women who have a prolapsed uterus or severe primary dysmenorrhoea. The anti-inflamatory meds are like putting a band-aid on a gash that requires stitches. With the right treatment, perhaps your friend would have less discomfort. Additionally, it would help her application if she could say that the underlying cause had been diagnosed and was being treated. Any undiagnosed medical condition would cause concern. Undisclosed medical conditions, in some communities, are cause for dismissal or sufficient cause to deny profession. So, she’ll want to be “up front” about it (of couse!)
 
OpusFan said:
Hi Sister MM,

Thank you once again. There are a gazillion vocation websites out there and many with a faq section, but very few answer the questions dealing with practical everyday life.

I really appreciate your answers on these practical matters as they will help me discern better the community which will suit me best.

Your Brother In Christ,

OpusFan
Click to expand...
Good Luck on your journey…keep posting! *
 
I was listening to the friars on EWTN sayng when they hike or do other types of exercising (good for health/stress) they wear regular clothes. I don’t notice that as much with sisters. Would it be forbidden in most orders to wear pants when biking/hiking etc and still wear a head covering for safety and comfort? One sister on this show was saying she can’t pass a good “tree climbing tree” without at least trying and I smiled at her joy but also worried with her full habit, how she did that safely!
 
I have a question… one of the nuns at my parish said that the biggest obstacle for young women was not giving up male companionship but their cars. Is this true?
 
Sister_MM said:
Believe me, it doesn’t take an hour to remove a habit and put on a nightgown.
Click to expand...
What? You mean you don’t sleep in your habits? You always see St. Bernadette sleeping in her habit. 😉

I love and honor all our consecrated celibates. May God bless you richly in this life and through eternity for your obedience to your vocation.

:hug1: :nun1:
 
OpusFan said:
To All That Have Posted:

This may seem ridiculous but where in the schedule is there time to shower, get a haircut, exercise, go to the pharmacy and or do some other things in life? Just Curious 😊

OpusFan
Click to expand...
yes of course, do you schedule the more mundane chores and tasks if you were to make such a list of your own day? in general in community life chores that require a trip outside may be handled by someone charged with that duty.
 
I think this has changed a bit over the years, (except with very strict orders) but I used to think how unhealthy it was physcially to be a nun. They didn’t seem to get any real exercise besides maybe a leisurely walk, and forget any muscle building for their bones. I also think exercise helps with stress, in a differentl way than prayer and that we should all try to take care of the bodies God gave us.
I remember years ago reading a doctor’s statelment that many religious, mainly women, get sick and not get adequate treatment. Also if you can’t eat/exercise and do things to help prevent high cholesterol, stroke, cancer, etc. it makes it harder to treat.
I see now, orders bicycling, walking, (even a running nun somewhere!) which is encouraging. My girlfriend who grew up with many cranky nuns in the 60’s-70’s, said, it some of them had an outlet, even an hour to do something for them, maybe they would be in a better mood. From what she saw, “free” time was spent reading, knitting, doing things together and I suppose there is some pressure to conform to what the rest are doing even if it is supposed to be non-work time.
I don’t see that with male orders, they travel, exercise, hike, play sports, etc. I don’t think it’s narcisstic, just taking care of yourself.
 
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