Can I be a nun if I am not from US but I live here illegaly?

[Luigi_Daniele]

You didn’t hurt my feelings, you just misunderstood me, which happens sometimes. I did not mean to make a generalization, and if I caused a problem, please forgive me as well.

Your apology is accepted. May God bless you.

Thank you from my heart. May God bless you and yours abundantly

 

[maryjk]

You have not well understood, I did not put myself in this position, but the law of this country that it is impossible to follow. I did not want to stay here I was confused because of the visa laws simply impossible to monitor. And one holy priest advised that it was not my fault, and that should stay in the U.S so I am now here for a long time in the trap. I am very disappointed on you answers you have given me, it is very judgement sounding. Certainly what Catholics should not be! I think I am on the wrong website, but thanks for you opinion.

You are breaking the law, but are upset because you consider us judgmental?

 

[LisaB]

Hi novena, my heart goes out to you, because of your immigration dilemma and also because you have received some very uncharitable responses on this thread. We don’t know your situation and have no right to judge. I’ve worked with a lot of immigrants - they all have their own stories, and sometimes it’s not safe for them to return home. I would definitely recommend to check with an attorney about applying for asylum status.

 

[Ceil-1]

My husband is an immigrant and is now a citizen. What you need is an immigration lawyer. The laws are favorable toward those who “make an honest mistake”.

There are immigration lawyers out there who do pro-bono work. Many, many who do. You may want to take advantage of them. Contact Legal Aide.

Luigi, the law is blind when it comes to which country one is from. There are many non-Christian people immigrating, that is true. That is okay, so long as religious freedom prevails, and people respect the Judeo-Christian foundation and don’t change it. People don’t respect the Judeo-Christian foundation, though. That is the problem. What is more, our government’s collective religion is Secular Humanism, and that is a very dangerous thing for Catholics, and other Christian sects.

I think the law is fair, and, forgiving, so, OP, get your situation straightened out, ASAP. You will then be free to pursue your goals, and I hope you reach them, because we need you.

 

[anna1978]

‘Novena’, the simple truth is that when you enter a convent, you have to show documentation and when I entered a monastery in Germany (where as a Dutch national I was free to live with no restrictions) I had to surrender my passport and birth certificate for safe keeping. This means that if you are illegal in the US, no convent will accept you UNTIL your situation is sorted out. This may seem harsh, but Mother Superior or Mother Abbess would be breaking the law if she allowed someone in who was not a national of that country and who was not legally permitted to stay. I now live in Britain, and in a nearby convent we have quite a few Philipino and Nigerian sisters, some of whom first came as asylum seekers, but all had to receive ‘indefinate leave to remain’ before they could enter. The convent still has to abide by the law of the country.

 

[Lilllabettt]

Please see Catholic Charities. They help with these issues all the time, and they will NOT call immigration authorities on you. You will be safe with them.

 

[Sister_Rose]

Dear “novena”
I myself am an immigrant to the United States and just got my permanent residency. I know how crazy it was dealing with immigration.
You really need to find yourself some legal help to get this rectified. You could ruin the chances of being allowed back in the country. Do you have an application in for the renewal of your visa?
If I were you I would contact your diocese and see if there is an immigration lawyer they could recommend to you. If I were you, I would do this very soon.
Prayers!

 

[justme]

You have not well understood, I did not put myself in this position, but the law of this country that it is impossible to follow. I did not want to stay here I was confused because of the visa laws simply impossible to monitor. And one holy priest advised that it was not my fault, and that should stay in the U.S so I am now here for a long time in the trap. I am very disappointed on you answers you have given me, it is very judgement sounding. Certainly what catholics should not be! I think I am on the wrong website, but thanks for you opinion.

I do not mean to be rude but…

How is the law impossible to follow? Everyone I know who has been here in the United States on a visa knew when that visa was going to expire, they also knew that they must leave the country before the visa expired or they would have to pay the consequences.

It does not matter what anyone has told you, even if it is a priest, if what they tell you is a violation of the law. Saying that you followed their advice does not absolve you of paying the consequences for violating a law.

When/if you do leave and you do not have a valid visa you will be excluded from re-entry to the United States for a period of 10 years, no exceptions on that now. This is the price that one pays for violating the immigration law, which you knew enough to follow in getting a visa to come here. If you had confusion you should have contacted the government offices (most likely ICE) or your embassy for advice, not some random person or priest who does not know much about the laws.

 

[anna1978]

And just a thought, but you say you’re European. Are you from a country that’s part of the European Union (that includes Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Cyprus and a bunch of others)? That would give you the right to work and live in other member states, so let’s say you’re Romanian, if you can’t/don’t want to go back there, you could live and work in Ireland, Holland, Germany, England, France, Italy etc WITHOUT a visa. Now, I appreciate that ‘starting over’ might be hard (although I did it when I moved to Britain from Holland 11 years ago, knowing nobody, with little money and nowhere to live, so I do know what it’s like!) BUT if you truly have a vocation that you can’t live out in the US (until your visa is sorted), you could enter a convent ANYWHERE in the European Union. I know for instance that Tyburn Shrine, a contemplative convent in London has several nuns from Eastern Europe! So…it might be a long shot, but perhaps worth it if your ways in the US are blocked?

 

[ack]

Why are you here illegally? You need to return home and go through the proper processes to immigrate to the United States. If you are breaking the law, how can you expect to take vows?

~Liza

‘Novena’, the simple truth is that when you enter a convent, you have to show documentation and when I entered a monastery in Germany (where as a Dutch national I was free to live with no restrictions) I had to surrender my passport and birth certificate for safe keeping. This means that if you are illegal in the US, no convent will accept you UNTIL your situation is sorted out. This may seem harsh, but Mother Superior or Mother Abbess would be breaking the law if she allowed someone in who was not a national of that country and who was not legally permitted to stay. I now live in Britain, and in a nearby convent we have quite a few Philipino and Nigerian sisters, some of whom first came as asylum seekers, but all had to receive ‘indefinate leave to remain’ before they could enter. The convent still has to abide by the law of the country.

This may be true for some convents, but is not true in general. I personally know several religious who are living in the United States illegally and they were still able to enter religious life here. Ideally, you should look for a congregation that has houses both inside and outside the US. This would allow you to leave the United States (and move to a country where you could live legally) after your formation is complete. The rules of every convent will be different, so the best thing to do would be to call each institute that you’re interested in and just ask.

I am sorry that many other posters on this thread did not give the OP any correct or useful information.

 

[johnXXIII]

applying to be an nun isn’t just a job to permit youself to remain i the country. Please return to your native land and join one of their many convents for nuns. You can apply to your bilshop to be a missionary nun too.

 

[johnXXIII]

There are gray areas, sure. But some laws are just unjust on the face (abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide). I was just being a bit more precise.

When we Catholics find injustice in one of our laws, we wriote to our government, even take it to the supreme court to finalize the question. Unforturnatly most governments don’t judge as Jesus would judge, so we citizens must be humble and keep praying and continue to write to our leaders peacefully, everyhting is in Jesus’ hands.

 

[lizaanne]

I personally know several religious who are living in the United States illegally and they were still able to enter religious life here.

So there are religious communities harboring illegal aliens? I have a serious problem with that. They are not above the law - what makes them think that they can allow illegals to remain in the country under their protection? Just because it happens does not mean it is right.

~Liza

 

[JReducation]

So there are religious communities harboring illegal aliens? I have a serious problem with that. They are not above the law - what makes them think that they can allow illegals to remain in the country under their protection? Just because it happens does not mean it is right.

~Liza

Religious communities who discern a vocation with a candidate will usually deal with the immigration issues, if and when they decided that the candidate does have a vocation. They do this through various forms. If the community is an international community, they can do it through their Generalate, which is usually in Rome. The Generalate will petition the INS for a visa for the candidate. They can also go through the Vatican. The Vatican has agencies for religious who travel from one country to another as students, novices, missionaries, etc. The local bishop can only get involved if the community that the person is joining is of diocesan right. Otherwise, it goes through the international channels of the religious community or the Vatican.

There is no definitive answer to the question by the OP. Ultimately, it all depends on whether Christ calls the individual to the religious life throug the voice of the superior of the community. Christ speaks through the superior. Once he has spoken, then the other legal wheels are set into motion. The usual practice is that the person does not make vows until the paper work is complete. This is because the person must be free to make vows. If there is the preasure of making vows to get legal status in a country, then the validity of the vows can be called into question.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[Mrs_Sally]

And just a thought, but you say you’re European. Are you from a country that’s part of the European Union (that includes Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Cyprus and a bunch of others)? That would give you the right to work and live in other member states, so let’s say you’re Romanian, if you can’t/don’t want to go back there, you could live and work in Ireland, Holland, Germany, England, France, Italy etc WITHOUT a visa. Now, I appreciate that ‘starting over’ might be hard (although I did it when I moved to Britain from Holland 11 years ago, knowing nobody, with little money and nowhere to live, so I do know what it’s like!) BUT if you truly have a vocation that you can’t live out in the US (until your visa is sorted), you could enter a convent ANYWHERE in the European Union. I know for instance that Tyburn Shrine, a contemplative convent in London has several nuns from Eastern Europe! So…it might be a long shot, but perhaps worth it if your ways in the US are blocked?

This was might thought also. There are many communities that have houses in several countries. A vocation to that order would be valid no matter where the OP entered. And really, once you have entered an order you may find yourself living on the opposite side of the world anyway in a mission or other work of the community.

OP, please find a lawyer to help you now–through your parish or Catholic Charities. Also, speak to the vocation director in your diocese for more information about communities in your area. You need to find help locally who you can share details with. Speak to your current priest, not the one you spoke to before!

 

[puzzleannie]

I would like to be a nun. I have 28 years and I am from Europ. I live in U.S but my visa has expired and now I have no status. Can i still be a nun and where and how?
Thanks

it is almost certain you will not be accepted in any convent in the US unless and until your immigration status is rectified and you have a valid visa, because you will not be able to work in any ministry or parish, even on a volunteer basis. That is one of the main reasons we are losing good priests and sisters, visa problems, and many dioceses have someone assigned to do nothing but work on these issues on behalf of religious.

It is far better to enter an order in your own country, one that does send missionaries to the countries where you would like to work. Bear in mind obedience for a religious is not only to the Church and superior of their order, but to all legitimate authority.

for OP’s immediate problem she should contact the vocations director of her diocese and also ask for a referral to the office who handles visa issues, usually the vicar for priests and religious.

since this is not the politics or social justice forum neither it is the place to discuss immigration laws, except insofar as they relate to someone’s religious vocation

 

[JReducation]

I just wanted to add one clarification. Dioceses do not sponsor religious, because religious do not come under the jurisdiction of the diocese, neither in civil law or Church law. Religious congregations are autonomous entitities. They have their own process for obtaining visas for their members.

That being said, the international religious congregations and religious orders do sponsor illegals who are applying for admission. But the process is long and complicated. One must work through the vocation director of the particular religious congregation or religious order. I can’t speak for every religious community, because each does this differently. I can only speak for my own Franciscan family.

Most international religoius orders and international religious congregations are registered with the INS and have an INS number. This number is used to bring people in formation and to transfer its members into the USA from other countries.

The communities do not do this until they discern that the individual has a vocation to their life. Otherwise, that would be abusing the system.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[badbye]

Again, what is unjust about the immigration law?

Coming late to this post, and a bit off topic, but I had to put my two cents…

Immigration law its not unjust, its the people who applies it that its not always fair, and I also speak from my own experience, I was a resident of this country and I applied for citizenship twice.
The first time I was denied because I could not produce “enough” knowledge about the Civil War, I did fine on the rest of the questions but, the interviewer kept asking me “what else do you know?” I gave him many answers, I cant remember the details (its been over 20 years) but no matter what I said, he will come back with the same question over and over “what else do you know?” I remember telling him to ask me a specific question but he will come back with the same.
Finally I felt like saying to him, “do you want me to name the people that died?” but of course my last answers was “thats all I know” to what he just said “no, you need to study more”.

I have been a citizen now for about 9 years.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Coming late to this post, and a bit off topic, but I had to put my two cents…

Immigration law its not unjust, its the people who applies it that its not always fair, and I also speak from my own experience, I was a resident of this country and I applied for citizenship twice.
The first time I was denied because I could not produce “enough” knowledge about the Civil War, I did fine on the rest of the questions but, the interviewer kept asking me “what else do you know?” I gave him many answers, I cant remember the details (its been over 20 years) but no matter what I said, he will come back with the same question over and over “what else do you know?” I remember telling him to ask me a specific question but he will come back with the same.
Finally I felt like saying to him, “do you want me to name the people that died?” but of course my last answers was “thats all I know” to what he just said “no, you need to study more”.

I have been a citizen now for about 9 years.

Fairness and Justice are two different issues.

Something may be unfair while still being just.

 

[lzuluaga89]

Hello!

I am a citizen of Colombia but came here when I was young. I can relate very much to you. I am here legally now but I’m still waiting on my residency and then citizenship. I discovered that the Lord was calling me to religious life here in the United States. I’ve visited many communities already and all of them require that I be, at least, a resident. You don’t know how much that broke my heart. Here I am discovering my vocation and all of a sudden I am turned down. It took me a while to accept that I couldn’t enter just yet because of my status but I have accepted it now. I am waiting for the residency and continuing to look at communities. I know in faith that I will receive my residency so I don’t let that stop me from discerning my vocation! Ask with faith. The Lord knows why He brought you to this country. He knows why you can’t go back to your country. He hears your prayers! Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you towards the steps you are supposed to be taking in order to obtain a legal status here. Also, don’t close your mind to communities in your country. I’ve read a couple of messages from other people who given you options about living in another country in Europe. Think about it! If the Lord is calling you, He will not leave you wondering what to do. He is the one that wants you as His spouse! Trust in Him! I will be praying for you. I advise you to get a spiritual director who can guide you in your decisions. God bless you!