NunStuff Palate Clearer – UPDATED

The abundance of news stories (both covered and not–covered) and Pope Benedict’s trip to Malta, have gotten me all distracted. I mean to post something later that picks up where we left off on the Pope’s impromptu sermon of last week, but in order to clear the head let us visit with some of our nun-pals and see what they’re up to!

[Cue news ticker] …beep-beep-beep-beep-beep… (am I dating myself with that reference?)…wait, let me get out my banner, designed by Brian J:

Nun News Network International

Let’s start with the Passionist Nuns of Whitesville, Kentucky, who have beautiful grounds and a lovely-looking retreat facility that I long to visit -if only I did not so hate to fly!

They’ve added a page of musings out of their novitiate, which I think is very good. Also, their postulant, Ane Kirstine was profiled on the front page of the Lexington Herald-Leader, where she answered questions about what it is like -just a few months into the monastic life- to put the world and its trappings behind one, to live in community.

Also, the Canada Geese in Kentucky are not to be intruded upon!

The Sister Adorers of the Royal Heart of Jesus are expanding into America’s heartland, and you can watch a slide show of one single, paint-spattered sister, Sr. Marie, restoring a St. Louis convent -all by herself- as she waits for local vocations to come to to their very traditional order.

PCPA’s: The monastery being built by the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, in Arizona, is makin starting to really take shape. Meanwhile, the Ohio nuns have completed their move to North Carolina, where they take up temporary residence at an unused convent and hope to build their own monastery, soon.

Franciscan Third Order, Regular sisters are also building, and getting excited as the end is in sight.

The Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist have redesigned their website and it’s a big improvement. One of their members, Sister Damien Marie Savino, FSE, Ph.D., will be featured on EWTN’s Life on the Rock, tomorrow night, along with others from the University of St. Thomas.

Sisters of St. Francis, in Peoria have also updated their website, and have welcomed two new postulants. Nice to see an order embracing “later” vocations. I imagine that the older you get, the more difficult it is to take up community life, but there are rarely any age-prohibitions on men who feel called to the priesthood or religious life in middle age (or later) and it seems wise -particularly in light of the noisiness of the times- that some female religious communities also keep some options open for women who feel called later in life.

Speaking of “later” vocations, the Visitation Nuns have always accepted postulants at any age, and of various physical ability. These two videos take a look at the Visitation Nuns of Tyringham, MA, as the order celebrates 400 years since its founding.

The French-speaking Sisters of the Lamb, is an order which allows women with Down Syndrome to try their vocations as religious.

Carmelite Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Los Angeles have three new postulants/

Benedictines of Mary, who are also building, have two new postulants to add to their quickly-growing ranks

The Benedictine Nuns of Clyde, MO, have two new novices, one of whom is profiled here. This particular house has come up with a recipe for a low-gluten communion wafer, which is useful for those with celiac disease

Byzantine Carmelites! How interesting and beautiful!

Sisters of Bethlehem have a blog. They are sort of like Carthusian monks, they have little -hardly known about- places around the world and they pray all day and all night. More info on them here.

UPDATE:
From Fr. Steve, some One-on-One with the Saints videos.

UPDATE II:
The Passionist Novice, Sr. Rose Marie extends an invitation

UPDATE III:
A 92 year old woman fulfills her dream and enters a convent.