How to tell parents your discerning?

[Mystery17]

So, my Dad isn’t a very big catholic, and not very big on nuns or religious sisters. I’ve been praying, googling, and I’m about to go on a retreat for discernment and don’t know how to tell him without him freaking out. He thinks I was sucked into the church cause I was vulnerable, and that I shouldn’t get to into it. Any advice?

 

[Cloisters]

Ask the Holy Ghost to be your icebreaker. Parents are intuitive, and they may know in their heart-of-hearts that something is going on. The way you’re acting will usually betray your interior.

If it’s just a retreat, you’ll need to repeat that three times to get it through to them, especially men.

Review the stages of grief. Most go straight to anger. Don’t take it personally.

I will remember you during the Fifth Sorrowful Mystery. My particular Ministry within my new congregation remembers those giving family and friends to religious life then.

Blessings,

Mrs Cloisters OP
Lay Dominican
http://cloisters.tripod.com/
http://cloisters.tripod.com/charity/

 

[TheLittleLady]

You are working with the Director of Vocations? You are not the first to discern with pushback from parents. The DoV will have excellent advice for you. They likely even have support available for your parents.

Thank you for discerning!

 

[nunsuch]

Should you discern that religious life is your vocation, let him see how happy you are. Parents have preconceptions, but what nearly all of them REALLY want is for their children to be happy.