SERVANTS OF THE SACRED CROSS - Updated website including video - CLOTHING OF A NOVICE

  • Thread starter Thread starter BarbaraTherese
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
B

BarbaraTherese

Guest
thesacredcross.org/main.htm

http://www.thesacredcross.org/images/photoalbum_images/6.jpg

For video of the Clothing of Novice…scroll down to bottom on above link.
The SSC have now established a community of live in (at this point) semi contemplative religious in Nova Scotia, Canada. They are still, being so new, ‘finding their feet’ as to their horarium.

The website is most informative!

Is God calling you to a life of prayer and service?
SSC is an international, ecumenical religious sisterhood of laywomen, married
Click to expand...
and single, living and working in their own homes and communities.

The Community is open to women, married or single, who are baptized and confirmed members, in good standing, of the Anglican, Continuing Anglican, Catholic or Eastern Orthodox Churches. Other than a minimum age of 18, there are no age restrictions. As part of the application process letters of recommendation from the applicant’s parish priest, and one other member of her congregation, must be submitted, along with birth, marriage (if applicable), baptismal and confirmation certificates.

Note: There is nothing to prevent a Catholic women in Canon Law from joining the SSC…and Mother Wendy has thoroughly researched these points with a Catholic canon lawyer.

I have found Mother Wendy James, foundress and superior, is a most amiable and approachable woman, who willingly answers all and every question and is marked by friendliness and good humour, wisdom, prudence and patience to my mind.
Click to expand...

Some comments only on the SSC, and especially listed below are those by some of our Catholic heirarchy and Vatican officials.

**“His Holiness (Pope Benedict XVI) will remember you and the Sisters in his prayers, and he invokes upon you the sustaining grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ.” **
The Vatican, Secretariat of State.

**"(We are) highly appreciative of the Community’s commitment to prayer for the oneness of all Christ’s disciples….such spiritual ecumenism is the heart of the search…" **
The Vatican, Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

**"…actual movement for unity comes from within communities, and that seems to be exactly what is happening within your Community. I am moved by this knowledge…" **
Most Rev. Wilton Gregory, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Atlanta; former President of the USCCB.

**“I am very pleased that people around Australia are becoming interested in your way of life and I hope that you get more vocations from this part of the world. (The Sisters in Perth) are certainly giving good witness to people in their parish … and elsewhere, to Religious Life…….It is a joyful and prayerful vocation.” **
Most Rev. B. J. Hickey, Roman Catholic Archbishop pf Perth, Australia

"SSC can provide ways in which devout people can live their “normal” life in a “religious” one, enabling them to be more fully what they are and who they are… may be answering the need that was felt when the monastic movement first began."
The Rev. Canon Russell Elliott, priest and author.
 
Just as well I came back and checked my Post! Re the following statement…due to my incorrect use of brackets, I have made a false statement inadvertently.
For video of the Clothing of Novice…scroll down to bottom on above link.
Click to expand...
The SSC have now established a community of live in (at this point) semi contemplative
Click to expand...
religious in Nova Scotia, Canada. They are still, being so new, ‘finding their feet’ as to their horarium.
Click to expand...

It should read:
“The SSC have now** established a community of live in, and at this point semi contemplative** religious in Nova Scotia, Canada”.
Click to expand...
“Horarium”, incidentally, means the monastery timetable. In this case the monastic daily timetable for the SSC living in community.
 
I have made a complete mess of the Opening Post and the SSC and Mother Wendy certainly do not deserve this as I have heard nothing but wonderful indeed comments about them all…including their commitment to their way of life and their mutual love for each other in the community and flowing out to all they come in contact with, and of their holiness.

In my OP it reads:
Mother Wendy James, foundress and superior, is a most amiable and approachable woman, who willingly answers all and every question and is marked by friendliness and good humour, wisdom, prudence and patience to my mind.
Click to expand...
The “to my mind” and underscored at the end creates a completely false impression that I may have heard adverse things about Mother Wendy and this is a dreadful indeed mistake of wording. I have heard nothing but wonderful things about her. I have PM’d a moderator to alter the OP to read and more correctly:

I have found Mother Wendy James, foundress and superior, to be a most amiable and approachable woman, who willingly answers all and every question and is marked by friendliness and good humour, wisdom, prudence and patience.

I send my sincere apologies to all who may have thought that perhaps I had heard something adverse and oh my goodness I have only ever heard wonderful things of her which agree with my own impressions.
 
While I wish them nothing but God’s blessing and success in their endeavors, there is no way that an Orthodox bishop would permit one of his faithful to enter a religious community calling for vows of religious obedience to a non-Orthodox superior.

And something tells me that any Catholic bishop would feel the same way.
 
bpbasilphx said:
While I wish them nothing but God’s blessing and success in their endeavors, there is no way that an Orthodox bishop would permit one of his faithful to enter a religious community calling for vows of religious obedience to a non-Orthodox superior.

And something tells me that any Catholic bishop would feel the same way.
Click to expand...
Actually, they don’t take a vow of obedience. The SSC are a type of religious sisterhood. Also, as I understand things a Catholic woman entering the SSC must promise to follow her own religious tradition and allowances for this are made within the SSC. It really is something very new in religious living. As “the new” it will have its opponents. Be that as it may, Mother Wendy has very carefully ensured that Catholic women entering the SSC are permitted to do so and by The Church. The sisters who are living in community in a live in situation do make the traditional vows. Certainly if one should wish as a Catholic woman to investigate the SSC, one can check things out with one’s Bishop for reassurance…and for those Catholic women and there are quite a few in the SSC, there has been no problem for them in entering.

Perhpas the live in sisters make a vow of obedience to their particular rule of life, and their rule of life may well spell out the duties and obligations of any superior and the extent of obedience required. I don’t know anything about this newly established branch of sisters living in in community. One could always email Mother Wendy and ask. And actually, I think, respectfully, it perhaps would be a good idea to do so before making assumptions.:confused:

Be all that as it may, the new will always have opponents. But over and above and transcending such opinions is what The Church has to say.

thesacredcross.org/vows.htm
The Vows

***“Whoever wishes to come after me, must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.” *****(Mark 8:34)****Simplicity **The vow of Simplicity binds the Sister to a deeper interpretation of the baptismal promise of “renouncing the vain pomp and glory of the world”. It is a full expression of the Christian discipline of simplicity and good stewardship, surrendering completely to God, without undue attachment to worldly goods.

***" Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is there also will your heart be." ***(Matthew 6:19-21)

Purity All Christians are called to be pure and chaste in heart, body and faith. Married Sisters pledge chastity within the married state. Chastity, in the case of married women, does not mean celibacy. It is a purity and chasteness within the bounds of the sacrament of marriage. The Community upholds the traditional definition of marriage, in accord with the historic teaching of Holy Scripture and the Church, as being the consecrated union only between a man and a woman. Therefore, the Community believes that the love, emotions and intimacy of sexual relations are rightly expressed only within traditional married life. For single Sisters, the Vow requires celibate chastity.
"Immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is fitting among holy ones, no obscenity or silly or suggestive talk, which is out of place, but instead, thanksgiving. Be sure of this, that no immoral or impure or greedy person, that is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." (Ephesians 5: 3-5)

**Obedience Under the Vow of Obedience the Sister strives to perfect the promise made at Baptism to believe and confess the Christian Faith and to obey God’s holy Will and Commandments. It is a wholehearted desire, in obedient love, to learn the Will of God and to do it.
" I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me."(John 5:30)
Sisters living “in community”, within the convent, Profess Vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience, in a radical, complete and sacrificial surrender of worldly attachments and self will, striving for God’s Will alone. There is a seeking for that total renunciation which frees one for the pursuit of perfect charity in the imitation of Christ Himself.
 
bpbasilphx said:
While I wish them nothing but God’s blessing and success in their endeavors, there is no way that an Orthodox bishop would permit one of his faithful to enter a religious community calling for vows of religious obedience to a non-Orthodox superior.

And something tells me that any Catholic bishop would feel the same way.
Click to expand...
BarbaraTherese in her reply states:
Perhpas the live in sisters make a vow of obedience to their particular rule of life, and their rule of life may well spell out the duties and obligations of any superior and the extent of obedience required. I don’t know anything about this newly established branch of sisters living in in community. One could always email Mother Wendy and ask. And actually, I think, respectfully, it perhaps would be a good idea to do so before making assumptions.:confused:
Click to expand...
Apologies! I have just realized that I have made an assumption of my own!!! Perhpas you have reliable as to source information re obedience in the SSC that I am unaware of:o …although my thoughts are and another assumption of my own is that since Rome and also our Bishops are aware of the existence of the SSC and are familiar with the SSC and what it entails - that we would certainly hear if there were problems about Catholics entering and becoming members and sisters…I am still discerning re the SSC (with personal only problems to resolve) and with no idea whatsoever whether Mother Wendy would consider me or not and before I made any sort of move I would certainly be asking more questions of her and I certainly find her very approachable and appealling on a few fronts as I mentioned in my OP, as well as checking things out with my Archbishop.
As my OP states, Mother Wendy has had contact with The Vatican and letters in reply which are quoted. Also where Catholics have entered the SSC (quite a few), their diocesan Bishop is aware of such and to date, to my knoweldge, there have been no problems. There are also in my OP quotes from Catholic Bishops and their very favourable comments re the SSC.

No religious order in Australia will consider me due to my age and illness (Bipolar) - these are not impediments to the SSC at least in one branch of the SSC (non live in in community). At 63yrs the SSC may well be my final opportunity from The Lord to fulfill an aspect of myself that has been lifelong. This is a matter for discernment and I have a priest who is my confessor/director. It is also, should I apply, a matter for Mother Wendy to discern my suitability even though age and illness are not impediments.

One of the identifying marks of new charism arising in The Church is that a need is identified in society and/or The Church and this need is addressed. The SSC and Mother Wendy to my mind are quite visionary and blessed with Grace to venture into unknown waters and meet a consistent need in The Church…quite late vocations and the problems of those who do not have good health who feel they have a vocation to religious living.

In my few years as an active member of Catholic Answers, I have read very many Posts from Catholic women lamenting being refused for one reason or another, often age and health, by our more traditional canonically recognized Catholic religious orders.

The SSC is an opportunity to fulfill their aspirations and perhaps even late in life vocation. Certainly they can be quite intensive in their questions to Mother Wendy and she will give a full and honest reply I am quite confident to state. We have exchanged quite a few emails and over a lengthy period, which reminds me to add - she is outstanding in patience…they can also speak with their Bishop or Archbishop re the SSC. Nothing to prevent them and a wise thing to do in prudence and wisdom.

I mean all this most sincerely as I also really do very sincerely apologize to you for my own assumption(s)…Blessings and regards…Barb:)
 
I am still investigating the SSC website as there are quite a few changes I am noting since this update, or at least new things are striking me that did not make impact previously. I see that the live in community is actually stated as “semi contemplative” and that there is an horarium (daily timetable) posted for this division or branch (see link “Our Life” below)
These links are worth looking at (copied from SSC website)…and the whole website is informative for the interested.
thesacredcross.org/main.htm

thesacredcross.org/interface_support/button_left2b.gif
thesacredcross.org/interface_support/button_left5b.gif
thesacredcross.org/interface_support/button_left4b.gif
thesacredcross.org/interface_support/button_left1b.gif

Other links on the webite are:
  • Eligability and Formation
  • Habit and Religious Name
  • Associates
  • Links
 
Another foot wrong:o

The SSC sisters do make a vow of Obedience, although it strikes me as that obedience we all owe to The Church and to The Lord through our baptismal promises. We renew these at Easter and in our parish with every baptism, which is usually every couple of weeks at least at Mass. We also are obliged to strive to discern God’s Will and to follow it.
I am unsure where obedience to one’s superior in the SSC may fit in and the extent and terms of it. As I understand things again, and rest assured I will correct things if I discover am wrong and post it into this thread, once one is accepted as a potential applicant, one receives a package which does include The Rule as well as forms to be filled out (to my understanding, reference from parish priest and another parish community member) and the certificates needed (Baptism and Confirmation I think and probably with me my annulment notification should I apply)Since I have not got that far, and no current indications that I will go so far as to apply, I have not sighted The Rule nor actual contents of the package. And of course, once one applies and is accepted and receives the package, this is simply a new step in the discerning process both by the applicant and the SSC.
**Obedience *** *Under the Vow of Obedience the Sister strives to perfect the promise made at Baptism to believe and confess the Christian Faith and to obey God’s holy Will and Commandments. It is a wholehearted desire, in obedient love, to learn the Will of God and to do it.

" I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me."(John 5:30)
Click to expand...
Actually this thread and my consistent need to amend myself due to errors made, and hence submit another post, is helping me along in my own discernment process as new things strike me to ponder that have never really registered before. Although when I first posted and opened this thread, I certainly never anticipated any of this then - I thought possibly I might need to respond to other posters and that would be all!:o All the same, I ask your very real charity in looking upon me with forgiveness at post after post after post simply to amend errors in a previous post.
 
bpbasilphx said:
While I wish them nothing but God’s blessing and success in their endeavors, there is no way that an Orthodox bishop would permit one of his faithful to enter a religious community calling for vows of religious obedience to a non-Orthodox superior.

And something tells me that any Catholic bishop would feel the same way.
Click to expand...
Dear friends in Christ,
I am the Foundress and Superior of ***The Servants of the Sacred Cross (SSC). ***
This will be just a brief note of introduction and a comment on the concerns as expressed by the poster above. In charity, most answers are to be found within our web site at: www.TheSacredCross.org . Indeed, a careful read through our site should allay any possible concerns or misunderstandings.
Do be assured that we have experienced nothing but unqualified support from all Archbishops and Bishops of the Catholic Church, as well as those of the Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC) to which all but two of our “Anglican” Sisters belong. As many of you know the TAC has recently petitioned the Holy See for full communion. We wait prayerfully for an answer to that request. If granted, then the TAC Sisters will also be fully Catholic.
We do, however, have a majority of Roman Catholic Sisters within our membership make-up at this time. If you review our web site carefully, you will see articles and pictures of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Perth, Australia, personally receiving the Vows of Profession of one of our Catholic Sisters last fall. In addition, the video clip on our web site is from the Clothing Mass of one of Catholic Novices whose husband is an ordained Catholic deacon. She has the full support and enthusiastic encouragement of their Bishop as you will see in the article about Sister Coleen in the media link.
It is important to understand that our Sisters Vow obedience to God first and foremost. Then they Vow obedience to our Rule and Constitution and therefore to me as their Superior, as defined in those documents, in the living out of specific matters pertaining to our Community and our Rule etc. BUT as our Constitution also clearly states in detail, all Catholics must also sign a document (Profession of Faith from the Vatican) attesting their obedience and loyalty to the Magisterium, Catechism, and Code of Canon Law of the Catholic Church. Anglican Sisters sign a similar document in terms of their own ecclesial jurisdiction.
Lastly, we have not, as yet, received an inquiry from an Eastern Orthodox applicant. We do pray that we will do so when it pleases God to issue a call to SSC to an Orthodox woman. Obviously, similar measures will be in place in terms of the Vow of obedience relating to the Eastern Orthodox churches. All in His time.
I am absolutely open to any questions that may arise as it is extremely important that SSC is well understood. Thus, do not hesitate to ask!!
Code:
Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to grow and evolve. We will be receiving four new Postulants at our General Chapter next month, with another three and possibly four later in the fall. We also have three new Associate applicants about to be received.
In Christ’s Love,
Mother Wendy
Mother Superior, The Servants of the Sacred Cross
 
Just a little commercial here…I see Fr Roger Bonnear was the priest involved during the Clothing. I live so close Mount Carmel…🙂
 
Mother_Wendy said:
Dear friends in Christ,
I am the Foundress and Superior of ***The Servants of the Sacred Cross (SSC). ***
This will be just a brief note of introduction and a comment on the concerns as expressed by the poster above. In charity, most answers are to be found within our web site at: www.TheSacredCross.org . Indeed, a careful read through our site should allay any possible concerns or misunderstandings.
Do be assured that we have experienced nothing but unqualified support from all Archbishops and Bishops of the Catholic Church, as well as those of the Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC) to which all but two of our “Anglican” Sisters belong. As many of you know the TAC has recently petitioned the Holy See for full communion. We wait prayerfully for an answer to that request. If granted, then the TAC Sisters will also be fully Catholic.
We do, however, have a majority of Roman Catholic Sisters within our membership make-up at this time. If you review our web site carefully, you will see articles and pictures of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Perth, Australia, personally receiving the Vows of Profession of one of our Catholic Sisters last fall. In addition, the video clip on our web site is from the Clothing Mass of one of Catholic Novices whose husband is an ordained Catholic deacon. She has the full support and enthusiastic encouragement of their Bishop as you will see in the article about Sister Coleen in the media link.
It is important to understand that our Sisters Vow obedience to God first and foremost. Then they Vow obedience to our Rule and Constitution and therefore to me as their Superior, as defined in those documents, in the living out of specific matters pertaining to our Community and our Rule etc. BUT as our Constitution also clearly states in detail, all Catholics must also sign a document (Profession of Faith from the Vatican) attesting their obedience and loyalty to the Magisterium, Catechism, and Code of Canon Law of the Catholic Church. Anglican Sisters sign a similar document in terms of their own ecclesial jurisdiction.
Lastly, we have not, as yet, received an inquiry from an Eastern Orthodox applicant. We do pray that we will do so when it pleases God to issue a call to SSC to an Orthodox woman. Obviously, similar measures will be in place in terms of the Vow of obedience relating to the Eastern Orthodox churches. All in His time.
I am absolutely open to any questions that may arise as it is extremely important that SSC is well understood. Thus, do not hesitate to ask!!
Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to grow and evolve. We will be receiving four new Postulants at our General Chapter next month, with another three and possibly four later in the fall. We also have three new Associate applicants about to be received.
In Christ’s Love,
Mother Wendy
Mother Superior, The Servants of the Sacred Cross
Click to expand...
Thank you for injecting informed information (to say the least) into this thread…I meant well, but did not do a good job of it at all. C’est la vie and mea maxima culpa!..I was delighted to read of the four new postulants on the way…and another possible three to four later in the fall…Great news indeed!..
As many of you know the TAC has recently petitioned the Holy See for full communion. We wait prayerfully for an answer to that request. If granted, then the TAC Sisters will also be fully Catholic.
Click to expand...
This also caught my eye.

Blessings and my regards…Barb:)
 
BarbaraTherese,

I so appreciate your posts about this community+. Being a convert from Anglo-Catholicism they seem wonderful, however I had one thought - I couldn’t imagine not having the True, Valid Eucharist. I realize that this must be something that was seen to initially, but I would need to make sure that the consecration at Mass is done by a validly ordained Catholic priest.:confused: Or maybe I should address this question to Mother Wendy? (If so, I really apologize).
 
brigid12 said:
BarbaraTherese,

I so appreciate your posts about this community+. Being a convert from Anglo-Catholicism they seem wonderful, however I had one thought - I couldn’t imagine not having the True, Valid Eucharist. I realize that this must be something that was seen to initially, but I would need to make sure that the consecration at Mass is done by a validly ordained Catholic priest.:confused: Or maybe I should address this question to Mother Wendy? (If so, I really apologize).
Click to expand...
Hi Brigid…I truly hesitate to pass on advice, as I really did make a mess of this thread with some of my Posts, quite unintentionally of course. No need whatsoever to apologize, I cannot speak highly enough from my own experience and feedback of the SSC.
Mother Wendy is absolutely approachable in every way and one of the most approachable religious superiors I have come across. She will, I know, answer your question and in a completely understanding way and be as helpful as she can possibly be, which is overwhelmingly helpful my exerience tells me. I truly cannot speak highly of her enough.
Do contact her…if you access the website you will find all her contact details, including email address.
thesacredcross.org/contact.htm

Do have a good wander over the website, if you have not done so already…it is very informative.

God’s Blessings on your journey in every way. I think the question that you posed in your post is a very important one for a Catholic woman and I am sure Mother Wendy will be very happy to reply in full …warm regards…Barb:)
 
Quoting Brigid12
I so appreciate your posts about this community+.
Click to expand...
This is very kind and thoughtful of you, Brigid, in view of the mess I really did make of my Posts. Sometimes I can read something but it does not really sink in, but something will niggle at me and I return to read whatever again! May The Lord bless you for your kindness and thoughtfulness:thumbsup: … though His is all praise and thankfulness and His all glory great and small:thumbsup: …all errors, faults and imperfections etc. etc.
 
I would like to clarify a point here: the Roman Catholic Sisters
receive Holy Communion ONLY at Roman Catholic Masses &
the Anglican Sisters receive ONLY at Anglican Masses…
Also, I noted that one of the Australian Sisters had her
Spiritual Director (along w/the Roman Catholic Bishop) at
her Vow Ceremony. He is a member of the FSSP: the
Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter…Need I say more?
 
HOLYHEARTS said:
I would like to clarify a point here: the Roman Catholic Sisters
receive Holy Communion ONLY at Roman Catholic Masses &
the Anglican Sisters receive ONLY at Anglican Masses…
Also, I noted that one of the Australian Sisters had her
Spiritual Director (along w/the Roman Catholic Bishop) at
her Vow Ceremony. He is a member of the FSSP: the
Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter…Need I say -more?
Click to expand...
Code:
I do agree with your statement…but what is wrong with fssp?
 
Mother Wendy is a very holy religious. She is very wise and has certainly helped me out with a lot of difficult questions I have had regarding the order. Pray for the Sisters and their upcoming Chapter Meeting in early September 2008.
 
HOLYHEARTS said:
I would like to clarify a point here: the Roman Catholic Sisters
receive Holy Communion ONLY at Roman Catholic Masses &
the Anglican Sisters receive ONLY at Anglican Masses…
Also, I noted that one of the Australian Sisters had her
Spiritual Director (along w/the Roman Catholic Bishop) at
her Vow Ceremony. He is a member of the FSSP: the
Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter…Need I say more?
Click to expand...
As I understand things, this is correct:
the Roman Catholic Sisters
receive Holy Communion ONLY at Roman Catholic Masses &
the Anglican Sisters receive ONLY at Anglican Masses
Click to expand...
A read of the newsletters on the homepage will give much information also. Other than that, one can always email Mother Wendy to answer any questions.

Blessings and regards…Barb:)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top