The death of the "Year 1968" monasteries
New survey finds young candidates for the religious life flocking to conservative and traditional orders.
The next generation will render Vatican II irrelevant- no point in worrying whether it is valid or not.
“We’ve heard anecdotally that the youngest people coming to religious life are distinctive, and they really are,” said Sister Mary Bendyna, executive director of the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate. “They’re more attracted to a traditional style of religious life, where there is community living, common prayer, having Mass together, praying the Liturgy of the Hours together. They are much more likely to say fidelity to the church is important to them. And they really are looking for communities where members wear habits.”
Of the new priests and nuns who recently joined religious orders, two-thirds chose orders that wear a habit all the time or regularly during prayer or ministry, the study found.
The next generation will render Vatican II irrelevant- no point in worrying whether it is valid or not.
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The Carmel of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Valparaiso, NE has 18 nuns in the novitiate, with at least 2 more on the way that I know of. And this is AFTER sending off a contingent of nuns to found a new house in Elysburg, PA in late June.
Mother Teresa paces her entrances at about one per month so that the community isn’t overwhelmed.
She is obviously intent on founding yet another daughter house, since Carmelite monasteries should only have 21 nuns in them unless there are plans to make a foundation.
This is a very sweet, joyous and penitential bunch that has all the offices and the Mass in Latin- and the new houses will also.
By the way, they are all in full traditional Carmelite habit.
This is probably one of the most authentic expression of Carmelite life in the world. Even the nuns at Lisieux have abandoned the tradtional habit. Perhaps one of these days the other houses will take the hint….
My daughter who is there tells me that one of the nuns had been a gymnast. Occasionally for their recreation period she will do cartwheels and backflips for them in full traditional habit- which she has pinned beforehand. What better image to symbolize the spiritual athleticism and joy of these young people?