Flourishing of Novices Part II

A few of you have surprised me by actually asking for the Part II I promised here.

I’ve been collecting nun news for a while and am now ready to dish it for all you nun-lovers out there.

First a quick glossary:
An Aspirant is someone who is living for a while with a community to see if they feel comfortable and for the community to gauge her as well. Some places call it a “pre-postulancy.”
A Postulant is someone who has formally entered an order but is still in the “asking” stage. It lasts from 6 mos to a year depending on the order. She or he may or may not be called “Sr.” or “Bro.” at this point, depending on the community. Whether or not a postulant wears some sort of uniform is also up to the community.
A Novice is a postulant who is now formally recieved into the community. If the community wears a habit and takes names-in-religion, all of that usually happens upon entrance to the novitiate. Usually there is a “canonical” first year and then an “apostolic” second year of novitiate, and that’s particularly true of active orders.
First Vows – the novice now makes “simple” vows which are binding for a specific length of time. They are “professed.”
Final Vows – or “Perpetual” Vows – the religious makes his or her vows for life as a member of that community. They are “fully professed.”

This community actually does a nice job of explaining it. They do an unusual thing with novices, though. Their novices get the veil but remain in the postulant’s jumpers, and only get their habits a few months before they make first vows.

Singer Danielle Rose is now an aspirant with the Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, who also have a new postulant. Since it’s unusual to find someone in the public eye who choses this radical lifestyle (I can’t think of one since Delores Hart became a Benedictine contemplative), I figured I’d start with her.

A former flight attendant becomes a postulant in the cloistered community of the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters (aka the “Pink” sisters). I have a fondness for these sisters because I’m a sucker for pink and because their Philadelphia community keeps the Adoration going, online. Some confusion here – the reporter calls her a “novice,” but she is in fact a postulant. As I understand it, postulants where the shorter white dress and smaller veil, novices get the white portion of the habit and a more concealing veil.

The Nashville Dominicans are still growing like gangbusters: 8 new postulants, 13 new novices, 11 First Vows and 11 Final Professions. Warning – this site seems to work better on explorer than firefox.

The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist are also putting up big numbers: 13 new postulants (their stories here) 11 new novices and 5 first professions (click the green button for pictures, and I believe 4 more were fully professed. They’re growing quickly and already missioning out. I like their “Truth in the Heart” tapes for children, a lot.

The Dominicans in Summit, NJ keep adding to their novitiate. Having a blog or a website seems to be very beneficial to the cloistered communities…the active ones too, I think.

Two novices make first vows with the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration.

The Sisters of Life have 12 new postulants, but they’re not too good about updating their website. You can see their pictures here, along with a nice discernment meditation, by scrolling down a little. Other news for these sisters:

At the end of August, three of our Sisters, Sr. Antoniana Maria, Sr. Monica Faustina and Sr. Mary Clare, became pioneers in our community when they were missioned to our first International foundation in Toronto, Canada…In June, four new novices (Sr. Joan Marie, Sr. Maris Stella, Sr. Brigid Ancilla Marie and Sr. Mary Aquinas) were invested in the habit of the Sisters of Life…In the beginning of August, four of our Sisters professed perpetual vows (Sr. Rita Marie, Sr. Veronica Mary, Sr. Bridget of Jesus and Sr. Mary Gabriel) and two professed first vows (Sr. Bernadette Maria Pieta and Sr. Maria Emmanuel)…How blessed we are by the love Jesus has poured into their hearts!

Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles welcomed two aspirants, veiled a novice and celebrated two sisters making first vows. These sisters seem to celebrate progressions into different stages of religious life all year long, which is kind of nice for them. I think they have quite a few novices, now.

A first profession and a final profession for two Dominican nuns in Michigan.

Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma

4 new postulants for the Capuchin Sisters.

Some orders, like the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, among others, have both active and cloistered nuns. Three new perpetually professed active sisters and two contemplative postulants here.

A newly professed, a new novice and two new postulants.

The Desert Nuns are posting big, beautiful plans for their foundling monastery and I they’ll have an addition to the novitiate soon. The Benedictines of Mary are also doing feasibility studies and bringing in both new postulants and transfers.

I know I’m forgetting some. There are quite a few cloisters which are adding numbers after years of losing them, but many cloisters are reluctant to be “worldly” and get on the internet, so they’re hard to discuss. More stuff here.

But isn’t it good to know there are all these young people out there willing to take on lives dedicated to prayer and service to all the rest of us? I know some think it’s a waste or unnatural (it is – it’s supernatural) but it’s not unscriptural – didn’t St. Paul suggest that those who could stay single for ministry do so?

And not to ignore the guys – Deacon Greg has good news from a bursting seminary. And other good news, too.

A nice slideshow from a cloistered and enclosed Carmelite monastery for men.

And TEN new postulants with the Franciscans of the Renewal.