Religious Orders and New Catholics?

[nsper7]

Are there any religious orders that seek or allow new Catholics to get involved? I am about to enter RCIA (Rite of Welcoming is October 12th) as a candidate (previously Baptized at a Protestant ecclesial community/“church”), but I have been a Christian for about four years or so.

During my stint as an Episcopalian/Anglican (for about a year or so), I began to feel a desire for Holy Orders and I intend to continue that discernment as a Roman Catholic. I recently (yesterday) sent an e-mail to Opus Dei (which has a center in my state, albeit almost 5 hours away) and have made it a spiritual discipline to pray the Rosary at least once per day.

I am 22-years-old and an college student (undergrad majoring in History) and I graduate in December of this year. It would be nice to be able to devote my life to Christ and His Church sooner rather than later lest I get suckered in by the vanities of the world and the short-lived pleasures of sin…

I admit it might be the proverbial zeal for my ‘new’ faith, but isn’t that the best time to get involved? After all, while still in the more formative and zealous time is when to learn holiness and the faith to carry me through during possible ‘dry’ times, right?

Any ideas? Thoughts?

 

[juhothenero]

Are there any religious orders that seek or allow new Catholics to get involved? I am about to enter RCIA (Rite of Welcoming is October 12th) as a candidate (previously Baptized at a Protestant ecclesial community/“church”), but I have been a Christian for about four years or so.

During my stint as an Episcopalian/Anglican (for about a year or so), I began to feel a desire for Holy Orders and I intend to continue that discernment as a Roman Catholic. I recently (yesterday) sent an e-mail to Opus Dei (which has a center in my state, albeit almost 5 hours away) and have made it a spiritual discipline to pray the Rosary at least once per day.

I am 22-years-old and an college student (undergrad majoring in History) and I graduate in December of this year. It would be nice to be able to devote my life to Christ and His Church sooner rather than later lest I get suckered in by the vanities of the world and the short-lived pleasures of sin…

I admit it might be the proverbial zeal for my ‘new’ faith, but isn’t that the best time to get involved? After all, while still in the more formative and zealous time is when to learn holiness and the faith to carry me through during possible ‘dry’ times, right?

Any ideas? Thoughts?

I think if you contact them, they will answer, I am in the same situation a soon to be Catholic, and on my contacting and getting to know people i have already gotten to know a lot of Opus Dei members, Dominicans, Franciscans, Birgitta nuns (don’t know English name), Neochatecumenal way people and so forth…

I think especially traditional orders might be reluctant to let you too much inside easily since they think that all just about to be catholics always want to join some order but that phase might fade away…

Opus Dei is very willing to do apostle work since that is their primary work, becoming holy in life, they will probably contact you back quite soon, ask you to come to meet them and so forth… I don’t think they are going to force you to anything, but you might need to consider boundaries, since sometimes they are overly enthusiastic … said in a good way not in a bad way, they just want to do you good and they have a good heart and are good people, but you really need to consider it well since it is a calling from God, let God not them tell you if you are supposed to be in that Apostolate…

And contact as many as you can, don’t believe them when they tell you things like that order is bad and so on, just find out by yourself… i suppose you and I both still have sometime on our hands before we can join anything

 

[nsper7]

I think if you contact them, they will answer, I am in the same situation a soon to be Catholic, and on my contacting and getting to know people i have already gotten to know a lot of Opus Dei members, Dominicans, Franciscans, Birgitta nuns (don’t know English name), Neochatecumenal way people and so forth…

I think especially traditional orders might be reluctant to let you too much inside easily since they think that all just about to be catholics always want to join some order but that phase might fade away…

Opus Dei is very willing to do apostle work since that is their primary work, becoming holy in life, they will probably contact you back quite soon, ask you to come to meet them and so forth… I don’t think they are going to force you to anything, but you might need to consider boundaries, since sometimes they are overly enthusiastic … said in a good way not in a bad way, they just want to do you good and they have a good heart and are good people, but you really need to consider it well since it is a calling from God, let God not them tell you if you are supposed to be in that Apostolate…

And contact as many as you can, don’t believe them when they tell you things like that order is bad and so on, just find out by yourself… i suppose you and I both still have sometime on our hands before we can join anything

I already heard back from the main Opus Dei website, but I now e-mailed the person at the center in my state. Do you know if they will help me as I plan to discern a call to Holy Orders (interest began when I was an Anglican)?

 

[juhothenero]

I already heard back from the main Opus Dei website, but I now e-mailed the person at the center in my state. Do you know if they will help me as I plan to discern a call to Holy Orders (interest began when I was an Anglican)?

I think they have their own priest association but are mainly concerned with lay life rather then holy orders… But i think they will help you find suitable order or then to live with them as a Numerary after which you could go to study to become a priest… I suppose it would also be good to ask questions from independent sources… and not to commit before you know enough… also contact other orders… …

 

[Cloisters]

I’m sure any order would like lay participation, but to enter religious life, one has to be Catholic for 3 years.

Blessings,
Cloisters

 

[barryschoedel]

I would not speak for Opus Dei but I know for a fact that the men they choose for formation for the Priesthood are chosen from among their celibate lay community. What that means is that you first affiliate with “The Work” as a lay person and maybe even become a numerary first. As with any prelature, congregation or religious order there is an extended period of discernment necessary and the call is not based only on your desire but upon their discernent that this is God’s will for the community. Any call to the priesthood or religious life is that way, it can not be rushed because you have to be chosen. Most Religious Orders recommend 2-3 year waiting period for people who recently converted so that you can focus on deepening your conversion and clarify your discernment. Speaking from experience it will take that long for you to find a community and or diocese and go through the initial discernment and application process anyway.

 

[Poor_Clare_tobe]

Are there any religious orders that seek or allow new Catholics to get involved? I am about to enter RCIA (Rite of Welcoming is October 12th) as a candidate (previously Baptized at a Protestant ecclesial community/“church”), but I have been a Christian for about four years or so.

During my stint as an Episcopalian/Anglican (for about a year or so), I began to feel a desire for Holy Orders and I intend to continue that discernment as a Roman Catholic. I recently (yesterday) sent an e-mail to Opus Dei (which has a center in my state, albeit almost 5 hours away) and have made it a spiritual discipline to pray the Rosary at least once per day.

I am 22-years-old and an college student (undergrad majoring in History) and I graduate in December of this year. It would be nice to be able to devote my life to Christ and His Church sooner rather than later lest I get suckered in by the vanities of the world and the short-lived pleasures of sin…

I admit it might be the proverbial zeal for my ‘new’ faith, but isn’t that the best time to get involved? After all, while still in the more formative and zealous time is when to learn holiness and the faith to carry me through during possible ‘dry’ times, right?

Any ideas? Thoughts?

You might contact the group “Journey Home” they have their own website but they also have links through Mother Angelicas EWTN
[The Journey home deals with Protestants who became Catholic with an emphasis on many going into ministry…(Sorry that may not be a complete description but gives you an idea)]

Their website for Journey Home is:
ewtn.com/journeyhome/index.asp*

Also speak to your Parish priest on how to begin a discernment process… even though there is a waiting period?? There is no reason you cant find a spiritual director??? Develope your faith life… make sure you indeed have the calling??? If you are still in college you might have a Newman Center or at least a Campus Minister who also can help you to meet other young Catholics.

Blessings and Hopefully other posters will chime in also!

 

[bee_z]

Are there any religious orders that seek or allow new Catholics to get involved? I am about to enter RCIA (Rite of Welcoming is October 12th) as a candidate (previously Baptized at a Protestant ecclesial community/“church”), but I have been a Christian for about four years or so.

During my stint as an Episcopalian/Anglican (for about a year or so), I began to feel a desire for Holy Orders and I intend to continue that discernment as a Roman Catholic. I recently (yesterday) sent an e-mail to Opus Dei (which has a center in my state, albeit almost 5 hours away) and have made it a spiritual discipline to pray the Rosary at least once per day.

I am 22-years-old and an college student (undergrad majoring in History) and I graduate in December of this year. It would be nice to be able to devote my life to Christ and His Church sooner rather than later lest I get suckered in by the vanities of the world and the short-lived pleasures of sin…

I admit it might be the proverbial zeal for my ‘new’ faith, but isn’t that the best time to get involved? After all, while still in the more formative and zealous time is when to learn holiness and the faith to carry me through during possible ‘dry’ times, right?

Any ideas? Thoughts?

Well, first of all, Opus Dei is not a religious order and thus may not be the spirituality you think you are called to. Opus Dei is a personal prelature of the Catholic Church in which the lay faithful live out the universal call to holiness in their daily lives. They are in the middle of the world, “contemplatives walking down a busy city street,” as St. Josemaria might say, which sharply contrasts with religious life. Both vocations, the lay and religious, are beautiful and a miracle in each, but they are very different ways of journeying to Heaven.