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

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**Hello BarbaraTherese! I am writing in regards to the link you put up, about the SSC’s! They seem to be a beautiful, growing, community of sisters. However, it seems to me, that if your married and you wish to follow their rule, become a Secular Lay SSC. Being a devout Catholic, who is also discerning a Religious Consecrated life as a Nun/Sister, I have never been married, nor have any children. I have made the 3 vows to myself already, and consecrated myself to Mary on the Virtues, through a priest at my parush. I do get tired of explained to others that I am only interested in my Groom to Be:) He makes my heart say “YES” all thee time! I watched the video, and it was interesting. Too bad this community is Soooo Farrrrr across the eastern US!😦 Hope to hear from you or others. Have you checked out the site called “Multiply.com”? Their are alot of catholics in that site. Also, the PCC’'s in Aptos, California., accepi women between the ages of 21 to 45 w/exceptions, AND, you may do a live in as an Aspirant for 3 months. I did, an wore the Postulants veil, and jumper; called “Sr. Mary”; had my own “cell”., etc. Write or call. May God Reward You All:p 😉
 
I do urge anyone with any sort of interest in this thread to peruse the SSC website as in my opening post and also the various posts in this thread.

Mother Wendy (foundress and superior) has posted a very informative post into this thread SEE HERE

Be that as it may, I am very happy to answer questions insfar as my knowledge and personal poverty of expression and knowledge of the SSC will stretch.
Also one can email Mother Wendy, and her email address is on the website asking any sort of information they may wish. She is very helpful and very friendly and warm.

Quoting ClareTherese
Hello BarbaraTherese! I am writing in regards to the link you put up, about the SSC’s! They seem to be a beautiful, growing, community of sisters.
Yes, I think that they are!
However, it seems to me, that if your married and you wish to follow their rule, become a Secular Lay SSC.
There are devout Catholic married women, full members of the SSC. By “secular lay SSC” I take it you mean their Associates.
See: thesacredcross.org/associates.htm
Being a devout Catholic, who is also discerning a Religious Consecrated life as a Nun/Sister, I have never been married, nor have any children. I have made the 3 vows to myself already, and consecrated myself to Mary on the Virtues, through a priest at my parush.
I was married for 15years, have two adult sons and an annulment of some 20 or more years standing ; hence, I am technically free to enter any religious order that will accept me and many would if I did not suffer Bipolar Disorder and if I were not 62yrs. of age. I know that some Orders will accept quite late vocations, but none for sure here in Australia.
I have made private vows and now perpetual life vows of some 25 or more years standing and have a priest director and confessor and live a specific lifestyle (also ‘co founded’ by a priest) under those vows, since no religious order here will consider me. Realizing that probably I would not be accepted anywhere due to Bipolar, I made private vows yearly searching for an Order that would consider me here in Australia. These vows are now perpetual or for life and after advice by my director.
However, my illness and my age do not present impediments to the SSC (I have not applied for entrance however). This is truly wonderful for women who may have impediments to traditional Catholic religious life.
I do get tired of explained to others that I am only interested in my Groom to Be:) He makes my heart say “YES” all thee time! I watched the video, and it was interesting. Too bad this community is Soooo Farrrrr across the eastern US!😦
The sisters can live in their own homes if they wish and certainly last I heard there were two Australian novices living here in Australia…perhaps by now even more.
Hope to hear from you or others. Have you checked out the site called “Multiply.com”? Their are alot of catholics in that site. Also, the PCC’'s in Aptos, California., accepi women between the ages of 21 to 45 w/exceptions, AND, you may do a live in as an Aspirant for 3 months. I did, an wore the Postulants veil, and jumper; called “Sr. Mary”; had my own “cell”., etc. Write or call. May God Reward You All:p 😉
I have never heard of aspirants wearing the postulant ‘habit’…in fact here in Australia most religious orders no longer wear a religious habit at any time.

May The Lord bless your own vocation.
Here are a couple of newspaper articles re Catholic Servants of The Sacred Cross:

Catholic Archbishop receives vows of Catholic woman, Servants of The Sacred Cross (Archbishop Hickey of Perth incidentally is ahighly respected Catholic Archbishop here in Australia):
thesacredcross.org/media/Bhickey_march2008.jpg

Another Catholic married woman and wife of an ordained Catholic deacon
thesacredcross.org/media/sister_coleen_news.jpg
Extracts from the SSC website - go to
thesacredcross.org/others.htm
**“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
 
Such confusion and disunity. If they can’t even worship together this is not a real religious community. A sad case of indifferentism.
Just now getting around to a brief reply! We have been very busy with our annual General Chapter from which we have just returned. In any event, I did want to make the point that we, The Servants of the Sacred Cross, most certainly do “worship together”. We all pray the same Divine Office, follow the same Rule of Life, pray the same devotions etc. Two of our main mandates are prayer for the Unity of the Church Universal and prayer for priests. In all these, and many more ways, we are absolutely united in our prayer and worship. As I explained in a previous post, while gathered for Chapter, we have separate Masses for our Roman Catholic Rites and for our Anglican Rites. While we all attend both (and worship together to the extent possible) we do not cross the boundaries in terms of Sacramental sharing. Instead, for those who cannot receive, we make an act of Spiritual Communion. It is in our prayer for Unity that we seek earnestly for the day when God will be pleased to allow His Church to be reunited and we may all receive the Blessed Sacrament at the same Mass. We strive to focus on the ways in which we are united, not on the ways we may be presently divided. Yes, we most assuredly do “worship together”!!
In Christ’s Love,
Mother Wendy
 
Dear friends in Christ,
I thought you may enjoy seeing these pictures from our Annual General Chapter which took place from Sept. 7-14th. During that week, we received four new Postulants, celebrated the Clothing of a Novice and the Profession of Vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience of our first two Sisters living in community in our convent. They also were clothed in their new headpieces and traditional veils which distinguish them from our Sisters living “in the world.” In addition, they received their new names in Religion. Two other Sisters renewed annual Vows. Our Catholic Mass took place in the beautiful monastic chapel of Mount Carmel Monastery in Niagara Falls, Ontario, celebrated by one of the Carmelite priests who received the Vows.
Of the four Postulants, three are Roman Catholic, one is from the Anglican Catholic Church of Canada. Our new Novice is Roman Catholic as are the two Sisters at our convent. God is showering us with vocations (and much work for me, of course, which I gladly offer in service to Him!!) as we receive three more Postulants next month. We have a large number of inquirers in various stages of discernment. All rich blessings.
You will see below our Sister Julia Agnes of the Sacred Heart and Sister Rosaire Martine of O.L. of Perpetual Help who reside in our semi-contemplative convent. Also a picture of several of us on the steps of Mount Carmel where we held our Chapter.
In Christ’s Love,
Mother Wendy
Mother Superior, The Servants of the Sacred Cross
 
Dear friends in Christ,
I thought you may enjoy seeing these pictures from our Annual General Chapter which took place from Sept. 7-14th. During that week, we received four new Postulants, celebrated the Clothing of a Novice and the Profession of Vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience of our first two Sisters living in community in our convent. They also were clothed in their new headpieces and traditional veils which distinguish them from our Sisters living “in the world.” In addition, they received their new names in Religion. Two other Sisters renewed annual Vows. Our Catholic Mass took place in the beautiful monastic chapel of Mount Carmel Monastery in Niagara Falls, Ontario, celebrated by one of the Carmelite priests who received the Vows.
Of the four Postulants, three are Roman Catholic, one is from the Anglican Catholic Church of Canada. Our new Novice is Roman Catholic as are the two Sisters at our convent. God is showering us with vocations (and much work for me, of course, which I gladly offer in service to Him!!) as we receive three more Postulants next month. We have a large number of inquirers in various stages of discernment. All rich blessings.
You will see below our Sister Julia Agnes of the Sacred Heart and Sister Rosaire Martine of O.L. of Perpetual Help who reside in our semi-contemplative convent. Also a picture of several of us on the steps of Mount Carmel where we held our Chapter.
In Christ’s Love,
Mother Wendy
Mother Superior, The Servants of the Sacred Cross
Code:
I am flabbergasted to see Mt Carmel and you being involved in our monastery. It is inspiring to say the least, but because it is so close to home, it is disconcerting.

God’s blessings on your beautiful community.

Why did you get involved with Mt Carmel? Just curious…
 
Dear all,
Just to clarify, our Community is not “involved” with Mount Carmel monastery per se. We have our own convent. The Carmelite monastery is part of and runs Mount Carmel Ecumenical Spiritual Retreat and Conference Centre and it is there that our Sisters (this year from three countries!!) have been gathering for the past several years for our annual Chapter and Retreat, as we don’t have enough room in our own house. We very much appreciate the beautiful facilities, chapels and the loving care shown toward us by the staff and the Carmelite priests and brothers themselves. You may view the Mount Carmel web site at: carmelniagara.com/ .
Many,many different groups use the monastery for meetings and retreats. This year there was a large group of Free Methodists there during part of our time, followed by a group of Catholic men in the Diaconate program.
Hope that helps!
Mother Wendy
 
Thank you for the updates, Mother Wendy. I was delighted, though not surprised, to see that the SSC is still growing and that your desk ‘overflows’. I really like the new veil for the live in sisters too…it rather reminded me of a Carmelite habit in some ways. The joy positively shines in all the pictures I see of the sisters. May The Lord continue to bless you all richly…Blessings - Barb:)
 
What is their canonical relationship to the Catholic ordinary? I notice that they have endorsements from an Anglican bishop, and are termed “Ecumenical”… But that leads me to ask, are they approved or in the process for approval as a Catholic institution?
thesacredcross.org/main.htm

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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?

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.
 
What is their canonical relationship to the Catholic ordinary? I notice that they have endorsements from an Anglican bishop, and are termed “Ecumenical”… But that leads me to ask, are they approved or in the process for approval as a Catholic institution?
Kindly carefully review the entire page ("What Others Say!) of quotes on our web site from all sources. See: thesacredcross.org/others.htm. You will find letters of “endorsement” not only from Traditional Anglican and CATHOLIC Archbishops, Bishops, priests and Religious but also directly from the Vatican! Hope that will be reassuring. I have copied the pertinent section of that page below:

What the Church, Archbishops, Bishops, Priests,
and other Religious say about SSC!!


**"I am especially impressed with the Rule and Constitution… (they) have been thoughtfully and prayerfully formed at each step of the way."The Right Reverend Donald Harvey, Retired Diocesan Bishop of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador; Moderator of the Anglican Network in Canada; Anglican Episcopal Visitor to The Servants of the Sacred Cross
**
"Such creative remnants (referring to SSC) are the hope for a renewed Church."

The Rev. Dr. Robert Crouse, Anglican priest, Professor Emeritus of Classics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia; Honorary Canon Theologian of the Diocese of Saskatchewan; Honorary President of the Prayer Book Society of Canada; member of the Canadian Primate‚s Theological Commission.

**“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.

"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.

**"…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.

"The thrust of SSC is to uphold the Cross of Christ to the whole world."
The Rev. Everett E. Hill, Anglican priest.

**“I find it exciting…we need to witness to the fullness of the Catholic Faith.” **
The Rev. Mother Mary Teresa, SSM, Superior of The Priory of Our Lady, Walsingham, England.

**“This is a wonderful time to be a Religious…your witness as Servants of His eternal plan of love will point others to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in Heaven, but anticipated by His Presence here and now in the Sacrament of our salvation which He accomplished on the Sacred Cross.” **
The Rt. Rev. Peter D. Wilkinson, OSG, Bishop Ordinary, The Anglican Catholic Church of Canada; Traditional Anglican Communion.

**“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 of Perth, Australia

Blessings,
Mother Wendy
The Rev. Mother Wendy James, SSC
Mother Superior, The Servants of the Sacred Cross
 
What is their canonical relationship to the Catholic ordinary? I notice that they have endorsements from an Anglican bishop, and are termed “Ecumenical”… But that leads me to ask, are they approved or in the process for approval as a Catholic institution?
An ecumenical institute of religious life cannot be approved as a Roman Catholic institute of consecrated life, because the Church has no jurisdiction over it.

The onlhy way that an institute can receive the title Roman Catholic is if they professed exclusive obedience to the Roman Catholic Church in its constitutions.

That being said, there is no impairment for a Catholic to join such a community as long as the community does not teach against the faith of the Roman Catholic Church and does not require its religious to abdicate that faith and obedience as individuals. Nor can there be anything in its constitutions that is in conflict with Catholic dogma and morals.

A good example are the Brothers of Taize. They are not a Roman Catholic order. However, they received a statement of praise from the Holy See and the Sacred Congregation for Religious. Catholics may join it. In fact, their current abbot is a Catholic. Their founder, Brother Roger died a Lutheran. Some say that he was originally Calvinist. I don’t know if that’s true or not. It could be.

Nonetheless, Brother Roger was admitted to holy communion at a Roman Catholic mass by Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. Both popes had the strongest admiration for the Monks of Taize and very warm feelings for Brother Roger until he died shortly after Pope John Paul II. Brother Roger even accompanied Pope John Paul II on one of his Apostolic visits, but I don’t know which one. My guess is that it would have been to France, since he was French.

The point is that an institute need not be Roman Catholic to have the appreciation of the Catholic Church and even her blessing to go forward with its work in the hopes that it will lead to a full communion with the Catholic Church in the future. When? Only God knows that.

Fraternally,

JR 🙂
 
Hi JR…
That being said, there is no impairment for a Catholic to join such a community as long as the community does not teach against the faith of the Roman Catholic Church and does not require its religious to abdicate that faith and obedience as individuals. Nor can there be anything in its constitutions that is in conflict with Catholic dogma and morals.
All the above most certainly applies to the Servants of The Sacred Cross.
A good example are the Brothers of Taize. They are not a Roman Catholic order. However, they received a statement of praise from the Holy See and the Sacred Congregation for Religious. Catholics may join it. In fact, their current abbot is a Catholic. Their founder, Brother Roger died a Lutheran. Some say that he was originally Calvinist. I don’t know if that’s true or not. It could be.
I dont know much about the Brothers of Taize at all, except general reading. Certainly they are held in very high regard in The Church still.
Nonetheless, Brother Roger was admitted to holy communion at a Roman Catholic mass by Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.
I never knew this. I have always thought that one needs to be a baptized Catholic to receive Holy Communion in the Catholic Church?
The point is that an institute need not be Roman Catholic to have the appreciation of the Catholic Church and even her blessing to go forward with its work in the hopes that it will lead to a full communion with the Catholic Church in the future. When? Only God knows that.
Indeed, the prayer of Jesus at The Last Supper:
11 And now I am not in the world, and these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name whom thou has given me; that they may be one, as we also are.
St. Augustine
“In Essentials unity, In Non-Essentials liberty, In All Things Love”
(I think that is the wording of the words of St. Augustine.)
The SSC is certainly a particularly loving community of Sisters, and for quite a new religious foundation as new religious foundations go, they are growing quite rapidly. “By their fruits you will know them”.

Barb:)
 
Kindly carefully review the entire page ("What Others Say!) of quotes on our web site from all sources. See: thesacredcross.org/others.htm. You will find letters of “endorsement” not only from Traditional Anglican and CATHOLIC Archbishops, Bishops, priests and Religious but also directly from the Vatican! Hope that will be reassuring. I have copied the pertinent section of that page below:…
Actually, I had read that, but that lead to my question. So more specifically I will ask, have any moves been made to recognize the Catholic sisters as a sub-unit as being part of a group with canonical status in the jurisdiction of the local Catholic ordinary?
 
…That being said, there is no impairment for a Catholic to join such a community as long as the community does not teach against the faith of the Roman Catholic Church and does not require its religious to abdicate that faith and obedience as individuals. Nor can there be anything in its constitutions that is in conflict with Catholic dogma and morals.
This was my thinking on the matter, but was not sure if the set-up of the group was such that there was a way for the women who are Catholic to have any canonical standing. Something that is not an impossibility in mixed houses - I recall that there was a time when Anglican Franciscans shared a house with a group of Catholic Franciscans that had a canonical tie to the local ordinary.
A good example are the Brothers of Taize. They are not a Roman Catholic order. However, they received a statement of praise from the Holy See and the Sacred Congregation for Religious. Catholics may join it. In fact, their current abbot is a Catholic. Their founder, Brother Roger died a Lutheran. Some say that he was originally Calvinist. I don’t know if that’s true or not. It could be.

Nonetheless, Brother Roger was admitted to holy communion at a Roman Catholic mass by Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. Both popes had the strongest admiration for the Monks of Taize and very warm feelings for Brother Roger until he died shortly after Pope John Paul II. Brother Roger even accompanied Pope John Paul II on one of his Apostolic visits, but I don’t know which one. My guess is that it would have been to France, since he was French.
To be clear, Br. Roger was admitted to Holy Communion because he professed the Catholic faith, and not due to the canonical status of his group.

At this time, the community is lead by a Catholic priest who meets with the Pope annually. I am not certain if this is setting a precedent of any sort, but as a Catholic priest he does - of course - have ties and obedience to the local ordinary. I am uncertain how his Catholic membership in the same community is recognized from the point of canon law. That would be interesting to look into.

Thanks for the info, best of luck to the good sisters!

-Simple
 
Actually, I had read that, but that lead to my question. So more specifically I will ask, have any moves been made to recognize the Catholic sisters as a sub-unit as being part of a group with canonical status in the jurisdiction of the local Catholic ordinary?
Please forgive what was not a very explicit answer. We have had very strong encouragement from the Catholic Church, as you can see from just the few quotes I have put on the web site. We do see many benefits from some form of “official” ecclesial recognition, over and above our legal civil status as a non-profit incorporation. That recognition may well be from the Catholic Church. Yes, I have been involved in the preliminary inquiries.
In my considerable research and meetings with Catholic Archbishops and Bishops, in many parts of the world, it has become abundantly evident that we are well beyond any one Catholic Ordinary. We are already present in three countries and thus many Archdioceses. We have been advised that, were we to seek Canonical recognition within the Catholic Church, we would need to do so as a Community of Pontifical Right since we are already international. We make no assumptions that we would be deemed worthy of such approval, incidentally. But if we were, then we would be under the direct authority of the Holy See, not any one particuler Archbishop.
It is extremely important to realize that the Code of Canon Law does not require a Community or Association to seek any form of canonical recognition whatsoever. We may remain “de facto” forever. I may have written about this earlier on the thread, for which I apologize.
However, we would not seek to become recognized, necessarily, as a Catholic Association or Community and Canon Law does not allow any non-canonical organization to call itself “Catholic” anyway. We certainly do not do so. We are an ecumenical Community, albeit in a very limited way, and with over half of our Sisters being Catholic.
The great discovery for us, however, is the seemingly little known fact that the Holy See has given Canonical approval to certain ecumenical Communities and Associations. This would be the obvious path for us, if we should decide to pursue it, but any category leading to Canonical status is a very long process and one that cannot be rushed, if it is to be done properly.
For now we are deeply thankful for the very real support and encouragement that we do have - both within the Roman Catholic Church and the Traditional Anglican jurisdictions which are represented in The Servants of the Sacred Cross.
In terms of attempting to put in place some form of recognition just for the Roman Catholic Sisters, I am compelled to say that, first of all, we are not required to do so (as above) but, more importantly, to do so would create division, of sorts, (as in establishing a “sub-unit” as you say) within our Community. The very essence of who and what we are is in the prayer for Unity of the Church Universal and for priests. To create “sub-groups” would be to contradict our constant striving to find, and focus on, all ways in which we may be “one” and pray and work in common - not to suggest Sacramental sharing, as I have emphasized before. Sadly, in that one way we are, indeed, painfully separated at this time. However, to start establishing various groups within our overall Community would be counterproductive to what we have been called to in being a model of Unity. For now we are content and remain docile to the leading of the Holy Spirit and pray we may be obedient. In all of that your prayers are greatly appreciated.
In Christ’s Love,
Mother Wendy
Mother Superior, The Servants of the Sacred Cross
 
Thank you for the above, Mother Wendy…A fascinating and informative response…and thank you too for your time …keeping this thread accurate in information regarding The Servants of The Sacred Cross👍

Blessings and my warm regards…Barb:)
 
Thank you for the above, Mother Wendy…A fascinating and informative response…and thank you too for your time …keeping this thread accurate in information regarding The Servants of The Sacred Cross👍

Blessings and my warm regards…Barb:)
Ditto - Thank you!

I will keep the good sisters in my prayers.
 
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