Founding a religious order

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I wholeheartedly agree with nunsense. I am glad you cleared things up for me brother. And I do believe you are sincere. We need heart like yours in the Church, and yes it’s wrong what this particular priest was doing however, you did your part by bringing this to the Bishops attention. That’s all you can do. Then after that pray for this priest in a Christ like love. That’s the way to live in Charity and love. If I were you I would look into an order. With the kind of things you are talking about, and with your love of Padre Pio…this might be a good order for you:

Franciscan Brothers Minor.

franciscanbrothersminor.com

They are super traditional and feel the same way as you. I don’t agree with them, but if you want to do something in true obedience, I say you should check them out.

Or The C.F.R’S

franciscanfriars.com

God Bless my Brother. Be obedient always. Not the way you want to be…but the way the Church asks you to be.

Pax Et Bonum
 
Thank you, I have been obedient to God the Holy Father, the teachings of our faith and all priest who are obedient in the same way. As for the wayward priest I can only pray for them. However I will not be obedient to the disobedient.
 
One other thing to meantion. Though I’m obedient to God, the Holy Father, the teachings of the church and all other obedient religious. This is why I won’t be obedient to the progressive liberals in the church. Watch this clip. You will then see why I am not obligated to follow or answer to this men and women who have gone way around the bend.
youtube.com/watch?v=dL4wkxTeH5c
 
One other example.
Let me give you an example why we need to speak out in
defense of our church. A priest named Fr. Richard Sparks
came to a local parish to speak. He’s a known dissenter of the
faith. I stood outside with a friend and we told people not to
pay $45 to hear this priest speak. We were ridiculed for being
outside and trying to stop people. 30 minutes later people were
walking out in disbelief. One lady was crying. Each person came
out an apologized to me. They could not understand why the
church would allow a priest like this to speak. If this was seen
as disobedient then something is seriously wrong. I wrote to
the Bishop and requested he never be allow in our Archdiocese
again. If we fail to stand up against this kind of priest then we are
failing God as well. Read about this priest at this link. And if you
disagreed with me then something is not right. Why then would we
be obedient to a Bishop who permits this kind of thing. Granted
they need our prayers. But prayer are not going to stop this despictable
priest. See link. catholiccitizens.org/platform/platformview.asp?c=4159
 
Cloisters said:
I run a Yahoo group (invitation only) called Founders Forum. If you wish to join, you may email me off-board.

The steps to foundation are this:
  1. Get the charism (gift to the church and the world) down on paper. If the community is to wear a habit, find someone who can sketch it.
  2. This next step is nebulous, and no one has ever stated what must happen next. Either visit the bishop with the paperwork mentioned in #1, or put the charism onto a website to advertise; gather aspirants; then ask the bishop’s blessing on the venture. I personally am doing the latter.
  3. The diocese is in no way financially responsible for the start of a new community. They (the future sisters/brothers) MUST show that they can be financially viable (right word?).
  4. The first classification of a new order is “de facto association.” Both the local bishop and Rome must know about it.
  5. The second classification is “private association of the faithful.” Another aspiring foundress has informed me that even a de facto association comes under this classification. When one’s community is a private association of the faithful, they are not permitted to make new foundations.
Footnote: I’m finding that bishops are being inconsistent where the habit is concerned at the “private association” step. One budding community wears a uniform of sorts with their bishop’s blessing, but another community in another diocese can’t wear the charism’s habit until they grow. The sisters are in a habit, but they’re different colors. Yet, a men’s community in another diocese was reprimanded because they all wore the same t-shirt. The diocese said what they were wearing was too much like a habit. I might be reading all that incorrectly, and if I am, I hope someone enlightens me.
  1. When the community has grown, they may take public vows and don the habit. At this point, if they grow further, they may make new foundations.
  2. After 10 years of steady growth, the community is approved as a religious institute of “diocesan right.” (That might be spelled “rite.” With the time change, I can’t remember squat right now).
  3. After 20-25 years of steady growth, the community can be approved by Rome, and become a religious institute of “pontifical right.” They are added to a book published yearly listing such communities, and are answerable to the pope himself.
As I said, please feel free to email me off-board with more questions.

Blessings,
Cloisters
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I have thought about this idea many many times. It seems to me there are a lot of women in our society in america
and Europe too
who are in their 40’s and who have either not married or divorced or were “abandoned” one way or another by career, husband, family ro friends
they are lost passionless and often go to psychiatrists or seek help in other ways not so healthy.
i wonder if i were to walk around saying the rosary with the beads in my hand like Mother Theres a did could I get some"followers" then i would try to encourage those interested in deeper prayer life to consider forming a community where we would pray and do good deeds of kindness in the community
Maybe even open a soup kitchen
I pray about these ideas but haven;t ]gotten the courage up to go out and walk around like that.
Now I know the Holy Spirit would have to be in me and I know I have a gift of Charism but is it enough.
I could get hurt or --well I dont care if I appear foolish or even get laughed at
should I just go out and try?
Christopher_S said:
One other example.
Let me give you an example why we need to speak out in
defense of our church. A priest named Fr. Richard Sparks
came to a local parish to speak. He’s a known dissenter of the
faith. I stood outside with a friend and we told people not to
pay $45 to hear this priest speak. We were ridiculed for being
outside and trying to stop people. 30 minutes later people were
walking out in disbelief. One lady was crying. Each person came
out an apologized to me. They could not understand why the
church would allow a priest like this to speak. If this was seen
as disobedient then something is seriously wrong. I wrote to
the Bishop and requested he never be allow in our Archdiocese
again. If we fail to stand up against this kind of priest then we are
failing God as well. Read about this priest at this link. And if you
disagreed with me then something is not right. Why then would we
be obedient to a Bishop who permits this kind of thing. Granted
they need our prayers. But prayer are not going to stop this despictable
priest. See link. catholiccitizens.org/platform/platformview.asp?c=4159
Click to expand...
Now here is what I dont get

why didn’t people walk out

when will people learn to think for themselves

so much has been done wrong in the church–people have not been fed their faith strongly enough
many try to correct that now

It is irritating to me when people follow like sheep
anybody who knows their shepherd of their church would have gone and asked him about it.

if you go to confession weekly you have a chance to chat with the priest

and when this talk appeared int he bulletin whyd din’t anybody bother to ask about why would you pay a fee to hear a priest
this just does not add up at all
 
ragingbull4891 said:
I personally think there are already too many orders. As a candidate in formation for the Capuchin Franciscans, I have seen so many different associations, congregations, orders etc. I think it would be much better for many of you to think before you just start your own order. I know that constitutions are very relaxed now but you can still live piously within the order. Just some thoughts. Not trying to make anyone mad. I just think somewhere inside all of us we think we have a better way of living for an order than the next guy or gal. I mean this has been done over and over and over with the same results every time. Do you know an order that started off extremely rigid but now many years later has relaxed? There are thousands of them. Like I said. Just a thought. Please don’t write nasty hate comments back to me. God bless.
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I more or less agree. Yes, as Cloisters said, “if you don’t understand, there is no explanation” - and I just don’t understand. As someone who is discerning a vocation right now, I think it’s awfully confusing having so many options open to me. Well, to be totally truthful, I’m looking more at priesthood rather than religious life, so I guess this doesn’t really apply to me. It’s just that I can definitely see how one could be overwhelmed with so many choices for religious life.

I’m not by any means saying it’s bad to found a new religious order, so don’t get me wrong. As Cloisters also said, she has been the cause of the joy and peace for however many new members because of what she did, so I’m not denying it is a good thing. I just wonder, because there’s already so many perfectly good orders/communities out there.
 
well, okay

i put it out there cause I wanted to learn

so i appreciate your thought s on this

just tell me then

whre is there an order for women over 40 who are divorced or widowed?

i am not aware of any

i am not even aware of any third orders like this
i have asked my priest
and he is a member of the Franciscans
I am not interested in inventing the wheel all over again
if i can join one order already existing please tell me where it is
 
One is forming right now in Steubenville, Ohio, USA! It is called the Family of Jacopa, we have a Franciscan secular lay association starting and a association of women who want to become Sisters of Jacopa. We are all over 40, we are widows, mothers, grandmothers, and single older women (divorced with an annulment is invited to be a member). We have a Franciscan charism and our we will help widows, elderly and families. I am the Foundress. You may contact me at;
Kathleen Marshall, ofs
106 Cunningham Lane, Apt. 1 R
Steubenville, OH 43953
Tel 740-275-6168
Email: familiajacopa@yahoo.com
 
Some others: Eudist SErvants of teh 11th hour. Daughters of Divine hope (Tyler Texas), Companions of Clare (forming now in NH later Maine), and Daughters of Mary, mother of Israel’s hope (Tulsa, OK). There is also another one in South Dakota which I really did not look carefully at. And then Family of Jacopa, below, forming. All of them are the “modern” church, (versus the traditonal mass). And all of theme that I have communicated with are devoted, wonderful women, all over 45!

I am 66 and STILL have a vocaton tho I tried to squash it really hard, for years. It took me until last week to just make the “annulment phone call” to the Marriage Tribunal. it will cost some money and will ruffle some feathers from the past, but I am called to do this thing, tho my TWO marriages were nonCatholic AND years before I converted. If you are divorced and have a vocation, just suck it up and go for an annulment. You gotta do it, and while it is being judged, you can discern and even enter some places. Whn you are trying to do the right thing and make yourself fit for religious life, the right doors will open.
VicarPopi said:
well, okay

i put it out there cause I wanted to learn

so i appreciate your thought s on this

just tell me then

whre is there an order for women over 40 who are divorced or widowed?

i am not aware of any

i am not even aware of any third orders like this
i have asked my priest
and he is a member of the Franciscans
I am not interested in inventing the wheel all over again
if i can join one order already existing please tell me where it is
Click to expand...
 
The fastest way for charisms to be founded for the sake of Extraordinary Form adherents is to start one where the EF priests are available.

Some folks like this next phrase, others do not, but those communities being founded for the sake of older women are dubbed “Betty Orders” for St. Elizabeth, mother of the Precourser. Even in her advanced age, she was called on to bear the one of the greatest men in history. You’ve still got a lot of good years in you.

Blessings,
Cloisters
 
I kind of don’t like nicknames that even hint just a little teeny bit, at diminishing or belittling older women and community. I know you do not mean anything like that Cloisters and you are just reporting. I’m just being sensitive.But at this point I AM sensitive.

I think those of us who have been at this discernment thing for a while who are over 50 get pretty sensitive since some priests have LAUGHED at us to our faces (one time in confession-glad I was behind a screen), very few take us seriosly, we get LOTS of rejection, our families think we are nuts (sometimes), and it seems there is a school of thought that thinks we will just die off or break a hip before we can follow through, so best to delay and ignore us and keep us as the old women muttering rosaries, making cookies and waiting for our grandkids to call while we watch Jeopardy. Not this girl.

I am thanking God for these wise, experienced nuns and devoted older women who are opening these options up for us, by bravely taking on Bishops and writing rules and on and on. In fact I just started a 54 day Rosary for them, for older vocations, (and mine) and older women in community.

And hey, there are a lot of women behind us (under 50) who WILL look for 2nd vocations when they are older. The times they are a-changing.
 
Cloisters said:
The fastest way for charisms to be founded for the sake of Extraordinary Form adherents is to start one where the EF priests are available.

Some folks like this next phrase, others do not, but those communities being founded for the sake of older women are dubbed “Betty Orders” for St. Elizabeth, mother of the Precourser. Even in her advanced age, she was called on to bear the one of the greatest men in history. You’ve still got a lot of good years in you.

Blessings,
Cloisters
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I do not like that phrase either and I have a question about it. Who, besides you, calls these communities “Betty Orders?”

First, they aren’t orders. They are communities or congregations. Second, I can’t see the church shortening St. Elizabeth’s name to “Betty” and using it as a category of religious life.
 
what i am referring to is the communities that are conservative, if not traditional, in dress, activities, points of faith-based living, and humility. There are some where the women wear pants or t shirts and makeup and little pins to id themselves - there are some where they are all over certain lifestyles and some pretty non-Catholic ideas- I need something unashamedly Catholic that calls on rich tradition, I have only started seeing these conservsative commhnities recently.
 
morningprayer said:
what i am referring to is the communities that are conservative, if not traditional, in dress, activities, points of faith-based living, and humility. There are some where the women wear pants or t shirts and makeup and little pins to id themselves - there are some where they are all over certain lifestyles and some pretty non-Catholic ideas- I need something unashamedly Catholic that calls on rich tradition, I have only started seeing these conservsative commhnities recently.
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Active communities, then?

The Institute on Religious Life and the Council of Major Superiors of Women are good places to start.

religiouslife.com/
cmswr.org/

Blessings,
Cloisters
 
SrMarie said:
I do not like that phrase either and I have a question about it. Who, besides you, calls these communities “Betty Orders?”

First, they aren’t orders. They are communities or congregations. Second, I can’t see the church shortening St. Elizabeth’s name to “Betty” and using it as a category of religious life.
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This is not a formal term and is used among myself, founders, and older discerners.

Repeating–this is not a formal term. Should the church come out with a formal term, we will be more than happy to use that terminology.

Blessings,
Cloisters
 
I am actively looking for women, both Catholic and Protestant, seriously interested in joining an order of Sisters with a healing vocation. Feel free to visit healingorderofsthildegard.wordpress.com/ for more information.

Peace and Grace in your discernment,
Sr. Evangeline
 
SrEvangeline said:
I am actively looking for women, both Catholic and Protestant, seriously interested in joining an order of Sisters with a healing vocation. Feel free to visit healingorderofsthildegard.wordpress.com/ for more information.

Peace and Grace in your discernment,
Sr. Evangeline
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Dear Evangeline
While I commend your enthusiasm and desire to serve others, your community is not in alignment with the teaching of the Magisterium because you allow sisters to be in same-sex relationships. It would not even be an acceptable lay community for Catholics because of this. So although you welcome Catholics, any Catholic who joined you would be putting themselves in conflict with the Church.
 
Transgenders qualify for only private lay association without the intention of becoming an institute of religious life. They can make an oblation of their lives, but cannot make vows. It is my hope that by allowing them to do this they will be lead back to God; He will enlighten them as to His true plan for them: and they will change back.

Those with SSA have to get such temptations under control within three years, or they cannot apply for either the priesthood or religious life.

Celibate persons with SSA can indeed found their own communities.

The Sisters of Mercy state on their website that they have lesbians in their community, but they serve celibately just as the straights do.

SSA is a form of spiritual warfare. Confession, the Green Scapular, and the St. Benedict medal are instrumental in combating it.

Many, many persons with SSA don’t understand what the fuss is about, and are being told by literal pagans that they are the opposite sex of what they were born. This is done in defiance of God’s plan for that person, hence the reason we should fight, but with compassion and love.

Blessings,
Cloisters
 
Cloisters said:
Transgenders qualify for only private lay association without the intention of becoming an institute of religious life. They can make an oblation of their lives, but cannot make vows. It is my hope that by allowing them to do this they will be lead back to God; He will enlighten them as to His true plan for them: and they will change back.

Those with SSA have to get such temptations under control within three years, or they cannot apply for either the priesthood or religious life.

Celibate persons with SSA can indeed found their own communities.

The Sisters of Mercy state on their website that they have lesbians in their community, but they serve celibately just as the straights do.

SSA is a form of spiritual warfare. Confession, the Green Scapular, and the St. Benedict medal are instrumental in combating it.

Many, many persons with SSA don’t understand what the fuss is about, and are being told by literal pagans that they are the opposite sex of what they were born. This is done in defiance of God’s plan for that person, hence the reason we should fight, but with compassion and love.

Blessings,
Cloisters
Click to expand...
I was not referring to celibate persons with SSA, but to the website that states sisters may be married or in same-sex relationships with or without children. This implies to me that the SS relationships are not expected to be celibate ones. If they are, then this should be stated, as celibacy is not mentioned anywhere on the site.
 
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