Aspirancies--WDYT?

[NoPlaceLikeRome]

WDYT of the practice of staying within enclosure at a cloistered monastery for a few weeks to a month as an “aspirant” to become more familiar with the community? This is allowed, at the discretion of the community, by the new Code of Canon Law. (One must still complete a postulancy & novitiate following.)

Someone somewhere on CAF remarked that this seems much more sensible so that should one enter the cloister for good, it is “with one’s eyes open.”

However, it seems to me that it does take away from the solemnity of the decision to enter. Am I over-sentimentalizing?

On the other hand, I am discerning with a community rather far away so perhaps a longer visit would be more practical for this reason as well, since I can’t drop in at their chapel to get the “flavor” of it. But would this goal be well served also by staying in guest quarters for a few weeks and attending public prayers, discussing in parlor, etc.? I’m thinking of books like My Beloved where the girl talks to the nuns behind the grate once, and then enters, and seems to do all right.

(Dear mods, please don’t move this to Vocations unless it is not getting any answers here, I was wondering what the folks in this forum would have to say.)

 

[Formosus]

I think the aspirancy idea with the new Canon law is a perfectly good idea. As you said, many monastaries and religious communities are too far away for short visits to get a feel for the place over time. Sometimes an extended stay for a few weeks is the best way to go about it. There is not much solemnity when entering to become a postulant anyways, its all in the taking the habit at the novitiate.