Greatest number of vocations in a family?

[Adeodata]

In reading about my family history, I learned of several religious vocations:

My maternal great-grandmother was Anna Schmidt who married George C. Brown. Anna’s sister Rose married Joe Tobin. The Tobins had 10 children. Three of them were ordained priests; three of the girls became nuns. Anna’s father remarried a few years after his first wife died. He and his second wife had nine more children at least one of whom became a priest. I also have a great uncle on that side of the family who was a Redemptorist priest. On my paternal grandmother’s side of the family, her great uncle was a bishop back in Germany. And now, my son is carrying on the tradition with his calling to the priesthood.

Does anyone know if this is a record? I would love to hear of and celebrate other examples of religious vocations featuring prominently in a single or extended family.

 

[RobNY]

Meet the Hinnebusch family, who gave seven of their ten children to the Dominican order.

priory.dhs.edu/dominicanfriars/FrHinnebusch.aspx

 

[barb_finnegan]

How about the Vaughan family in England? I think there were ten children in that family. Their mother-who I believe was a convert to Catholicism-prayed fervently for vocations in her children.

Three daughters became nuns, and several of her sons became priests, a Bishop, an Archbishop and a Cardinal!

On a personal level, the priest who baptized me and my two sisters has a brother who is a priest and three sisters who are Franciscan Sisters.

 

[SisterSnowflake]

I just heard the story of the Vaughn family on Catholic radio this morning! Here is some information about them:

"The Mill Hill Missionaries is a society of priests and lay people, founded by Cardinal Herbert Vaughan in 1866 to give diocesan priests and lay people the chance of evangelizing non-Christians abroad. Their motto, ‘Amare et Servire’ means. ‘to love and to serve.’

Herbert Alfred Vaugham was born in Gloucester, England on 15 April, 1832. His family (from his father’s side) was a staunch Catholic family, descendants of traditional Catholics, who had experienced persecution and suffering because of their faith. Her mother Eliza Rolls became a Catholic before her marriage. She was a very religious person. She used to spend an hour every day in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, begging of God that He would call her children to serve Him in the Church.

God answered her prayers: all five of the Vaughan family’s daughters became nuns, while six of the eight sons took Holy Orders, becoming priests, with three of them being chosen as bishops."

FROM: dictionary.editme.com/Millhill

 

[SisterSnowflake]

Here is a link to a great “bio” on Mrs. Vaughan: spiritualmotherhoodforpriests.blogspot.com/2010/02/eliza-vaughan.html

 

[barb_finnegan]

I just heard the story of the Vaughn family on Catholic radio this morning! Here is some information about them:

"The Mill Hill Missionaries is a society of priests and lay people, founded by Cardinal Herbert Vaughan in 1866 to give diocesan priests and lay people the chance of evangelizing non-Christians abroad. Their motto, ‘Amare et Servire’ means. ‘to love and to serve.’

Herbert Alfred Vaugham was born in Gloucester, England on 15 April, 1832. His family (from his father’s side) was a staunch Catholic family, descendants of traditional Catholics, who had experienced persecution and suffering because of their faith. Her mother Eliza Rolls became a Catholic before her marriage. She was a very religious person. She used to spend an hour every day in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, begging of God that He would call her children to serve Him in the Church.

God answered her prayers: all five of the Vaughan family’s daughters became nuns, while six of the eight sons took Holy Orders, becoming priests, with three of them being chosen as bishops."

FROM: dictionary.editme.com/Millhill

Thanks for the clarification on the number of vocations in the Vaughn family, Sister.

I have a tape of a conference talk given by the Mother General of a congregation of traditional Sisters in New York State. She mentions the Vaughns in the talk-I couldn’t remember how many of the daughters became nuns.

 

[barb_finnegan]

Here is a link to a great “bio” on Mrs. Vaughan: spiritualmotherhoodforpriests.blogspot.com/2010/02/eliza-vaughan.html

What a remarkable woman! Having 14 children and nearly all of them in the priesthood and religious life!

Has there ever been a sainthood Cause for her? She’d be a perfect candidate!

indeed!

 

[UbiCaritas]

What a fascinating thread! I’d never heard of the Vaughans before, so thanks for posting that link.
I’m pretty sure that I’m called to be a wife and mother; I’m already praying that any children I may have will see their vocations clearly, but that if it’s God’s will a number of them will have religious vocations. (Yet another reason, say I, to have a large family, should we be blessed with such.)
I thought that I was the only person with this quirk until a couple of weeks ago when I was talking with a friend, who mentioned that she and her husband are praying that their son (age almost one year ) have a priestly vocation, so long as it’s in accordance with God’s will.