personal possessions

[Monica4316]

Hi, this is just something I’ve always wondered about… I know that nuns take a vow of poverty so they don’t have personal possessions. But are they allowed to have things like a some photographs, or a book, from home?

 

[lizaanne]

It depends on the order and what vows they take and rules they live under.

Do you have a specific order or convent in mind?

~Liza

 

[Monica4316]

Not really, but what about Carmelites or Poor Clares? (as they seem to be the ones who take the vow of poverty most seriously)

Is there a difference between cloistered and uncloistered orders in this regard?

 

[Inity]

I was worrying too, about books (I need at least few, including Bible in russian, and dictionaries/textbooks for foreign language if I’d go to the convent in another country - not in Russia where I live), my personal diaries (and books I’ve written) and may be some sacramentals (such as Rosaries or icons that are important to me). I asked a dominican community I’m in contact with, and they said that this would be allowed. I’ve seen at another community website (don’t remember the links), and they had in the FAQs, that you might take with yourself 10 music CDs or books, and CD player, but no notebooks/iPods/mobile phones

 

[Monica4316]

That’s interesting, thanks!

does anyone know if nuns are able to ever visit their old home again? - their families? (I’m guessing uncloistered nuns can, but what about cloistered?)

God bless

 

[Inity]

I know that many uncloistered nuns can have a “vacation” for a week or two per year (or more rarely), so they can visit their families or make a pilgrimage…
I think that for most cloistered communities such travels are forbidden, though. However the community can send a nun somewhere… I know one dominican cloistered nun from US, who went to Russia for about a month to study russian language (it was slightly crazy idea for her, but it worked I was happy to accept her here in my home)

(I will be occasionally visiting home anyway, even if I’ll join cloistered community (but I want to join active one); I’ll need to renew my visa and passport, if I’d be outside of my home country.)

 

[Monica4316]

I read on one website about Poor Clares that in that particular convent, they can visit their parents if they can’t travel.
I think St Faustina visited her old family home once? can’t remember…

I know one dominican cloistered nun from US, who went to Russia for about a month to study russian language (it was slightly crazy idea for her, but it worked I was happy to accept her here in my home)

wow that’s so cool!

 

[CarmeliteGirl25]

That’s interesting, thanks!

does anyone know if nuns are able to ever visit their old home again? - their families? (I’m guessing uncloistered nuns can, but what about cloistered?)

God bless

I think that unless a cloistered nun is sent as a missionary somewhere, she is forbidden to go beyond the cloister. There are some orders, though, that will allow nuns to return to their families if illness or death occurs in their immediate family. Uncloistered sisters usually go home for up to 2 weeks at a time once a year.

 

[CarmeliteGirl25]

I think that unless a cloistered nun is sent as a missionary somewhere, she is forbidden to go beyond the cloister. There are some orders, though, that will allow nuns to return to their families if illness or death occurs in their immediate family. Uncloistered sisters usually go home for up to 2 weeks at a time once a year.

Oh, and of course, their families can visit the cloistered and non-cloistered sisters at their convent or monastery. Most of the time, they are allowed about a week, nonconsecutive or consecutively (it depends if the parents live close by or not).