Thread for Women Discerning Religious Life

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Hi Anlar,

Tell us more… What have you been wondering about? In what ways have you explored the idea of vocation?

God bless you in your search.

Update -
The sisters at the Carmelite convent had to postpone receiving me for a visit. I’m now going on 4th August! I’m just trying to stay patient and fulfil all the duties of my current station in life to the best of my ability … but oh my! I can’t wait!
 
SianTeresa said:
Hi Anlar,

Tell us more… What have you been wondering about? In what ways have you explored the idea of vocation?

God bless you in your search.

Update -
The sisters at the Carmelite convent had to postpone receiving me for a visit. I’m now going on 4th August! I’m just trying to stay patient and fulfil all the duties of my current station in life to the best of my ability … but oh my! I can’t wait!
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Dear SianTeresa,
Please be patient and remember what St. Therese of Little flower went through too. When she had been rejected to join the order. But she was very patient or even said that she was Jesus’s ball.
I will pray for you. God bless
 
SianTeresa said:
Hi Anlar,

Tell us more… What have you been wondering about? In what ways have you explored the idea of vocation?

God bless you in your search.

Update -
The sisters at the Carmelite convent had to postpone receiving me for a visit. I’m now going on 4th August! I’m just trying to stay patient and fulfil all the duties of my current station in life to the best of my ability … but oh my! I can’t wait!
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Hi Sian Teresa,

I’ve been thinking about it for 2 and a half years and still counting… (how long, I’ve no idea but I just knew I’m going to do this someday) I’ll just have to make the big step when I resign coz I’m already working, I’ll be 1 year this october and its difficult to work when you have this vocation thing in your head, emotions/feelings/thoughts/etc… Anyways, for the past years I’ve been battling over this but the only solution is to wait for the right time… With regards to still finding a job when I already felt this vocation, I really have to coz my family needed it. So just like you, I’ll have to be patient… very very patient. My work is so burdensome (coz I’ve lost my interest since then… I’m in front of the computer most of the day… thinking and solving). But I know God is merciful and I know He will help me to go on each day. Another is, I’ve some stomach problem lately… I dunno what it is but I hope and pray it’s nothing serious…

God Bless you too.
 
I think I understand what you mean, Anlar. I find my work quite a trial at the moment. I just want to pray all the time and I can’t always get to Mass every day. The spiritual direction I have received all points to not doing anything too impulsive and to fulfilling my duties. I hope in His mercy God will look favourably on my efforts at the moment, though I often fail to be patient.

:nun2: (Why doesn’t CAF make a Carmelite nun smilie?!)
 
Hello everyone!👋
Just dropping by to let you know I’m praying for you all.
God bless
~Betsy
 
I’m 20 and am pretty sure I’m going to be a Franciscan, but where? I don’t know yet 🙂
 
Welcome! Do all Franciscans have such good taste in poetry?

Could I ask for you to pray for me especially today, as I am visiting the Carmelite monastery I wish to join. My friend did the kindest thing for me, and asked the monks at the Charterhouse in Vermont to pray for my vocation. Working from the time difference, they would have been presenting my intentions to God at midnight, just as I was waking up to pray morning prayer this morning. :bounce: Please, pray for me!
 
SianTeresa said:
Welcome! Do all Franciscans have such good taste in poetry?

Could I ask for you to pray for me especially today, as I am visiting the Carmelite monastery I wish to join. My friend did the kindest thing for me, and asked the monks at the Charterhouse in Vermont to pray for my vocation. Working from the time difference, they would have been presenting my intentions to God at midnight, just as I was waking up to pray morning prayer this morning. :bounce: Please, pray for me!
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SianTeresa, you are in my prayer
 
1234 said:
One caveat, tho’, with the contemplative life. Many do fast, like from Sept 'til Easter! And abstain, too. That may take some getting used to! When I view Trappist (men’s) websites, I note that a number of themare thin, not just normal, thin.
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I’ve been looking at convents more out of curiousity, and I noticed that the Poor Clares (near Philadelphia, PA and Trenton, NJ) seem to have 1 meal a day, plus a small evening “snack”. Now, I’m naturally thin, so I might keel over on that regimen. 🤷 (If I skip a few meals, after a few days, my weight starts to plummet)

I’m curious as to what kind of orders there are. I know the 2nd order is cloistered, then there’s 3rd order religious and secular. It’s just hard to figure out sometimes when looking at a website. I wonder what the process is for requesting a visit to a convent is.

(BTW, I also like the traditional habits)
 
Though it seems like you would lose a lot of weight, and you probably would lose a few pounds at first, one’s metabolism adjusts to such regular dietary changes (in this case, cut-backs), and most religious communities take time for exercise, sports, walks, etc. during recreation periods.

Yes, second order is nuns, third order religious are active religious communities; third order regular refers to lay members of religious orders. If a community is the latter, their Web site will clearly state “laity,” or at the very least, most lay associations have both male and female members, so looking at pictures, if there are no habits involved and men and women are together and they just dress like regular people [though it’s hard to tell sometimes because some religious don’t wear the habit in the traditional sense], odds are it is a third order regular association.

As far as visiting a convent, e-mailing or calling the community would suffice to set up a visit; if there is direct contact information available for the vocations director (or you could just call/e-mail asking for the vocations director), you might want to take advantage of that and just inform them of your interest in making a retreat or coming out for a visit.

I don’t know how “far along” you are in your discernment, but you might want to visit the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist’s site www.sistersofmary.org] and contact their vocations director, Sr. Joseph Andrew; I know that she loves to help people any way she can in finding their vocation. Also, just being biased, you might want to visit the Dominican Sisters’ of St. Cecilia’s Web site www.nashvilledominican.org]; the DSMME were founded by four Nashville Dominicans, and they are just so beautiful! It is the community I am discerning with. ❤️

God bless you on your vocational journey, and know that you are in my prayers!
 
My name is Tatiana, and I deeply want to join the Dominican Order.
This dream first came to me in 1992, when I discovered life of
st.Dominic; later, this desire just kept growing in me. However, I
used to think that I’m not “worthy” of it and that my way is merely
the way of usual women - to get married. But I never actually wanted
marriage. Twice I had boyfriends who promised to marry me - but
later, our relationships ended, and secretly I kept praying that my
destiny will lie in the Dominican Order. I never wanted to join
another Order; I always wanted to be together with Saint Dominic.
The story of my spiritual journey is long. I already mentioned in “Meet and
greet” thread that I’m former Russian Orthodox who finally joined the Catholic
Church in 2005…
The problem is that I live in Russia. In our city (St.Petersburg)
there is only one dominican congregation present - suore domenicane
missionaire di S.Sisto. I love their congregation very much and first
I wanted to join them, but they have an age limit. They don’t
accept anyone who’s older than 28, and I’m already 32 years old.
And so, I’m seeking for a Dominican congregation to join. (I’m seeking for
Third Order Regular, not Second Order - cloistered life is not for me.) I
strongly believe that I have a Dominican vocation. But I need to find a
congregation that can accept someone who is 32 years old and who is
from Russia. I don’t afraid of leaving my homeland and I’m ready for
a hard-working life. I know that I should learn the foreign language,
but this is not a problem. I learn languages easily. I’d prefer moving to
Italy or english speaking country (I know english well, and I studied latin
  • so for me will be easy to study italian, and I love Italy as a country very much),
    but I’m open to all possibilities. I’d also prefer joining sisters
    who wear dominican habits. I constantly pray for st.Dominic, so he
    lets me join his order. I believe that Dominic will help me on the way to my
    vocation… and I want to serve God and the Church the best way I can.
    I started sending my requests to different Dominican congregations, and got
    just one reply already - from sisters of the Holy Spirit in Florence. They say
    that I can come and stay with them for couple of weeks. I also sent a letter
    to DSI ( dsiop.org ) asking them for help in finding a
    Congregation for me.
    I didn’t write to any of American congregations yet - because travelling to US
    would be very difficult. Getting visa for russian is hard, and tickets are too
    expensive. With my current 400$/month salary, part of which I spend to support
    two invalid girls who live in my house, I’m not sure I’ll be able to buy
    tickets for US travel. Right now I think that probably I will travel to Italy
    next year (in this year I already used my vacation, and I can’t quit a job
    because finding new one would be too difficult). I think I need to start
    learning italian 8)
    I will continue my search and will try to stay in touch with dominicans around
    the world…
    Please keep me in your prayers 😉
 
Dear Tatiana! First, I love your name! This is kind of off-topic, but when I was a little kid, my dad and I undertook a huge independent research project of the Romanovs, and I always loved the girls’ names, especially Tatiana and Anastasia.

But, back on topic. 😉

I, too, feel the deep desire to enter a Dominican Third Order Regular, and I believe “my” community is the Nashville Dominicans: www.nashvilledominican.org

They are a beautiful and vibrant young religious congregation with a rich history, dating back to 1860, and here in Nashville, the school they ran and still run to this day, bearing the name of the congregation, was the only school that stayed open before, during, and after the Civil War here. I know you said it would be difficult to get a visa over, but you might want to contact the vocations director, Sr. Mary Emily, and let her know your situation. The “age range” is 18-30, but I do know that exceptions have been made to allow younger women in if they were homeschooled and decided to enter after high school, and I believe that exceptions may also be made for young women above 30.

Another beautiful and vibrant community of young religious, the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, are based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and were founded about 15 years ago, I believe, by 4 Nashville Dominicans. Their site is www.sistersofmary.org, and their vocations director is Sr. Joseph Andrew. I know that she is very good about responding to e-mails and helping people with their vocations; Sr. Mary Emily sometimes has trouble keeping up with all of the e-mails and calls and letters, I think.

Being from the US, I don’t really know of any foreign congregations, but I do think it would be a good idea to check out the Web sites and get a feel for the congregations. If you were to feel pulled to either community, I know the Good Lord would work all things out.

You are in my prayers!

[And happy belated Feast of St. Dominic!] 👍
 
Thank you!
I visited both websites. I’ve seen Nashville Dominicans website several times before, already. Liked the message of their Vocations Director, and liked her picture, too 🙂
It’s very happy to be you - to have these wonderful sisters in your city! For me, seeking in another country is much harder. One dominican priest I asked for help, coldly replied to me that one’s ability to live religious life cannot be decided online.
If I had a lot of money 8) I’d been travelling around the world, visiting retreats and looking at different congregations. I was almost crashed when sisters of S.Sisto told me about their age limit. It was just not fair! San Sisto monastery and congregation was always in my dreams. I first saw that monastery in 1994, during our pilgrimage in Roma. It’s really beautiful and founded by st.Dominic himself. Before that I thought that for women, there’s only Second Dominican order is available. When I discovered that there can be sisters of Apostolic life, I became incredibly happy - it was a path I really dreamed about.
I never wanted to join Orthodox monastery, because they all are cloistered, there are no active Sisters vocations for Orthodox. And I wanted to live apostolic life.
Now I’m seeking for online information from different Congregations. Not all of them have websites, though; and not all of them answer emails. I plan to send some snail mail letters, too.
This september I will become 33. I’m afraid that I’m too old for Nashville Dominicans (and Sisters of Mary also have age limit… oh, why these limits? This is just not fair! =) But I may consider writing to them… I will think about it.
Good luck to you!
 
Dear Tatiana!
I think you may check the Polish community of the Dominicans. In the U.S. we are called Dominican Sisters of the Immaculate Conception.
www.dominikanki.pl
www.sistersop.com
We have two houses in Russia and our first sister from your country will make her profession next week. We have the age limit of 30 but it is 35 for candidates from the U.S. and I think it may be also different for your country and situation.
God bless you always.
 
Wow, that’s great! I’ve been told that there are some dominican sisters in other russian cities (not in St.Petersburg), but russian Internet is totally quiet about their house name/address.
Who know, may be you’d want to establish a house in St.Petersburg? I will be happy to donate my flat for this purpose 8)

I wrote a letter to american Vocations director (I don’t know polish). Hopefully she could get me in touch with russian sisters.

(And, a vocation from Russia! That’s just great news to hear!)
 
I’ve sent some letters - but they are still unanswered. I don’t lose hope - after all, the sisters may be busy at weekend… and don’t access Internet in Sundays… it’s too early to start feeling being ignored.

Yesterday I was doing a search for dominican sisters in Russia information. I’ve found some references to sisters of S.Sisto in Petersburg - no hope for me to join them (that’s a pity…), one old news piece from 2002 telling about some sisters in Buryatia, Siberia and Tambov - no name of congregation, no information, no addresses… and a list of dominican congregations in Russia and Ukraine - at official site of Ukrainian friars; no addresses, no phone contacts, no emails, nothing. I wrote a letter to the friars asking them if they may give me contacts.

I started thinking deeply, what will be my way - to leave Russia almost forever, and live in another country, or to work in my country, but probably in a far-away Siberian city. My “patriotic” feelings say that I should try to stay here, in my mostly Orthodox country where russian catholics are often considered to be traitors of Russia… and where, actually, catholics are a minority and field for apostolic work is not too broad… but now I feel more attitude to foreign, well-established congregations in catholic countries, that run large schools and hospitals and retreats for elderly, etc. I need to learn more about charism and works of specific congregations I have a chance to join, of course, and compare them. But this feeling bitterly bites me, that I’m “betraying” Russia while seeking for foreign congregations. I don’t know where I’m needed more.
The one thing I know for sure - I need, definitely, make contacts with sisters in Russia and learn what do they do and what activities and missions I can be involved in.
(Dominicans are preachers’ Order, but here are not many ways to preach - the Russian Orthodox Church is ready to raise her “Catholics are prozelyting at our territory!” banner. 😦
I’m confused will all these thoughts.
 
I am 22 and have been to 2 “come and see” weekends at two different order. The Dominican (which deals with education and medicine, I think) and the other is the Daughter of Charity (they are pretty broad in their works).

I am still discerning and don’t know which order is for me, so I am just praying and letting God lead me to wherever he wants me to be.
 
Hello all! I haven’t been around in a while. My religious life discernment has been put on hold (a little). I’m still discerning, but instead of discerning what order to join, I’m discerning married life verus religious life.

I wanted to stop by and assure you all of my prayers!
 
TB,

You must have completed your visits by now!

What orders/monasteries are you looking at at present?
TeresaBenedicta said:
I will be staying with the Carmelites of Cristo Rey in San Francisco on June 20-22 and then while in California, I will be going south to stay with the Menlo Park cloistered Dominican nuns from June 22 to 27th. Then I will visit the Carmelites of Springfield, Missouri in early July. 🙂

I am 48 yrs old with 2 grown kids (married/divorced/annulment) and these Carmels are open to me - for anyone in a similar situation to mine who feels called to great, traditional and full habited Carmels.

The Carmel of Springfield is a wonderful Carmel and on 5/27 lost their former prioress who was sick for awhile. They are now down to only 3 but they are still fairly young - the current prioress, Mother Marya is about 46 and the other two are around that age or a bit older so they are not a doddering old community! They are not closing but please call or write them if you have a Carmelite vocation. They don’t have a website but when I visit I hope to change Mother Marya’s mind as that my help me alot.

The Carmel of Cristo Rey has 35 as an upper age limit in their IRL profile, but they do and have excepted older when the woman has good health and a vocation to Carmel and their monastery. This is a bilingual community (the recreation and Divine Office is in English for 2 wks, then both are in Spanish for 2 wks). They came from Mexico over 75 yrs ago. They were founded from a Carmel in Mexico that was founded by a Carmel in Spain that St. Teresa of Avila founded herself! Wonderful history. 👍

As I am making sure I AM a Carmelite vocation :confused: , I would still like to visit the Visitation monasteries of Toledo and Tyringham (if these monasteries are to be my “home”!) and may go to England to visit and stay with the Colwich Benedictines and visit the St. Helen’s Carmel and the Wolverhhampton Carmel possibly. 🙂
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