Thread for Women Discerning Religious Life

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anode said:
I started looking at various websites of members of the UN Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph and found the one in Florida. It contained a link to a 9-page pdf. file on their Spiritual Discernment Process which contained one of the most complete discussions of the discernment process with an order that I have seen. I suspect that what they do is similar to what is done in many orders.

Worth a look.

ssjfl.org/discerning.htm
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Thanks for including this link. I think that everyone should have a look at it. I have seen other summaries of the formation process similar to it, but can’t locate them now.

It sounds as if the discerners of this branch get a lot of feedback and supervision, which would be quite useful in their formation. I have great respect for the Sisters of St. Joseph. This appears to be another community, like the Daughters of Charity, that renew their vows every year, because of the constraints on active religious at the time.
 
dplusr said:
Is this thread still open? I was wondering if there is anyone discerning with the Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Church.
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I was interested in them but feel much more Dominican/Franciscan than Augustinian. However they are a beautiful order and I love them very much! (which is true of every order I’ve gotten to know but 🤷 )

JMJDTF+
~Betsy

Totus tuus Maria! Let’s see what the good God wills.
 
GilChrist77 said:
I was interested in them but feel much more Dominican/Franciscan than Augustinian. However they are a beautiful order and I love them very much! (which is true of every order I’ve gotten to know but 🤷 )

JMJDTF+
~Betsy

Totus tuus Maria! Let’s see what the good God wills.
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I’m glad you brought this up. What is the essence of the Augustinian rule and how does it differ from the Franciscan and Dominican rules?
 
strgzr99 said:
I’m glad you brought this up. What is the essence of the Augustinian rule and how does it differ from the Franciscan and Dominican rules?
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The Augustinians and Dominicans are very similar as the Dominicans actually follow the rule of Saint Augustine but with a particular added emphasize on finding truth by study and preaching. The Franciscan rule was, interestingly enough, the last rule to ever be written. After Francis the Church decided that four rules was enough. The Franciscan rule is very focused on poverty (Francis talked about being wed to lady poverty) and charity.
That isn’t to say that the Dominicans aren’t charitable and poor or that the Franciscans don’t pursue the truth and preach it, it’s just that the different orders emphasize different aspects of the faith. I hope that helps!
Just for your information the other two rules are Basilian, and Benedictine. I really don’t know much of anything about those two.

JMJDTF+
~Betsy

Totus tuus Maria! Let’s see what the good God wills
 
I am 15 it started when God called,well let’s just say I should of been a poor clare nun at age 14…
 
Alijandra said:
I am 15 it started when God called,well let’s just say I should of been a poor clare nun at age 14…
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How wonderful that you feel a calling to religious life. I hope that you will find support as you grow and explore the many possibilities God has to offer you!

I hope that you have someone to speak to about your dreams??? Do you have any sisters who live close by? or who work in your parish??? Are you involved in a youth group in your parish???

Blessings at Christmas time!
Sr. Debbie, O.S.C.
 
Hi. I’m 21 and just started feeling that I am being called to more fully serve God. I am looking at the Daughters of Charity and the Daughter of St. Paul. I love helping those in need and caring for others, which makes me lean towards the Daughters of Charity. However, as a journalism major at university, I have been thinking about the Daughters of St. Paul. !! It makes me so confused.
 
C.M.B.
Hello to all the new ladies on this thread. Sorry I’ve not been around in a long time. I’ve been very busy with prayer life, school, work and social life. For those who don’t know me I’ve been discerning more or less my whole life. I had five great aunts who were Sisters of Saint Joseph in Canada and going to visit them every summer made a big impact on me. At this point I’m strongly believe I’m called to consecrate myself to God and am waiting for Him to tell me where and when. Last week I did an aspirancey with the Cloistered Dominicans in Farmington Hills and pretty quickly discerned that I need to be in the world right now. It was a beautiful place filled with beautiful women but I’m way to much of an outgoing people person for that to fit me. I did, however, learn a lot about myself and God in that week. I’m studying American Sign Language in college and so am feeling drawn to doing some sort of outreach for the Deaf community but I’m not really sure where that will lead. I do know that right now my vocation is to be daughter, student and employee so that’s what I’m trying to focus on.
In case you haven’t noticed I’m also long winded at times. It’s getting late here so I think I’ll head to bed. God bless y’all!

JMJDTF+
~Betsy

Totus tuus Maria! Let’s see what the good God wills.
 
dplusr said:
Is this thread still open? I was wondering if there is anyone discerning with the Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Church.
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You should check out Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist in Ann Arbor.

They are a fantastic growing Dominican order with many outgoing young nuns.
www.sistersofmary.org

They also appeared on Oprah’s show twice this last year. I think there are clips of it on Oprah’s web site and youtube.
 
Is this thread still active?

I am finally discerning a vocation at 31. I have given myself a hard time through my entire life trying to discern. I was afraid that God wanted a lot more from me than I was willing to give. I had fallen away for years, and recently came back. I am divorcing amicably from a secular marriage (we were very young and it was for financial reasons. We went to the justice of the peace, and it was never made sacramental. He never wanted to have a Catholic marriage and at one point, neither did I.) I had also, when I had fallen away, lead a sinful life (new age stuff, atheism, pro-abortion support, vanity, etc). I have walked away from all of that stuff. What I am worried about is if, while I am discerning, if telling the vocational directors where I am coming from as a revert is a good idea. I wonder if I am being scary or making myself a “hard sell.” I know a lot of saints and a lot of late-vocations have also been forgiven for much too. Is there anyone else in the same boat? Should I just not tell them that stuff?
 
Dear Cookies,

1st of all, you gotta love a person who uses “cookies” in their online name.

Your history isn’t relevant to anyone at the moment but you. If you have made a good confession in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, you know you are forgiven. The first place to start is with a good Spiritual Director. That could be a priest, a deacon, they come from many directions and give them a chance. If the chemistry is there, the Holy Spirit wants you there. This is the kind of concern just screaming for an SD. If you know a religious, have a close friend in the discernment process or you ask a cherished clergy member, find your Spiritual Director ASAP & discuss your concern with that blessed person.

I have been in the discernment process for well over 15 years now. You will spend your entire life discerning. Trust me. Your concerns are legitimate & you want a wise ear to listen. I pray for your future!
 
cookiesbyforce said:
Is this thread still active?

I am finally discerning a vocation at 31. I have given myself a hard time through my entire life trying to discern. I was afraid that God wanted a lot more from me than I was willing to give. I had fallen away for years, and recently came back. I am divorcing amicably from a secular marriage (we were very young and it was for financial reasons. We went to the justice of the peace, and it was never made sacramental. He never wanted to have a Catholic marriage and at one point, neither did I.) I had also, when I had fallen away, lead a sinful life (new age stuff, atheism, pro-abortion support, vanity, etc). I have walked away from all of that stuff. What I am worried about is if, while I am discerning, if telling the vocational directors where I am coming from as a revert is a good idea. I wonder if I am being scary or making myself a “hard sell.” I know a lot of saints and a lot of late-vocations have also been forgiven for much too. Is there anyone else in the same boat? Should I just not tell them that stuff?
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I would not recommend hiding anything. Go on a discernment retreat. If God wants you there, He will make it happen - both in you and in the Order that you are meant to join.

I remember after my daughter had selected Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist but before they had accepted her, she was very concerned. What if they didn’t pick her? I was afraid for her as well. I just hated to think about any of my children wanting something so badly and being refused. I knew her calling was real. She is unlike any of my other 7 children.

Eventually I wrote an e-mail to one of the foundresses, in support of my daughter. She wrote me a marvelous response about how I reminded her of her own now-sainted father. I don’t know if my e-mail had anything to do with whether or not my daughter was accepted, but she finally was. Now she has been there for 3 years.

It was one of the hardest things my wife and I ever had to do (giving her up). My wife cried for 2 weeks. It was WAY different than sending a child away to college or to the military (and we’ve done both of those too).
 
Hi I’m 21 and I’m discerning a Carmelite vocation. I have looked at the Carmelites of the Divine Heart of Jesus in St. Louis (and they’re a beautiful order:thumbsup:)
Now I’m feeling a call to comtepletive life, and I had a chance to visit the Carmel of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Valparaiso NE, and I fell in love with that order and their charism. Hopefully I have a chance to visit them again soon. God willing, I will get my student loans paid off so I can take the next step:rolleyes:
 
PhilomenaJohn2 said:
Hi I’m 21 and I’m discerning a Carmelite vocation. I have looked at the Carmelites of the Divine Heart of Jesus in St. Louis (and they’re a beautiful order:thumbsup:)
Now I’m feeling a call to comtepletive life, and I had a chance to visit the Carmel of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Valparaiso NE, and I fell in love with that order and their charism. Hopefully I have a chance to visit them again soon. God willing, I will get my student loans paid off so I can take the next step:rolleyes:
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The Carmel of Jesus, Mary and Joseph is wonderful! Good things are happening there- they have a lot of postulants and novices and all of the Sisters are lovely and holy. God bless you in your discernment.
 
I hope I can visit the Daughters of Charity in either Mobile or New Orleans, or both, this spring. It’s gonna be a heck of a busy spring!
 
C.M.B.
I’m very excited! I’m going to be able to visit the Dominican Franciscan Sister Servants of the Eternal Word (Long enough for you?) at the end of Feb for their young adult (18-35) retreat!!! I have been wanting to visit them since I found out that there actually does exist Dominican Franciscans. I’m really looking forward to it! The topic is “With Mary, Becoming Christ to the World.” and Father David Meconi SJ is giving the retreat.

JMJDTF+
~Betsy

Totus tuus Maria! Let’s see what the good God wills
 
JohnMPhilomena said:
Eventually I wrote an e-mail to one of the foundresses, in support of my daughter. She wrote me a marvelous response about how I reminded her of her own now-sainted father.
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One of the foundresses’ father is a saint? may I ask who that is?
 
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