Vocations: Pray for the novices!

Sr. Martha, who entered the cloister of the Dominican Nuns of Summit, New Jersey just about nine months ago, is ten days away receiving the habit and her name-in-religion as she becomes a novice. I believe that will leave only one postulant still in the blue jumper over there. Hopefully she’ll soon have company.

It’s coming up to that season again, when the postulants get their habits (if the community is a habit-wearing ‘un), the novices move from the first year (canonical) to the second year (apostolic) of their novitiate, and where those who have finished year two move on to make their first (temporary) professions of vows, or their solemn (lifelong) professions. For monastic orders, these events can happen at any time of the year, (this Carmelite sister made her solemn vows in June, for instance) but in active orders, where numerous sisters will enter at once, the standard is, July professions, August clothings and September entrances, although that’s not a hard/fast rule.

For instance, these Panhandle Franciscan Sisters just clothed two novices, received a new postulant and renewed vows, within the last month.

The Sisters of Life just clothed 11 new novices, although nothing is up yet at their site, and had two more sisters make solemn vows. – UPDATE – scroll down at this link for pictures of the 11 novices in their new habits!

The Carmelite Monks in Wyoming, purveyors of that incredible Mystic Monk coffee (see sidebar) have received two new postulants with three more entering during the summertime, which is really good because then we can have more prayers and more coffee!

The Dominican Friars in Washington DC ordained 5 new priests in May. The Paulists are ordaining this weekend.

The Passionist Nuns in Whitesville will be receiving two new postulants in July.

Dawn Eden notes that the delightful Sr. Marla Marie, who wrote for the WaPo before becoming a Parish Visitor of Mary Immaculate for some years, has formed the first-ever US order of Maronite Sisters. Excellent!

Their postulant at the Benedictines of Mary cloister was clothed in May (so they now have two novices) and the Benedictines of Mary welcomed four new postulants in June! This contemplative bunch is growing quickly!

Benedictine Nun Sr. Marie Anthony St. Emma’s Monastery, in PA has made solemn vows (see newsletter at site)

Rosalind Moss, from Catholic Answers is only months from establishing a new order in St. Louis, MO, the Daughters of Mary, Mother of Israel’s Hope. This is causing a lot of excitement in Catholic circles. She will begin with up to 12 women for the first formation, ages “18 to 118” and this habited community will be street evangelizers. I understand she has received hundreds of inquiries and many more scores of applications.

The Cleveland Poor Clares had two more solemn professions.

The Carmelite Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus looks to have had a good turnout for a discernment gathering. They clothed three more sisters in March and, in the way of that order (novices are only clothed within months of making first vows) they’ll be making their first vows this summer.

Discerning a vocation:

The Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration in Pheonix are sharing their vocation mottos and they’ve just revamped their vocation page. These nuns are a foundation from Mother Angelica’s gang in Alabama. As the Alabama community is once again full to the brim (the received another postulant last week), they’re sending off another troop to found a monastery in Texas.

The Dominican nuns have just put out a new book on discernment that I hear is very good.

And speaking of discernment and books, Basilica Press has put out a series of five books touching on discernment of religious vocations, the marriage vocation, etc. They’re small Q&A books that actually look pretty good.