|
| Vocations |
Vocations
No description available. |
| Blog |
Resist the Visitation |
| Posted by: tony on 03/05/2009 06:51 PM (Read: ) |
So advises Todd at Catholic Sensibility with regard to the upcoming Vatican visitation of women's religious communities.
The dissident periodical National Catholic Reporter printed an e-mail from one of those religious whose community is about to be visited:
There is no problem with CMSWR-type communities continuing the older form. Benedictinism didn't disappear when the Franciscans were founded. There is only a problem if they feel called to halt the journey we are on. That's where, in my view, we just have to be as courageous as our forebears like Angela Merici [founder of the Ursulines] and Mary Ward [IBVM) and Nano Nagle [PBVM] and Marguerite Bourgeoys [CND] and Louise de Marillac [DC] and all those other pioneers of apostolic Religious Life long before it was officially approved in 1900. The institutional Church has always resisted the new in Religious Life, especially among women. But the new will continue to happen. At this moment in history, we are it. So, let's be what we are: Religious who are not cloistered and ministers who are not ordained [ed.- and Catholics who are not obedient]. Canon law has no categories yet for that combination. But we exist. Law follows life, not vice versa.
"Courageous" isn't the word I would use. Prideful, pig-headed, stubborn, those are the words that I would use to describe the mindset exemplified by sister Sandra Schneiders.
Todd suggests how the women handle the visitation.
I hope the pacifist backbone of American religious stiffens up here. Offer the visitors tea, a comfortable bed, a seat at communal prayer. Offer no information. That would end the visitation right there, revealing the empty power in Rome and leaving people with their hands folded nicely.
The empty power in Rome. Interesting. I wonder if the Pope is the head of the church at which Todd worships.
The last I knew, religious orders were constituted under the authority of the local ordinary. Religious orders don't spring up on their own, they require approval and support of their diocese and Rome. So not answering questions when specifically asked, is an act of disobedience in violation of the professed vows that the good sister took. I know of no religious order which does not vow obedience.
If Rome encounters a disobedient, rogue religious order, she would in in her rights to dismantle said order. If these women want a ministerial life separate from the strictures of Rome, I suggest they separate themselves from Rome. Or alternately (and this is a better option) reconsecrate themselves to Jesus and His Church and learn obedience.
I'm surprised a paid staffer in a Catholic parish would make such a suggestion.
|
|
Filed in :: Vocations |
Discuss (0) |
Permalink
|
|
Where Have All the Sisters Gone... |
| Posted by: tony on 05/02/2008 06:29 PM (Read: ) |
 Gone to habits, every one...
Or at least that seems like the trend. The California Catholic Daily reports:
Faced with aging nuns and few new vocations, the 175-year-old Sisters of Mercy religious order – with six communities in California -- has decided to undergo a major reorganization
Yes, this is a problem. But if you look at the picture on this page, the top 5 pictures are from the leadership of the Sisters of Mercy, while the bottom picture is of the founding sisters of the Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist.
The contrast is striking. On the top there is not a habit in sight. On the bottom, full habits. On the top, a shrinking base of sisters with an average age of 73 on the bottom, a veritable tsunami of vocations with the average age of the sisters being in the 20's.
We have a portrait of two vocational crises. On the one hand, we have sisters going to meet our Lord with nobody desiring to take their place, and on the other hand we numbers swelling so quickly that the order is running out of room to house them.
The mission statement of the Sisters of Mercy starts thusly:
Sisters of Mercy are women who commit their lives to serving God's people, especially those who are sick, poor and uneducated. In the spirit of the Gospel, our mission is to help people to overcome the obstacles that keep them from living full and dignified lives. A life of prayer and community animates and supports us in our mission.
The focus seems not to be serving God, but serving God's people. This, to me, is bass-ackward. You are prompted to serve God's people by loving and serving God, Himself.
However, this is the mission statement of The Dominican Sisters of Mary:
"We are consecrated women first, and so our foremost model is Mary, the Mother of God. Inspired by the charism of St. Dominic, our prayer life comes first so that our apostolate overflows from a contemplation nourished before the Eucharist."
- Mother Assumpta Long, O.P.
Their apostolate overflows from their prayer life. This, in my opinion, is the proper ordering of the priorities.
The California Catholic article continues:
“The whole question of changes in religious life is huge, and there don’t seem to be any easy solutions," Dossa told the archdiocesan newspaper. "I think the Mercy community will be a smaller community targeted to needs that aren't being met in other ways."
This seems like a classic case of "lookin' for luv in all the wrong places". I'm not a sister. I'm not even a woman, but I would think that if I were concecrated as a bride of Christ, my first and foremost responsibility would be nurturing the relationship with my husband. This would mean talking to Him a lot, and receiving Him often physically into my body. The rest of the volunteer work would spring from those conversations.
The Sisters of Mercy seem to be spending so much time with the volunteer work, they rarely see their husband (at least from the text of the mission statement).
On the other hand the Dominican Sisters of Mary appear to have it ordered correctly. The results are easy to see.
And here is the money quote:
A "progressive" Catholic community, the Burlingame sisters were listed in Call to Action's 1999 "Church Renewal Directory," as among groups that "support the spirit of Call To Action's 1990 'Call for Reform in the Catholic Church.'" Call to Action, which calls for women's ordination and for Church acceptance of artificial birth control and the normalcy of homosexuality, has five regional chapters in Northern and Southern California. [ed.- Emphesis, mine]
Well, they appear to have tossed the vow of obedience and chastity (at least how it applies to others). They don't appear to be embracing poverty, so how again are these sisters considered professed religious? Ohhh... Because they say they are.
However, there is some good news:
In mid-August, 2007, Sr. Mary Michael, Sr. Ave Maria and Sr. Maximilian Marie set out as "homesteaders" on the community's first mission to the West Coast, staking their claim at our newly established Regina Caeli Convent in the Diocese of Sacramento, California.
These sisters have my (and I'm sure many other's) prayers for the success of their missionary work, and it is indeed missionary work. They are going to bring Christ to the pagans.
If you support the work of these sisters, you can always part with some of the treasure God has give you on their behalf.
(H/T to Gerald) |
|
Filed in :: Vocations |
Discuss (0) |
Permalink
|
|
Sisters of Mary Christmas Appeal Update |
| Posted by: tony on 01/11/2008 06:33 PM (Read: ) |
 I received the following e-mail from Sister Annunciata from the Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist regarding the Catholic Pillow Fight Christmas appeal:
Dear Tony,
We have received one donation from your blog. It was in the amount of
$500. Please know that we truly appreciate your generosity and goodness
to us. God bless you!
Sr. Annunciata, OP
My personal thanks to whoever donated in the blog's name. As per my agreement I sent on $250 to complete my promised match. Thank you all for participating.
And I sent an e-mail to Sister Annunciata explaining that God blesses me and the universal Church with each new postulant. I truly believe that.
We are priming the pump for a new flood of vocations from the Spiritus Sanctus Academies which these good Sisters are planting.
Deo gratia! |
|
Filed in :: Vocations |
Discuss (0) |
Permalink
|
|
Yes, I Was A Hypocrite |
| Posted by: tony on 01/03/2008 03:40 AM (Read: ) |
Did you ever have one of those moments where you are pontificating about some thing or other, and someone you love gently points out the beam sticking out of your own eye?
My lovely bride and I have been married almost 23 years, and in that intervening time, I have put on a few pounds (well, more than a few pounds) and as a result, was no longer able to wear my wedding band. Yes, I got too fat for my ring. Luckily, I noticed the snugness a few days before it would have needed to be cut off, and took it off, myself.
I have been wedding bandless for about 10 years.
So one day I was pontificating to my wife about how most nuns don't wear habits, and priests don't seem to wear their clericals out and about, preferring to travel "incognito". I said: "The habit and the collar is a sign of their vocation, they should wear it proudly!". My wife looked pointedly at my left hand and said: "Why should they? You don't".
Ouch!
So just before Christmas, I had my wedding band resized to fit my fuller form. I bought a rose shaped ring box, and presented it to my wife on Christmas morning. She got a chance to place it on my finger again. It's time for me to celebrate my vocation.
So now it's the priest's and nun's turn to get in line.
|
|
Filed in :: Vocations |
Discuss (2) |
Permalink
|
|
Dominican Sisters Christmas Appeal |
| Posted by: tony on 12/10/2007 03:00 AM (Read: ) |
 A couple of years ago, I made the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist the supported religious orginazion of the Catholic Pillow Fight blog.
Now the sisters are having a vocation crisis:
Through God's infinite goodness, we recently welcomed eleven outstanding young Sisters to our thriving community of consecrated religious women.
Yup, the vocational crisis is too many sisters to house comfortably. We should all have such a crisis. But all joking aside, the crisis is real for these ladies.
What they offer us is of infinite value. Being Dominicans, they are dedicated to teaching and preaching. Who they are teaching are Catholic school children (K-8) in the Spiritus Sanctus Acadamies. When I went to Catholic School over 40 years ago, I remember the holy sisters in their blue habits. Well... They're back, though the habits are black.
Here is a day in the life of the sisters:
5:00 Rise
5:30 Eucharist Holy Hour
Office of Readings
Meditation
Lauds
Marian Consecration
6:30 Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
7:05 Breakfast
Professed
7:30 - 4:00 Apostolate
Novitiate
8:00 Duties
9:00 Classes
11:30 Meditation (novices)
12:00 Divine Office – Midday prayer
12:15 Lunch
1:00 Rosary
1:30 Athletic Recreation
2:45 Classes
3:45 Personal time for pray, study, work
4:30 Spiritual Reading
5:00 Divine Office –Vespers and Rosary
5:30 Dinner
6:30 Community Recreation
7:30 Spiritual Reading
7:45 Divine Office – Compline with Salve Procession
8:00 Silence – time for personal prayer and study
10:00 Profound Silence
If you'll allow me to steal from the Blues Brothers, "These sisters are on a mission from GOD!". They need our help.
I'd like to see everyone who can dig deep, and try and help these sisters out. I will match every donation of my readers between now and Jan 1, up to $250.
You can donate online by clicking this link.
If you wish to donate by mail (and you don't like the online thingy), please download this brochure [PDF], print in out enclose your check and send it to the address listed.
Either way, be sure to include in the comments on the online form, or enclose a note in the paper donation saying that you are donating via www.catholicpillowfight.com.
For more info about the sisters, you can click on the icon on the right sidebar of the home page.
|
|
Filed in :: Vocations |
|
Permalink
|
|
Ecce Pastor |
| Posted by: tony on 09/28/2007 09:42 PM (Read: ) |
This is fabulous.
Bishop-designate David Zubik has decided not to live in the Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese's $1.5 million bishop's residence on the border of Shadyside and Squirrel Hill and will reside instead at St. Paul Seminary in East Carnegie.
It seems he wants to live with and be accessible to his seminarians.
He has also been quoted as saying:
In Catholic life, the temptation remains of being "attached to buildings," which can lead some to forget that the church is "bigger than buildings."
Amen.
(H/T To Deacon Greg)
|
|
Filed in :: Vocations |
Discuss (0) |
Permalink
|
|
I Am Going To Be In Such Trouble! |
| Posted by: tony on 09/11/2007 10:49 PM (Read: ) |
I have been reading stories about the nuns that are going to be evicted from their convent because of the sex abuse settlement in the diocese of Los Angeles.
All of the reports from my regular reads have been outrage. It is outrageous that the diocese had to settle, due to the rampant sinfulness of a relatively few priests.
As I was reading the article, something jumped out at me:
The Santa Barbara County assessor's office lists the property's value at $97,746, although it seems likely to sell for more, if a sale goes through. Even the small, older homes near the convent start at about $700,000, according to the Zillow real estate appraisal website.
Holy cow! Almost 3/4 of a million dollars. But that's ok, if you are housing a lot of nuns, but then I read this...
The third nun, Sister Margarita Antonia Gonzalez...
The third nun?!?!?! There are three nuns in a 3/4 of a million dollar home?
I'm sure that if the diocese looked around, they could find a neighborhood where the three nuns could live for substantially less money than 3/4 of a million dollars. They could probably pay for a brand new Cadillac to get the sisters to their mission territory and still bank a cool half million.
Do the Sisters of Bethany take a vow of poverty? |
|
Filed in :: Vocations |
Discuss (5) |
Permalink
|
|
Second Hand Jesus |
| Posted by: tony on 09/04/2007 11:01 PM (Read: ) |
People who smoke understand that they shouldn't subject people to their second hand smoke. Even though I have never seen a death certificate with "second hand smoke" listed as the cause of death, I understand that it's smelly and annoying to non-smokers and simple politeness should dictate that you not smoke upwind of a non-smoker who has not sought out your company of their own free will.
It seems that some believe the name of our Savior is a health risk, and in a hospital no less. Matthew Archbold comments:
The hospital was worried about "Secondhand Jesus" meaning that those who didn't intend to have Jesus had Jesus forced upon them by a third party. Reverend Danny Harvey, who worked for the Leesburg Regional Center for more than seven years, claims to be the victim of religious discrimination after he says the hospital staff forced him to resign from his post because he mentioned...you know who.
This reminds me of the silliness I witnessed when I attended community college in the early 80's. The school chaplain was instructed that he was not to display religious symbols (most notably his stand up crucifix on his desk) when non Catholic students were in sight of it. He was required to keep it locked up in a cabinet and brought out only for those Catholic students.
He resigned his position, and before he left, he celebrated Holy Mass on the grass in the center of campus. My kind of guy. He was a Franciscan priest who wore the full brown habit and sandals. I still remember him in the Student Union playing pinball with flamboyant "body english".
Thanks, Fr. Fred, wherever you are for supplying an example of a holy man doing the right thing.
|
|
Filed in :: Vocations |
Discuss (0) |
Permalink
|
|
Step Away From the Pepperoni! |
| Posted by: tony on 03/06/2007 10:39 PM (Read: ) |
Paul, the Regular Guy, turned me on to this fairly new blog which I think is going to become one of my regular reads. It's called "Young Fogeys", and it calls to mind a certain screed by Father O'Leary that prompted my whole "Neo Cath" project (thanks to all the button wearing members).
Fr. Jay Toborowsky writes about his stint on the "meatless Friday SWAT team":
Priests wear many hats in their daily work. Yes, supernaturally we're "other Christ's", and "co-workers of the Bishops." But naturally, if you will, at times we wear the hat of an office manager, a teacher, a decorator, a floral designer, a carpenter, and quite often a janitor.
And today I realized we have another title that only comes out this time of year.
So there I was, walking into my local pizzeria, ready to get myself some lunch, when I realized that people are looking over at me. Then, suddenly, it's a little quieter than it was when I first walked in. People started contorting, twisting as if they were protecting whatever it was on their tables.
That's when it hit me. It's a Friday of Lent, officially a meatless day, it's lunch time, and I've become the freakin' Meat Police!
All the Catholics in the place are treating me like this is a roadside drunk-driver checkpoint, and I've got a flashlight pointed at their plates. "Hmmmm, is that a BLT I see?" "Did you seriously think a turkey burger doesn't count as meat?" I'm like those Gestapo agents in Hogan's Heroes who only seem to say, "Your papers, please."
To be honest, I really don't care what they were eating. But it was kind of fun watching the Catholics in the pizza shop show me how incredibly bad they'd be at playing poker. The part of their brains that houses "Catholic guilt" works faster than the part of their brains that tells muscles not to make sudden movements in a vain attempt to hide the hoagie.
Your faces gave you away, but I'll let you off with a warning this time.
Hysterical! You're busted!!! Back away from the pepperoni!
Thanks for the laugh, Father. |
|
Filed in :: Vocations |
Discuss (0) |
Permalink
|
|
Our "Adopted" Order Makes the News |
| Posted by: tony on 03/01/2007 11:14 AM (Read: ) |
Over a year ago, Catholic Pillow Fight "adopted" The Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist as our only spotlighted order. This was because their vision of Catholicism most matched ours, and they were a shining beacon of the truth that the way to foster vocations is to get back to Eucharistic devotion.
Now the sisters have made the news:
Today more young women are saying no thanks to married life and high-powered jobs. Instead they’re pursuing a higher calling
Some young women in their 20’s and 30’s have already gone after money, careers and material possessions, but it didn’t make them happy. They say they’ve found what’s missing in a lifestyle that’s making a comeback.
Click through for a video.
Keep up the good work, sisters.
(H/T to the Anchoress for the link) |
|
Filed in :: Vocations |
Discuss (0) |
Permalink
|
|
<<
[ 1 ]
2
>>
1 - 10 of 14
|
|
