M
Marsha_Adams
Guest
She died before she turned twelve. Who knows what might have been.
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J
JReducation
Guest
Marsha, I’m sure that Susie is in heaven looking down on her family with very loving eyes.
I would like to speak to some other points mentioned in some posts:
More habits will bring more vocations:
That’s not automatic. There are many communities that wear a habit of some kind or another, but have a small pool of vocations. A lot also depends on ministry. For example, the communities that are totally devoted to por-life ministry all wear habits and have the lowest number of vocations. The Sisters of Life, the Franciscan Brothers of Peace, the Franciscan Brothers of Life, have many inquierers, but very few make it to final vows. It’s a ministry that many find very hard and one that requires a great deal of academic preparation. The years of formation are from 7 to 10, longer than it takes to be a diocesan priest.
Communities that do outreach work do not get large numbers of vocations in the USA. The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, the Missionaries of the Poor, the Missionaries of Charity, these communities all wear habits and are very visible, but they are not getting large numbers. It takes a very special person to take on such an ascetical life. For one thing, many males want to be priests. While the Franciscans and the Missionaries of the Poor have priests, the rate of ordination is deliberately kept to about 10% so as not to go back to the errors of that past and overstock religious life with priests, except for those orders that were founded for priests, such as Dominicans and Jesuits. The fact that there is no warranty that the superior will allow you be be ordained and the fact that you will live in very austere conditions and you will never work in a parish, but your work will be on the streets, is not very attractive to many American men and women. The Missionaries of the Poor are getting most of their vocations from developing countries and importing to the USA, so are the Missionaries of Charity.
There are older orders that wear a habit that are not getting the large numbers, especially the monastics. The Trappists are getting very low numbers, as are the Cistercians and Carthusians. They used to have houses with several hundred monks. We have to factor in that less people are attracted to the very ascetical life of poverty that these communities demand.
I’m thinking aboiut the Missionaries of the Poor. These men don’t even have their own rooms. The sleep in bunk beds six or eight to a room. They share clothing. The Franciscans of the Renewal have their own cells, but they have one habit a piece. The Franciscans of Life (my community) spend hours studying everything that has to do with life issues and we spend four to five hours in solitude each day.
No habits no vocations
Again, that does not always hold true. The Brothers of Mary were one of the largest congregations of brothers in the world. They were second only to the De La Salle Christian Brothers. They never wore a habit. It is forbidden to them by their founder. They experienced a decrease in vocations because there are less men interested in teaching as a full-time ministry.
Mother Teresa’s Missioanry Brothers of Charity were explicitly commanded by Jesus not to wear a habit, as recounted by Mother herself. These brothers number in the thousands. They have not split into two communities. They have an active branch and a contemplative branch. They also have some ordained brothers (priests, no deacons). However, because Mother forbade any distinctive garb, the Holy See grants their ordained brothers a dispensation from the canon that requires a Roman collar of those who do not have a habit. They do not have shortage of vocations. They do have a shortage in the USA. The have one or two missions in the USA, but their brothers come from other countries. I know that they have few Americans, if any. Again, the idea of walking the streets picking up the homeless, bathing the victim of AIDS, or being sent to serve across the world without having a voice in the matter, is very hard for American men (and women too).
I would like to speak to some other points mentioned in some posts:
More habits will bring more vocations:
That’s not automatic. There are many communities that wear a habit of some kind or another, but have a small pool of vocations. A lot also depends on ministry. For example, the communities that are totally devoted to por-life ministry all wear habits and have the lowest number of vocations. The Sisters of Life, the Franciscan Brothers of Peace, the Franciscan Brothers of Life, have many inquierers, but very few make it to final vows. It’s a ministry that many find very hard and one that requires a great deal of academic preparation. The years of formation are from 7 to 10, longer than it takes to be a diocesan priest.
Communities that do outreach work do not get large numbers of vocations in the USA. The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, the Missionaries of the Poor, the Missionaries of Charity, these communities all wear habits and are very visible, but they are not getting large numbers. It takes a very special person to take on such an ascetical life. For one thing, many males want to be priests. While the Franciscans and the Missionaries of the Poor have priests, the rate of ordination is deliberately kept to about 10% so as not to go back to the errors of that past and overstock religious life with priests, except for those orders that were founded for priests, such as Dominicans and Jesuits. The fact that there is no warranty that the superior will allow you be be ordained and the fact that you will live in very austere conditions and you will never work in a parish, but your work will be on the streets, is not very attractive to many American men and women. The Missionaries of the Poor are getting most of their vocations from developing countries and importing to the USA, so are the Missionaries of Charity.
There are older orders that wear a habit that are not getting the large numbers, especially the monastics. The Trappists are getting very low numbers, as are the Cistercians and Carthusians. They used to have houses with several hundred monks. We have to factor in that less people are attracted to the very ascetical life of poverty that these communities demand.
I’m thinking aboiut the Missionaries of the Poor. These men don’t even have their own rooms. The sleep in bunk beds six or eight to a room. They share clothing. The Franciscans of the Renewal have their own cells, but they have one habit a piece. The Franciscans of Life (my community) spend hours studying everything that has to do with life issues and we spend four to five hours in solitude each day.
No habits no vocations
Again, that does not always hold true. The Brothers of Mary were one of the largest congregations of brothers in the world. They were second only to the De La Salle Christian Brothers. They never wore a habit. It is forbidden to them by their founder. They experienced a decrease in vocations because there are less men interested in teaching as a full-time ministry.
Mother Teresa’s Missioanry Brothers of Charity were explicitly commanded by Jesus not to wear a habit, as recounted by Mother herself. These brothers number in the thousands. They have not split into two communities. They have an active branch and a contemplative branch. They also have some ordained brothers (priests, no deacons). However, because Mother forbade any distinctive garb, the Holy See grants their ordained brothers a dispensation from the canon that requires a Roman collar of those who do not have a habit. They do not have shortage of vocations. They do have a shortage in the USA. The have one or two missions in the USA, but their brothers come from other countries. I know that they have few Americans, if any. Again, the idea of walking the streets picking up the homeless, bathing the victim of AIDS, or being sent to serve across the world without having a voice in the matter, is very hard for American men (and women too).
J
JReducation
Guest
People seeing a habit on the street will be attracted and want ot join
Sometimes this works. But I have seen that the greatest number of men and women who ask about our life are not the ones who see us on the street, but the ones who volunteer to work side by side with us. They come for a short-term and some end up asking to join.
In all of the above, the one thing that has not been mentioned is that the admissions criteria of religious communities has become very tight and there are many more filters than there were 10-years ago. I would say that 60% of those who apply are not admitted or are asked to leave at some point during the formation period. There are many reasons for this.
The biggest reason is that so many people today have a difficult time with obedience. The second would be that community life is becoming more intimate, again. Closeness is not something that comes easily to modern man, especially Americans and Europeans. We value our space, as we like to put it. When you have to share quarters or you have to each, play, pray, walk, work, travel, retreat, study and do so many things together, you quickly find that you’re spending much more time with your brothers or sisters than you would with your spouse. At least spouses go to work and children go to school. The third reason that the life is hard from some people is solitude. While some communities stress the common life, others stress the silence and solitude. There is a difference between an appreciation and love for solitude and a love for aloneness. People who like to be alone, do not make good monks or good hermits. Good monks and hermits are men and women who love being with other people. When they are alone and in silence, they are not loners. They feel very connected to the brother or sisters who is next door or working across from you in silence.
I know a community of sisters who are nurses. They do not speak to each other except for work and during recreation one hour a day. They walk around each other all day long without saying a word to each other, unless they have to ask for assistance or give assitance in caring for a patient. They are the happiest people in the world. When they visit with you they love having company. They enjoy being with people, they are not loners. It is very difficult for some people to adjust to such a life, they try , but don’t make it.
Mother Agnes, the Superior General of the Sisters of Life once said in an interview on TV, “We (Superiors of women religious) have no hopes of ever having the large numbers of women entering religious life. Those days are over. We have become very careful in our selection process and the modern woman is more thoughtful in choosing her vocation, because she has so many more choices today.” The point that I got from her is that even with their beautiful white and blue habit, they have not aspirations or even a desire to get hundreds of women. They undestand that importance of being very careful on both sides. The community has to be careful and the woman does too.
As I always tell our novices, “Holiness looks beautiful. In reality, it’s expensive. Much will be asked of you and much will be thrown in your way that you did not expect. The ideal Franciscan gives what is taken and receives what is given without questions. That’s a big price to pay. If you cannot pay that price, you do not belong with us.” Wearing a habit is the easy part. Imitating Christ as closely as Francis did is not so easy.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
Sometimes this works. But I have seen that the greatest number of men and women who ask about our life are not the ones who see us on the street, but the ones who volunteer to work side by side with us. They come for a short-term and some end up asking to join.
In all of the above, the one thing that has not been mentioned is that the admissions criteria of religious communities has become very tight and there are many more filters than there were 10-years ago. I would say that 60% of those who apply are not admitted or are asked to leave at some point during the formation period. There are many reasons for this.
The biggest reason is that so many people today have a difficult time with obedience. The second would be that community life is becoming more intimate, again. Closeness is not something that comes easily to modern man, especially Americans and Europeans. We value our space, as we like to put it. When you have to share quarters or you have to each, play, pray, walk, work, travel, retreat, study and do so many things together, you quickly find that you’re spending much more time with your brothers or sisters than you would with your spouse. At least spouses go to work and children go to school. The third reason that the life is hard from some people is solitude. While some communities stress the common life, others stress the silence and solitude. There is a difference between an appreciation and love for solitude and a love for aloneness. People who like to be alone, do not make good monks or good hermits. Good monks and hermits are men and women who love being with other people. When they are alone and in silence, they are not loners. They feel very connected to the brother or sisters who is next door or working across from you in silence.
I know a community of sisters who are nurses. They do not speak to each other except for work and during recreation one hour a day. They walk around each other all day long without saying a word to each other, unless they have to ask for assistance or give assitance in caring for a patient. They are the happiest people in the world. When they visit with you they love having company. They enjoy being with people, they are not loners. It is very difficult for some people to adjust to such a life, they try , but don’t make it.
Mother Agnes, the Superior General of the Sisters of Life once said in an interview on TV, “We (Superiors of women religious) have no hopes of ever having the large numbers of women entering religious life. Those days are over. We have become very careful in our selection process and the modern woman is more thoughtful in choosing her vocation, because she has so many more choices today.” The point that I got from her is that even with their beautiful white and blue habit, they have not aspirations or even a desire to get hundreds of women. They undestand that importance of being very careful on both sides. The community has to be careful and the woman does too.
As I always tell our novices, “Holiness looks beautiful. In reality, it’s expensive. Much will be asked of you and much will be thrown in your way that you did not expect. The ideal Franciscan gives what is taken and receives what is given without questions. That’s a big price to pay. If you cannot pay that price, you do not belong with us.” Wearing a habit is the easy part. Imitating Christ as closely as Francis did is not so easy.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
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