Has anyone (preferably women) experienced "the calling" after 40?

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I have posted numerous times on various Vocation threads regarding delayed vocations for women. We are The Sisters of The Real Presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ, a"Project" to form a new religious community of Catholic Sisters in the Archdiocese of Chicago. We will live the monastic life in a convent praying / chanting the entire Divine Office, a full prayer life including Eucharistic Adoration, wear a long black tunic habit and long veil. We will teach the true Catholic faith and traditions by using the fine arts, including: various art mediums, writing, acting, architecture, music and culinary arts. We will give presentations, performances and sell our work. We will go on pilgrimages to teach the Sacred Art in Catholic Churches. We have no age limit and will accept women with health problems. Please contact us at 1-773-984-8725, 773-582-5282, SRPOLJC@catholic.org or mail: P.O. Box 587 Summit, IL 60501. God Bless You!–Sister Kathleen Marie
 
The first time that I had such an experience was when I was probably 12 or so. However, I did not listen and did my own thing. Now at the age of 64 with 12 grandchildren and a great on the way I sometimes wonder what life would have been like. Well, I would not have had the experiences that I have had, nor the heartache and pain but we cannot alter the past we can only move ever closer to HIM. Because of my age, and mostly because of the fact that I have never applied for a nullification, I would not be accepted by any order. I am, however, a consecrated lay woman in a wonderfully holy community and will serve my God according to HIS will, not mine. As one of my grandaughters says, I have
a “hottie” and Jesus is HIS name. You see that in itself is another way to serve HIM, I have planted seeds. God bless your discernment.
p/s I would check out the newly formed order of Rosalind Moss, it sounds so good. I believe it is named Daughters of Israel’s Hope.
 
wanabsaint said:
The first time that I had such an experience was when I was probably 12 or so. However, I did not listen and did my own thing. Now at the age of 64 with 12 grandchildren and a great on the way I sometimes wonder what life would have been like. Well, I would not have had the experiences that I have had, nor the heartache and pain but we cannot alter the past we can only move ever closer to HIM. Because of my age, and mostly because of the fact that I have never applied for a nullification, I would not be accepted by any order. I am, however, a consecrated lay woman in a wonderfully holy community and will serve my God according to HIS will, not mine. As one of my grandaughters says, I have
a “hottie” and Jesus is HIS name. You see that in itself is another way to serve HIM, I have planted seeds. God bless your discernment.
p/s I would check out the newly formed order of Rosalind Moss, it sounds so good. I believe it is named Daughters of Israel’s Hope.
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Whoa! from one wannabe to another… I feel my experiences are very similar to yours. I am a little younger and still have a teenager at home, No grandchildren, because what a wise & mighty God we serve… these people shouldn’t multiply!😉 Just kidding. My two special needs daughters are very high functioning however & I have chosen raising young women like them as one of my missions.

My latest blog is about the annulment process. I feel I received the opportunity to get the true word out about the experience. But my emerging congregation of religious, the Oblate Sisters of Mary Magdalene, receive women, courageous women with fortitude, such as you. We aspire to become a secular institute in the future… way in the future, but we are also very traditional, wear a traditional habit (when in situations of community), share a Eucharistic, Eudist, Euphrasia charism and have no age or state of life restrictions. Women who are not free to make the vows of the evangelical counsels are free to explore our way of life through our Intercessors program. Intercessors make a promise to pray without ceasing, may wear a form of our habit and may live the same as consecrated women making the evangelical counsels if they choose. They may even take a religious name in the community. Still being the best at tooting my own horn, I have just updated our website, oblatesistersofmarymagdalene.net/, after my meeting with Fr. Reis today, guiding me through the process of obtaining recognition of the bishop. Just a suggestion.

Father gave me much helpful, positive and joyful information today. He made me glad to be a consecrated lay woman. We even discussed my taking up the mission of working with the bereaved. But most of all, I love to pray and we do much of that when we meet.

I will leave you all with what has become MY “montra”: MOST PEOPLE AREN’T FULLY COOKED UNTIL THEY ARE AT LEAST 40… & in the case of men, very often 45. 😃
 
Hello everyone! Blessed be Jesus and His Sacred Heart! I am 47 years old and my heart is on fire for Jesus big time! It is difficult to find and order of women religious who, 1.) will accept women over 35, 2) wear the long traditional habit (which I love and want to wear) and 3) accept someone with medical issues. I am on antidepressants and live a full, wonderful life. How can they turn me away when I am destined to become and want to be Jesus’ bride??? Are they afraid I will have a nutty in the refectory and throw powdered sugar all over the kitchen? This is not me…I am gentle, loving and peaceful. Medication has balanced me and I feel whole. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thank you and God Bless you!😊
 
Bonifaccia said:
Hello everyone! Blessed be Jesus and His Sacred Heart! I am 47 years old and my heart is on fire for Jesus big time! It is difficult to find and order of women religious who, 1.) will accept women over 35, 2) wear the long traditional habit (which I love and want to wear) and 3) accept someone with medical issues. I am on antidepressants and live a full, wonderful life. How can they turn me away when I am destined to become and want to be Jesus’ bride??? Are they afraid I will have a nutty in the refectory and throw powdered sugar all over the kitchen? This is not me…I am gentle, loving and peaceful. Medication has balanced me and I feel whole. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thank you and God Bless you!😊
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Praise the Lord! It is good to hear of about your great desire and fire for the Lord Jesus.

I heard of a community that accepts older vocations and even some with medical issues. I emailed them but have not heard anything. They are called the Sisters of the Lamb of God. They are located in Kentucky. You might try writing them a letter.

There are good reasons why most communities would not accept someone on antidepressants. The religious life can be very taxing on ones nerves. I know four sisters that left their communities due to depression from the mental stress of living in that kind of environment. These sisters are very loving and kind. Three of them are living consecrated lives as virgins in the world now. They did get permission to leave their communities.

I have heard that strong mental health is the most important factor in adapting to community life. Some communities are concerned with the cost of medical insurance also. Please do not get discouraged or let it get you down. The Lord will use you wherever you are at if you are willing.

Be careful with the pills and be alert to side effects. Some people have had bad experiences with antidepressants.

God bless you,
Kathy
 
Bonifaccia said:
Hello everyone! Blessed be Jesus and His Sacred Heart! I am 47 years old and my heart is on fire for Jesus big time! It is difficult to find and order of women religious who, 1.) will accept women over 35, 2) wear the long traditional habit (which I love and want to wear) and 3) accept someone with medical issues. I am on antidepressants and live a full, wonderful life. How can they turn me away when I am destined to become and want to be Jesus’ bride??? Are they afraid I will have a nutty in the refectory and throw powdered sugar all over the kitchen? This is not me…I am gentle, loving and peaceful. Medication has balanced me and I feel whole. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thank you and God Bless you!😊
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Have you considered the cloister? The Visitation and some Carmels might be your best bet. The habited Visitations are getting candidates-Toledo, Mobile come to mind, also Savannah(Carmel) which needs candidates–(Savannah re-adopted a more trad habit, but i don’t know how trad) but there are several habited traditional Carmels that aren’t. The habited active orders have a cut-off of 35. The non-habited orders don’t have fixed age cut-offs, but you aren’t interested in these.

The problem is that mental probs, even successfully treated, can be re-emerge in the cloister as others have suggested.
 
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There are a number of blogs by Catholic nuns. One of them is by a sister of the Order of St. Benedict of Duluth, MN, Sr. Edith, who entered at ‘midlife’ and was professed in 2006. She teaches at their school, the College of St. Scholastica, a high-ranking regional college and blogs here:

edithosb.blogspot.com/
 
I’m not one to toot her own horn… well, yes I am, but I am still looking for courageous, intelligent, caring prayerful women of a sophisticated age to help me forge new ground by being an Oblate Sister of Mary Magdalene. We pray without ceasing, every act of good you do is consecrated and a personal review of your day, conceding the times when you were less than what God desires, with the comfort of knowing he loves us and makes us stronger through times of failure. We are forming a lay association of the faithful, at this point in time it is private consecration, and consecrating our lives in the world, like a secular institute, for the forgotten. When we pray for vocations, we also pray for the vocation of marriage, because that is one that suffers in our society and is just as critical as the loss of priestly vocations. Our website (toot toot!) is oblatesistersofmarymagdalene.net/. Check us out and feel free to join us in your discernment process to see if secular consecration in a community of women wearing traditional habits as well as flexible working habits to accommodate their own milieu.😉
 
yes, I have. I am 47 and working onto going into religious life of one kind or another.
Right now I am studying to be a Secular Franciscan (SFO). Have you looked into this? They have fraturity meetings monthly that you attend and the active ones do volunteer projects in the community. You still live at home and live your life in the example of St. Francis and Sister Claire; concentrating on caring for the poor, etc and not the material world of sin. But be informed, it takes 2 1/2 years of classes and meetings before you are confirmed. It is a way of living your life. You can go on their natiional website for more info, or I might have some pamplets I could send you.

I am looking to join a community when I am done next summer, but am not having any luck contacting any so far.

Look it up! You might try Benidictines too.

Nancy
Evellara@msn.com:o
 
NEzell said:
yes, I have. I am 47 and working onto going into religious life of one kind or another.
Right now I am studying to be a Secular Franciscan (SFO). Have you looked into this? They have fraturity meetings monthly that you attend and the active ones do volunteer projects in the community. You still live at home and live your life in the example of St. Francis and Sister Claire; concentrating on caring for the poor, etc and not the material world of sin. But be informed, it takes 2 1/2 years of classes and meetings before you are confirmed. It is a way of living your life. You can go on their natiional website for more info, or I might have some pamplets I could send you.

I am looking to join a community when I am done next summer, but am not having any luck contacting any so far.

Look it up! You might try Benidictines too.

Nancy
Evellara@msn.com:o
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That is something for me worth looking into. I am more drawn to the Franciscans & since I started this thread I have come to believe that I don’t necessarily have the calling to become a nun…however, I still get overcome with that fire within, for lack of a better term, where I do want to become completely united to Christ more specifically to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, yet I don’t want to become a nun. I don’t understand it all…can one want to desperately to become one with the Beloved & not be a nun? Or am I fighting my true heart’s desire?
 
The Monastery of St. Gertrude, OSB (Benedictine–active) in Cottonwood, Idaho, welcomed two postulants into its novitiate last November, 2008. Here’s a picture of them knocking at the door, an ancient tradition,

stgertrudes.org/News/Archive/news_archive_2008.htm#novices

Both may be in their 40’s–hard to tell.

The monastery also accepted a novice into First Profession in June 2008.
 
Here’s an update from the Adrian Dominicans:

adriandominicans.org/BecomeaSister/InFormation.aspx

Five professions, one final, 3 renewal of vows, one first profession.

Not all appear to be over 40, but one or two are, I think (the older I get, the worse I am in guessing age).😉

One is Hispanic, The others appear to be Caucasian.

I think that “the report of (their) death(s) is an exaggeration” to paraphrase Mr. Mark Twain.

Many self-styled trad Catholics may wish them dead, and certainly their numbers are decreased as they should be, given the current culture, but some of the modernized orders appear to be doing fine. Their numbers decreased as their aged died off, they get rid of their unwieldy 19th c. buildings, and now they are smaller, more flexible and resilient, and more able to respond to their current missions.
 
Here’s a final profession of the Benedictines (OSB) of Chicago:

osbchicago.org/ArchiveSacroSpeco.htm

Unfortunately, it’s ‘buried’ in the Winter 2009 edition of their pdf newsletter “Sacro Speco”. The new Benedictine would appear to be in her early 40’s. She has a Master’s degree and was teaching Spanish in high school for 20 years before entering.
 
Lainey63 said:
That is something for me worth looking into. I am more drawn to the Franciscans & since I started this thread I have come to believe that I don’t necessarily have the calling to become a nun…however, I still get overcome with that fire within, for lack of a better term, where I do want to become completely united to Christ more specifically to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, yet I don’t want to become a nun. I don’t understand it all…can one want to desperately to become one with the Beloved & not be a nun? Or am I fighting my true heart’s desire?
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There are a lot of secular institutes, third orders, etc. that you could explore. There is a lot of info on these in this forum. Use the Search engine.
 
anode said:
The Monastery of St. Gertrude, OSB (Benedictine–active) in Cottonwood, Idaho, welcomed two postulants into its novitiate last November, 2008. Here’s a picture of them knocking at the door, an ancient tradition,

stgertrudes.org/News/Archive/news_archive_2008.htm#novices

Both may be in their 40’s–hard to tell.

The monastery also accepted a novice into First Profession in June 2008.
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bump

Two final professions last summer

stgertrudes.org/jubilees.htm

and two new novices in June 2008 along with one in first profession as mentioned above.
 
Older vocations as Founding Sisters Needed!! The Sisters of The Real Presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ at St. Thomas More Chicago, 2825 W. 81st Street, Chicago, IL 60652 are an emerging community of women, aspiring to be first a private association of the faithful with diocesan approvals leading eventually to be an Institute of Consecrated Life. We will wear black tunic long habit with veils. Augustinian Rule. Monastic prayer life with an Active Apostolite, first in the parish and then outside. We want Sisters to use their God given artistic talents to evangelize and catechize. Artists, musicians, writers, actresses, architecture (pilgrimages), culinary (fine dinners). Please write SRPOLJC@catholic.org or call 773-984-8725 or write to the parish to our attention. --Sister Kathleen Marie
 
Lainey63 said:
That is something for me worth looking into. I am more drawn to the Franciscans & since I started this thread I have come to believe that I don’t necessarily have the calling to become a nun…however, I still get overcome with that fire within, for lack of a better term, where I do want to become completely united to Christ more specifically to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, yet I don’t want to become a nun. I don’t understand it all…can one want to desperately to become one with the Beloved & not be a nun? Or am I fighting my true heart’s desire?
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Lainey, have you spoken with a priest about your desire, or a spiritual director and non understanding of the religious life. The religious life is not the only way of life in The Church that is a way of perfection and unity with The Sacred Heart. If you speak with your parish priest, probably by appointment, he may be able to help you or tell you how to go about finding a spiritual director. Sometimes they are priest or religious, sometimes trained and qualified lay people.

TS
 
TiggerS said:
Lainey, have you spoken with a priest about your desire, or a spiritual director and non understanding of the religious life. The religious life is not the only way of life in The Church that is a way of perfection and unity with The Sacred Heart. If you speak with your parish priest, probably by appointment, he may be able to help you or tell you how to go about finding a spiritual director. Sometimes they are priest or religious, sometimes trained and qualified lay people.

TS
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I have spoken to a couple of priests and one of them did say what you are saying that God is calling me to something but it may not be to religious life. He also mentioned spiritual directors but there is a fee I couldn’t afford it at the time. Right now I am in counseling for sexual abuse healing and it is faith based counseling (I mention that because there is a connection).
I have also just begun the discernment process with the Secular Franciscans-I attended my first meeting the past Saturday. So I am a visitor right now. And I am associated with a new charism that is forming in TN, The Sisters of The Holy Innocents. In the beginning I had wanted to join them as a nun, but I have backed off. They started a lay association and I am a “prayer warrior” now.

I also spoke with a Benedictine nun from TX and she told me that I should be able to find a sp in the diocease, I looked on the website but I didn’t see any info in that regards and I haven’t pursued it any further since.

At this point I am taking things real slow.
 
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