Why aren't Monasteries thriving?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Christphr
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
C

Christphr

Guest
Monasteries offer a life apart from distractions of the world. Today’s world has more distractions than ever before. Why aren’t Monasteries thriving?
 
Last edited:
Why do you think they are not? The ones around here are packed, can accept no more aspirants.
 
I confess I don’t have a good source. My belief is based on the fact that overall the number of religious vocations are low.
 
Not for more “traditional” orders, meaning, those who still wear habits and live in cloisters or as a community.
Young women are not particularly interested in professing vows and then wearing street clothes and living alone. They want to be a visible sign in the world, or at least have the family and fellowship of their sisters in Christ. They like the more traditional convents.
Our Archdiocese has annually about 50 men in formation. Sometimes as high as 70.
 
Traditional orders are seeing an explosion of vocations for women



http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/com...-are-flocking-to-religious-orders-in-britain/

Priestly vocations are increasing

http://www.ignatiusinsight.com/features2005/ziegler_seminarians1_aug05.asp

I believe that men’s religious will see the same sort of increase, it is simply a matter of parents and communities encouraging vocations in their sons.
 
Christphr said:
Monasteries offer a life apart from distractions of the world. Today’s world has more distractions than ever before. Why aren’t Monasteries thriving?
Click to expand...
You are assuming that distractions are a bad thing, and for that reason many young people would seek out alternatives. But what was obvious in earlier generations might not be obvious now. Do many young people think distractions are a bad thing now?
 
There are some religious communities in my diocese which are thriving.

But as to why more people are not lining up to get in: some people just don’t like getting up early. Monks and nuns have to be early risers.
 
I think it all depends on how you look at it. There are plenty of signs of budding growth here and there. I don’t think God looks at numbers but hearts.

To live in a monastery is taking the narrow path, so I wouldn’t necessarily expect them to be “thriving” on the whole. But there are indeed great positive signs here and there as has been alluded to above.

 
Monasteries may offer a life apart from the distractions of the world, but avoiding distractions is not why people enter monasteries. They enter because that is where they are called. They are called to live a life in a community devoted to prayer. The number of people called to that kind of life has always been small. A life in a world full of distractions may make it all the harder to hear the still, small voice of God that may be calling someone to such a life.
 
The Cloistered Life has been thriving where active orders have not. My organization celebrates 30 years of service to the Church and her cloisters this year.

The “updated” cloisters are struggling. Those who have returned to the coif and longer habits have been growing.

We have to remember that God gives the convents the graces to survive. Those who are doing what He wants will receive the Vocations. Those who are not, will go by the wayside. I noticed that the link I posted for a Dominican cloister received a lot of hits. The “updated” communities I have posted haven’t received hardly any hits. I think this is very telling, and the “updated” communities should take notice.

Blessings,
Mrs Cloisters OP
Lay Dominican
Http://cloisters.tripod.com/
Http://cloisters.tripod.com/charity/
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top