Call From Carmel DCJ Vocation Director!

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CarmeliteGirl25

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Tonight, I got a call from Sr. M. Immaculata Osterhaus of the Northern Province for the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus in Milwaukee, WI! I sent her a letter after short email correspondence, explaining why I was contacting them, and she wanted to tell me that their Vocation Retreat is at the end of February (don’t know the exact date; she said it should be posted on their website soon). So, I am looking at flight arrangements, not knowing if I’ll be able to get up there, but I’m going to try my hardest! 😃 I’m trying to have a garage sale, but it’s hard to raise money when you aren’t working. UGH! So I’m asking for your prayers that I can get up there somehow.

I asked her about the nursing thing because I was thinking about going to nursing school, but I wanted to be sure that it would come in handy if I decided to join. She said that almost all of the sisters who work in the nursing homes and teen centers are nurses, and if they aren’t, the sisters pay for the nursing degree if they need to! So, that’s nice! If I, for some reason, am called to enter before I finish my degree, I’ll have the cushion.

I’m so excited! I really feel this is where God is calling me, so I want to get up there ASAP. Sr. Immaculata is so sweet. I was so nervous because I wasn’t expecting the call, but I wanted to ask her some questions while I was on the phone with her. I’m thinking about calling her back when I am ready to talk some more. This is moving very quickly, and I’m at such peace with it. 😃
 
Congratulations! I’m so happy you’re having such clear guidance from Our Lord and have been able to so clearly discern His Will thus far!

You’re in my prayers!
Stephen
 
3Sanctus said:
Congratulations! I’m so happy you’re having such clear guidance from Our Lord and have been able to so clearly discern His Will thus far!

You’re in my prayers!
Stephen
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It hasn’t been easy! I was mistaken when I went to St. Louis this past summer, about the same order. But I’m at peace with that. I kept thinking that I was called to the same order as my friend, and I still am, just in a different province. I knew there was a reason God sent me this beautiful friendship, and I am so thankful for being able to go to St. Louis, even when I thought I wouldn’t. So, please pray that I’ll be able to get to Milwaukee somehow! God does provide, I am sure. Even if I have to sell my jewelry, I’m going to get there! 👍
 
May the grace of Our Lord, God, and Savior carry you always, through the prays of His Blessed Mother!

🙂 Stephen
 
Great News 👍 Is there any way that you can get relatives or maybe even people from your parish to help you with travel expenses? If you are close to your pastor, you could maybe even tell him your situation. I’m sure he would be more than happy to help find ways to get you to your destination. I will be praying that everything works out for you :byzsoc:
 
CarmeliteGirl25 said:
It hasn’t been easy! I was mistaken when I went to St. Louis this past summer, about the same order. But I’m at peace with that. I kept thinking that I was called to the same order as my friend, and I still am, just in a different province. I knew there was a reason God sent me this beautiful friendship, and I am so thankful for being able to go to St. Louis, even when I thought I wouldn’t. So, please pray that I’ll be able to get to Milwaukee somehow! God does provide, I am sure. Even if I have to sell my jewelry, I’m going to get there! 👍
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CarmeliteGirl,
It is so wonderful to hear that things seem to be progressing well for you. Have you met with your spiritual director yet? Perhaps you could find some temporary work??? The nice thing about that is that if you find a position as a temp it can be for short periods of time? Also do speak to your spiritual director and to the sisters… If they are willing to pay for further schooling? And if after discernment if it seems you are called there??? Maybe you ought to consider applying earlier??? Just a thought? Again I strongly urge you to speak with the sisters and your spiritual director. I shall be praying for you… keep posting you are a delight!
Blessings of Peace and All Good!
 
Poor_Clare_tobe said:
CarmeliteGirl,
It is so wonderful to hear that things seem to be progressing well for you. Have you met with your spiritual director yet? Perhaps you could find some temporary work??? The nice thing about that is that if you find a position as a temp it can be for short periods of time? Also do speak to your spiritual director and to the sisters… If they are willing to pay for further schooling? And if after discernment if it seems you are called there??? Maybe you ought to consider applying earlier??? Just a thought? Again I strongly urge you to speak with the sisters and your spiritual director. I shall be praying for you… keep posting you are a delight!
Blessings of Peace and All Good!
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Poor Clare tobe, I have not yet spoken to my spiritual director. It seems we are playing phone tag. I’m going to try calling him tomorrow. I think he gave me his cell phone number on the message he left me, so I’m going to try that.

I will definitely be talking to the Sisters about possibly working at one of their elderly homes as a CNA. The St. Ann’s home (my patron saint at Confirmation!) has MANY CNA openings right now! That would enable me to discern with that province much closer. I am even thinking about working at the St. Agnes’ home in St. Louis, MO (Central Province) or the Carmel Home in Owensboro, KY (also part of the Central Province) too. The only thing is, they only have part-time CNA positions open right now, and I need a full time job with benefits (I haven’t had health insurance for over 2 years).

I received an email from the Little Sisters of the Poor saying that I might be able to work in one of their residence homes too. I’m not interested in their order, per se, but if the opportunity permits, I will accept an offer if they give me a job. It would still help me get accustomed to working with the Sisters.

It’s coming together quickly, that’s for sure. I still need to be off my medication for another 11 months before asking for entrance, and I need health insurance money for the first 12 months of postulancy. I also have some debt too, but hopefully, since it’s not too much, I can get that paid off very soon (about $1,500).

I appreciate the prayers! God bless all of you!
 
I’m glad to hear that everything is working fine for you! Good luck with paying off your debt, too.

I wonder about the medication. Do sisters ask for any proof from the doctor that you don’t need medications anymore? I wonder how these things work. Here in Russia we have very old heritage-of-soviet-times system, when all people who had issues with mental health in the past, are “registered” in special state clinics, so they can’t buy guns and receive driver licenses (and also to receive recipes for medications they need). When you apply for complicate job, you sometimes are requested to go there and get a paper that you are “not registered”, or, if you are, “your” “assigned” psychiatrist has to sign the paper that you can work at this job. Because I don’t feel any need to visit psychiatrist or take medications anymore, I don’t visit this place and don’t take any pills and recipes for them. But how can you prove to the sisters that you are stable and off-medications for couple of years or more? I wonder if I’d have to go to the clinic and ask a psychiatrist to sign a paper that I can live in a monastery! 🙂
 
Inity said:
I’m glad to hear that everything is working fine for you! Good luck with paying off your debt, too.

I wonder about the medication. Do sisters ask for any proof from the doctor that you don’t need medications anymore? I wonder how these things work. Here in Russia we have very old heritage-of-soviet-times system, when all people who had issues with mental health in the past, are “registered” in special state clinics, so they can’t buy guns and receive driver licenses (and also to receive recipes for medications they need). When you apply for complicate job, you sometimes are requested to go there and get a paper that you are “not registered”, or, if you are, “your” “assigned” psychiatrist has to sign the paper that you can work at this job. Because I don’t feel any need to visit psychiatrist or take medications anymore, I don’t visit this place and don’t take any pills and recipes for them. But how can you prove to the sisters that you are stable and off-medications for couple of years or more? I wonder if I’d have to go to the clinic and ask a psychiatrist to sign a paper that I can live in a monastery! 🙂
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Well, the way it works here is that although I haven’t asked permission from my nurse practitioner/psychiatric nurse to come off it, I am going to tell her I came off it when I see her next week. She’ll make a note in her chart. Also, pretty much all of the communities have a psychologist who tests you for spiritual and emotional fitness for religious life. Even if I’ve had a history of depression, and I pass this test, I can enter the religious community. Since my nurse will have the note in there saying that in January 2009, I’ve been off my medication for a month, I’ll have a record of when I was off it by a trained professional.

When I was in St. Louis with the Sisters of the same order, the retreat Sister told me that they wouldn’t give me an application unless I was off my medicine for a year. I don’t know how it works in Europe, unless you entered the Carmel DCJ in the Netherlands (it would be the same thing there). 🙂
 
The medications were assigned to me in the past, but I was never told how long I must take them! And I didn’t want to take them for all life long. I’ve heard that these drugs are dangerous if you take them for long time. So when I started feeling better, I just quit them forever. I believe that the nurses have a record that last injection was done to me in 2007, when I requested one for free (I always didn’t want to spend money for this stuff =) It was the only time I asked them for it. Then, I just didn’t bother visiting…
I would prefer if sisters would ask for independent psychological test, if this is needed. But I worry that I will have difficulties taking the test because it will be in foreign language 🙂 But may be it will be possible to take the test with russian psychologist and have the results translated? I don’t know, but time will show 🙂 I don’t want to discuss this with sisters via email, it will be better done in person, as I think now.

And what about other health requirements?
I don’t know if I’ll manage to have my teeth in perfect condition…; dentists are really costly, and I still have debt to pay (just about 1500$, too). I will try to use my free “state” insurance, but “soviet” stomatology is terrible. 😦
I suppose you need to pay for your health insurance when you enter as a postulant, but I don’t imagine what prices are.

Carmels, in my understanding, are almost all cloistered… I love carmelite spirituality though, and if I would have no chance with the Dominicans, then I will look for active communities with carmelite or franciscan charism. But right now I’m strongly drawn to dominicans. I hope my “fundraising” plans will work and I will be able to visit communities I’m in touch with, this year!
 
Inity said:
The medications were assigned to me in the past, but I was never told how long I must take them! And I didn’t want to take them for all life long. I’ve heard that these drugs are dangerous if you take them for long time. So when I started feeling better, I just quit them forever. I believe that the nurses have a record that last injection was done to me in 2007, when I requested one for free (I always didn’t want to spend money for this stuff =) It was the only time I asked them for it. Then, I just didn’t bother visiting…
I would prefer if sisters would ask for independent psychological test, if this is needed. But I worry that I will have difficulties taking the test because it will be in foreign language 🙂 But may be it will be possible to take the test with russian psychologist and have the results translated? I don’t know, but time will show 🙂 I don’t want to discuss this with sisters via email, it will be better done in person, as I think now.

And what about other health requirements?
I don’t know if I’ll manage to have my teeth in perfect condition…; dentists are really costly, and I still have debt to pay (just about 1500$, too). I will try to use my free “state” insurance, but “soviet” stomatology is terrible. 😦
I suppose you need to pay for your health insurance when you enter as a postulant, but I don’t imagine what prices are.

Carmels, in my understanding, are almost all cloistered… I love carmelite spirituality though, and if I would have no chance with the Dominicans, then I will look for active communities with carmelite or franciscan charism. But right now I’m strongly drawn to dominicans. I hope my “fundraising” plans will work and I will be able to visit communities I’m in touch with, this year!
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The communities in the USA are different than the ones in Europe. I’m not familiar with European customs, though I would imagine it wouldn’t deviate too much from what we do here.

Since you have been off the medication for almost 2 years, and your previous nurse and doctor have a history of it, all that would be needed is an official copy of that in your medical file for the community. As far as the psychological testing, the communities in the USA have a community approved psychologist that understands the community’s needs and is understanding of the spiritual and emotional element that is involved. Since you are Russian, I don’t know how it would work with you. Perhaps you can ask to go to a Russian psychologist, or one that understands Russian. They might allow you to, as I doubt a Russian translator would be allowed in the psychology session (for privacy purposes).

Here, a candidate for postulancy usually has to raise money for the postulancy period to pay for health insurance. Since you are still a lay member of the order when you enter postulancy, you are to pay for your own health insurance. When you enter the novitiate, that’s when they take you on their health care plan. The order I am discerning with has a postulancy period of 6-12 months which can be extended (it varies according to the individual person). They also do medical screenings on those desiring candidacy here. You pay for the screenings and usually, they allow you to go to your own doctor with the paperwork necessary. This includes dentists, gynecologists (woman’s health doctors), and general practitioners. Fortunately, when I had a question about it, I was able to ask my friend, who is a candidate of the same order, but a different province.

As far as explaining your medical history, it’s better to do it in person, as I have discovered. Then they can evaluate your temperament and personality when you are with them and see how you’d fair in their order. That’s why visits to the community are HIGHLY recommended. If you just send letters and emails, or call them by phone, they can read about you and hear from you, but each person is usually different when they are present with the community.

I hope that you are able to visit some communities. You really can’t know what to expect unless you visit them in person. I know I am probably going to go to the Vocations Retreat at the convent I am discerning with from February 20-22 (I am praying that I can; I am eligible for Extended Unemployment Compensation, so I hope I get the money). I can’t wait!!!

I’ll be praying for you and I ask for your prayers, too! God bless you, Inity! :crossrc:
 
Thanks for your prayers! I’m praying for you often, too 😉 I’m not a great prayer warrior, though… but I try 🙂

I started to worry how to arrange my visits… From the first glance, it seems that best way would be to quit a job and go to Poland/Italy/UK, to spend some time in different communities, and without returning to Russia for at least couple of months. It means, less money would be spent for the tickets.

If I will stay on my current job, I will in best case have one-month vacation, and, in worse case, “divided” vacation (two weeks free, then couple of months at work, and again two weeks free - it’s frequent practice in Russia). Two weeks would be definitely not enough time to visit 4 communities. And it would be harder to buy tickets. But I don’t know, even if I will discover a community that’s going to be mine during this travel - there would probably be some time before I’d be allowed to enter (getting all these medical papers and visa-related stuff, at least, will take time). I don’t know how I would survive without a job (and no relatives to help me), and finding new job after my “discernment travel” would be not easy. The employers should not know that I’m going to leave them in a near future! 🙂
I’m really sorry that I don’t have a SD who could help me handle this. I need to know right line of behavior. I would be able to support myself being jobless, only if I would give a part of my apartment for rent, but then I would have to “kick out” my two handicapped friends (and their 17 cats!), who currently live with me for free. They have poor small apartment in the suburb, but I invited them to live with me. Many other, more “secular” friends advise me to send them away, and consider me to be crazy by allowing 17 cats in the house :); but sending my friends away with money being the reason - seems something like betrayal.
 
Inity said:
Thanks for your prayers! I’m praying for you often, too 😉 I’m not a great prayer warrior, though… but I try 🙂

I started to worry how to arrange my visits… From the first glance, it seems that best way would be to quit a job and go to Poland/Italy/UK, to spend some time in different communities, and without returning to Russia for at least couple of months. It means, less money would be spent for the tickets.

If I will stay on my current job, I will in best case have one-month vacation, and, in worse case, “divided” vacation (two weeks free, then couple of months at work, and again two weeks free - it’s frequent practice in Russia). Two weeks would be definitely not enough time to visit 4 communities. And it would be harder to buy tickets. But I don’t know, even if I will discover a community that’s going to be mine during this travel - there would probably be some time before I’d be allowed to enter (getting all these medical papers and visa-related stuff, at least, will take time). I don’t know how I would survive without a job (and no relatives to help me), and finding new job after my “discernment travel” would be not easy. The employers should not know that I’m going to leave them in a near future! 🙂
I’m really sorry that I don’t have a SD who could help me handle this. I need to know right line of behavior. I would be able to support myself being jobless, only if I would give a part of my apartment for rent, but then I would have to “kick out” my two handicapped friends (and their 17 cats!), who currently live with me for free. They have poor small apartment in the suburb, but I invited them to live with me. Many other, more “secular” friends advise me to send them away, and consider me to be crazy by allowing 17 cats in the house :); but sending my friends away with money being the reason - seems something like betrayal.
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Inity, have you looked at any Dominican orders in your native country? I have been looking for them, and I’ve found:

Dominican Sisters of the Immaculate Conception
–They were formed in Poland, and they have convents in Russia! I don’t know if you ever heard of them, but here’s their website:
sistersop.com/default.html
(Look under “About Us” and it says Russia! I think you need to contact them. Their age limit is 18-35!!!)

It’s the only order I could find at the moment but since they are international, and you are having trouble finding time to visit orders in other countries, I think this could be the feasible option you are looking for.

I’m sorry to hear that you have been unable to find a spiritual director. Have you asked any priests? I know that Catholic Churches are in Russia, but since I am not familiar with the hierarchy, I can’t really advise you what to do further. I would just suggest that you consider asking one of the priests at a Church nearby to assist you. If that doesn’t work, you might consider sending letters to nearby religious orders.

I wish I could be more help. 🤷
 
CarmeliteGirl25 said:
Tonight, I got a call from Sr. M. Immaculata Osterhaus of the Northern Province for the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus in Milwaukee, WI! I sent her a letter after short email correspondence, explaining why I was contacting them, and she wanted to tell me that their Vocation Retreat is at the end of February (don’t know the exact date; she said it should be posted on their website soon). So, I am looking at flight arrangements, not knowing if I’ll be able to get up there, but I’m going to try my hardest! 😃 I’m trying to have a garage sale, but it’s hard to raise money when you aren’t working. UGH! So I’m asking for your prayers that I can get up there somehow.

😃
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Carmelite Girl,
I hear that Southwest Airlines has a fare sale coming up starting Monday. I have no details and am not sure of restrictions. Hope that all is well!
Blessings of Peace and All Good!
 
Poor_Clare_tobe said:
Carmelite Girl,
I hear that Southwest Airlines has a fare sale coming up starting Monday. I have no details and am not sure of restrictions. Hope that all is well!
Blessings of Peace and All Good!
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Unfortunately, they don’t go to Milwaukee from anywhere. 😦 Thank you anyway.🤷 God bless you.
 
Yes, I know these sisters! It’s why I mentioned Poland in my list of countries to visit. They want me to visit their motherhouse in Poland. Their age limit for european members is 30 (strange, but it is…), but they say that they consider older vocations on individual basis. I need to meet them, and learn everything about mission opportunities in Russia.
In Russia, some sisters live in two distant cities - Tambov (2 days in train trip) and Ulan-Udeh (far away in Siberia, more than 3 days in train for sure). Tickets are not as cheap as they might be. I wanted to visit sisters in Tambov during this winter “vacation” (10 free days provided by government), but sisters were travelling and weren’t able to accept me.
Visiting sisters in Tambov would be nice - if I’d quit a job, I’ll try to visit them, but I need to come to the motherhouse anyway, so travel to Poland is a must 🙂

There are also dominican sisters of S.Sisto with mission in St.Petersburg - but they don’t accept me because of age. It’s really sad, I love them a lot.

No other congregations in Russia were found. I was recently told about sisters with missions in former Soviet republics Belarus and Latvia (Riga), their motherhouse is in Germany. I studied german in school, but totally forgot it already 🙂 I will keep them in mind, though. Learning German or learning Polish would be equally difficult 🙂
 
God bless! 😃

Glad things are moving forward for you.

Be a light unto the world 👍
 
CarmeliteGirl25 said:
Unfortunately, they don’t go to Milwaukee from anywhere. 😦 Thank you anyway.🤷 God bless you.
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Carmelite Girl,
  • Code: 
    I heard further that this may be a special with multiple airlines but is being offered only this weekend. Perhaps others may have heard. Also some posters have mentioned on other threads that some Catholic Parish Organizations sometimes help with air travel?
Blessings and Good Luck!*
 
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