Asking Questions

[ThereseAdrianna]

I’m going to be going on my 2nd Come and See Weekend with this one religious order, and I’m curious.

What kind of questions do you ask when you are visiting an order, especially if you feel that you are being called to the order ?

 

[Joe_5859]

I can’t give you firsthand info, only what comes to my mind. But if you’re looking at this thread as a place for brainstorming, then perhaps it will be useful.

If it were me, I think the main thing I would like to know is what a day in the life would be like. I might ask about what type of charisms their order has. I would ask what they see as their identity and where they fit into the life of the Church. Questions about the founder/founding of the order might help fill in the picture as well.

If you’re going for clever, interview-type questions, you could ask: What part of the Body of Christ would you say this order is? I don’t know if asking the question in that way would leave a good impression, though.

 

[Marauder]

Any burning questions you may have. Anything that comes to mind.

What is the daily schedule like?
What community outreaches do they have?
What type of places would you be assigned once you take your vows?
What are the educational requirements? (before and after joining)
If they have a habit, do they wear it all the time, if not when?
Any property ownership rules?
Do I have to give up anything to join?

If they are part of a larger Order (i.e. Franciscan, Benedictine, etc.) how do they relate to the bigger picture?
How do they deal with friction in the community?
How many people have joined the particular group in the last year? 5 years?

Any other burning questions you may have.

 

[Joe_5859]

Any burning questions you may have. Anything that comes to mind.

What is the daily schedule like?
What community outreaches do they have?
What type of places would you be assigned once you take your vows?
What are the educational requirements? (before and after joining)
If they have a habit, do they wear it all the time, if not when?
Any property ownership rules?
Do I have to give up anything to join?

If they are part of a larger Order (i.e. Franciscan, Benedictine, etc.) how do they relate to the bigger picture?
How do they deal with friction in the community?
How many people have joined the particular group in the last year? 5 years?

Any other burning questions you may have.

Good questions!

You might also ask about what the candidacy process looks like, i.e. what you can expect to go through and what they expect from you from the moment you become a candidate until the time you take permanent vows: How long is the process? Are family visits allowed? etc.

 

[red85]

1. You can ask about their vocation rates.
2. You can ask about their ministries, see if they fits with your expectations of the order.
3. You can ask if any of your health issues, if any, prevents you from entering the order.

Living with an order reveals a lot about them, however. So, I don’t really have to ask them a lot of questions. The religious are usually forthcoming about who they are and what they do.

If a religious domicile has TV and radios, however, I cross them off my list. The monastery is supposed to be a place away from those kinds of distractions.

 

[Marauder]

If a religious domicile has TV and radios, however, I cross them off my list. The monastery is supposed to be a place away from those kinds of distractions.

All good questions except for the above statement. This one totally depends on the mission/charism of the Order. I would be shocked to see TVs in every room of a Benedictine monastery or a contemplative convent, but not in a Conventual Franciscan friary. Friars are supposed to live in the normal world and usually be knowledgeable about events occurring in the modern world. I wouldn’t be surprised to see TVs in certain rooms. It would depend on the rules. Some places have silent hours or the entire night is silent. Some would have rules that only certain types of shows can be watched, etc. It all depends on the charism of the Order and the rules of the group.

 

[MaeganFlinchum1]

I would want to know:
What is the daily life like?
Schedule?
How much can i see my family?
Etc etc.