Table of contents for Congress Pilgrimage 2008 Rome

1. International Congress Pilgrimage of Consecrated Virgins Rome 2008 Day 1
2. International Congress Pilgrimage of Virgins Rome 2008 Part II
3. International Congress Pilgrimage of Consecrated Virgins, Rome Day III
4. Consecrated Virgins International Congress Mass Days IV and V
5. February 2: World Day for Consecrated Life

by Therese Ivers, JCL, OCV

His Holiness the Pope rarely presides over public liturgies.  The importance of World Day for Consecrated Life is such that he prays Vespers and gives an official address on each Feast of the Presentation to consecrated persons.  Since the Marian (consecrated life) dimension of the Church is as essential as the Petrine (ordained life) in the life of the Church according to our Holy Father, dioceses should take their cue from Rome and also host celebrations for Consecrated Life in their cathedrals.  It is the one day that the Church prays for the consecrated, that is, for those of us who normally pray for the rest of the Church!

The Vicariate of Rome issued the invitation to the Papal Vespers and Address to religious superiors, religious, consecrated virgins, members of secular institutes, members of apostolic societies, hermits, and others in consecrated life living in Rome.  For those who don’t know, the Vicariate of Rome functions as the “diocese” of Rome and govern in the name of the Pope.  There is a bishop assigned for consecrated persons.   I found it ironic that in the official invitation, the Vicariate mentioned that the contemplative (cloistered) religious would be spiritually present, and yet hermits were invited.  Perhaps it was an official oversight in terms of the incongruity.  Or, perhaps the Vicariate wanted to make it clear that this is one occasion in which it is very appropriate for the hermit to leave his/her hermitage and join the other consecrated persons in celebrating this day in the cathedral.  It is heartening, however, that the Vicariate did not limit its invitation to religious.  Now I just wait with bated breath – not really – for a consecrated virgin to be one of those selected to have some part in the ceremony as I noticed that only habited religious were chosen this year.  At any rate, it is my fervent hope that dioceses will follow the example of the Vicariate of Rome and remember to include consecrated virgins and hermits in their mailings.

On a personal note, yours truly was able to participate in this Liturgy with another consecrated virgin, Jenna Cooper, the author of a blog on consecrated virginity.  We disagree on many practical interpretations of how our vocation is to be lived out but we are united in the love of our Divine Spouse and total self gift to the Lord.  Speaking of consecrated virgins, on my way home from the papal liturgy, I passed the place where the International Congress for Consecrated Virgins was held in 2008.  It brought back so many memories of the 500+ virgins who attended from over 52 countries.

by Therese Ivers, JCL

Happy New Year!  Here’s a list of some discernment tips that I hope will get your creative juices flowing in terms of shaping this years discernment process New Years resolutions…  Since each tip can be the topic of a whole book in and of itself, you are welcome to share your thoughts on them and share stories by going to the forum and commenting.

1) Do take the time to get to know all of your vocational options.
2) Starting a religious community?  Do wait until you have a few actual members together before you begin to approach the bishop.
3) Do think of the ways you can grow so as to offer the best possible version of yourself to your potential spouse, diocese, or community.
4) Do you think you’ll be more holy… if you become a sister, a monk, a priest, or get married?  Try sanctifying your daily actions now!
5) Do look at vocations in their nitty gritty aspects long term, not just the wedding day, the profession day, or day of consecration.
6) If you are living alone but regularly leave your home for more than a few hours a week, don’t put in an application to your bishop to become a diocesan hermit.
7) If you believe that the acts proper to the generation of children are sinful, ugly, or horrifying, or for any other (non medical) reason would be unwilling to consummate marriage vows, please do not get engaged or start seriously discerning celibate forms of life.
If you are a man, don’t sign up for the seminary for the diocesan priesthood until you have seriously examined religious life as a brother.
9) If you are a female virgin, don’t apply to become a consecrated virgin if you have not for some time lived out the resolution to perpetually remain a virgin regardless of whether you’ll be able to receive the consecration in the future.
10) If you are thinking about religious life, don’t join a community just because your spiritual director likes it or because you see that the brothers/sisters in it are joyful and happy.

(c) 2012 by Therese Ivers, JCL

Join the forum discussion on this post

by Therese Ivers, JCL

One thing that always amused me when studying Latin is the use of the word “urbe” (city) to designate Rome when no other clues are given to a specific city.  Thus, for example,when I went for my licentiate in canon law in Rome, the university’s full title was the Pontifical University of St. Thomas  Aquinas in the City (“Urbe”) which means the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.  Well, supposedly, all roads lead to Rome, and it is back to Rome I trek this October, even though I failed to toss a penny in the Trevi fountain the last time I was there.  I have been accepted to the doctoral program for canon law, and my dissertation will be on…. drumrolll…  suspense…  can you guess? …  Canon 603.   Naturally, I would pick a vocations theme for my big paper!

In preparing for this jump across the Atlantic, I have resigned my position as Judge in my Diocesan Tribunal and am no longer working as Vocations Promoter for my diocese.   After all, I do have to prepare for ordering pizza and gelato in Italian!  Kidding aside, in addition to brushing up big time on my Italian and Latin, doing serious research on diocesan hermits, and wrapping up various loose ends I am hoping to complete my book on vocations soon so that you can get the  benefit of years of research and people’s stories on different vocations in the Church.  I think I’ve been working on this book for 12 years, and it’s finally coming to a point where I’m comfortable in releasing at some time in the near future.   Meanwhile- I know how hard it is for you to wait for this exciting book- I thought I’d share a quick video tour of my university:

by Therese Ivers, JCL

St. Therese of Lisieux is my patron saint.  I celebrate her feast day as my name day every October 1st.

The Little Flower has been an inspiration to me in many ways.  This devout, pious laywoman lived in a convent from the age of 15 to 24, where she died of TB.  Life in the convent was very hard.  Her fellow sisters, also very devout laywomen, with their own gifts and personality quirks, did not always understand her very well and the saint suffered as a result.  St. Therese loved her vocation.  She loved being a pious laywoman who recited the Divine Office, prayed and lived in common with the other sisters, and she kept her religious vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience with assiduous care.  The Lord guided her on the path to holiness in the midst of her humble occupations within the convent.  Prior to her death, she wrote an autobiography which has transformed the world.  Eventually, this work and its influence helped her become the 33rd Doctor of the Universal Church, a great honor for this religious laywoman.

I hope that people reading the above paragraph reacted in dismay because I called the Little Flower a pious laywoman even though she was a religious nun with solemn vows.  Why did I call her a pious laywoman?  I called her a laywoman for the exact same reason that people call consecrated virgins laywomen, which is because in a sense she was a lay person (non-ordained so she was not in the hierarchy).  There are, as I have mentioned before, two ways of looking at the Church.  One is dividing the Church according to hierarchy (lay vs. ordained).

Now we know that religious men and women (publicly vowed members of diocesan right or pontifical right institutes of consecrated life) are in the consecrated state.  This is because the other way of dividing the Church is by doing so into vocational states (lay vs. hierarchy vs. consecrated).  “In itself, the state of consecrated life is neither clerical nor lay (canon 588).”  St. Therese was in the consecrated state.  In this view, then, she was neither clerical nor lay.  She was in the consecrated life. Therefore, it is not entirely correct to write that she was a “pious laywoman” when describing the time she was in the convent, because in the strict charismatic sense in the Church, she was in a state that was different from the laity’s.

That being said, I’d like to draw your attention to this sentence, which I found describing consecrated virgins, “Single lay people have chosen to be consecrated virgins and have made private vows in the presence of the local bishop as they lived out their vocation in various walks of life.”  Consecrated virgins are not laywomen.  They are not “single lay people”.  Yes, they were single lay women before their consecration, just as the Little Flower was a single lay woman before she professed her vows in Carmel.  Once consecrated by her bishop, the consecrated virgin is no more a pious laywoman than the Little Flower.  Also, just as a reminder, consecrated virgins do not make private vows in the presence of the local bishop, they are consecrated brides of Christ through the ministry of the Bishop.  They do not make vows of any kind.

Men and women who are members of a diocesan or pontifical right institute of consecrated life (religious) are in the consecrated state.  Female virgins who have received the consecration of virgins (whether in the world or as nuns) from their bishop are in the consecrated state.  Diocesan hermits who have professed poverty, chastity, and obedience in the hands of their bishop are in the consecrated state.  Members of other forms of life are NOT in the consecrated state.  They are, therefore, either lay or ordained.

There is only one form of “consecrated laity”.  Consecrated laypersons are non ordained men and women members of Secular Institutes who take vows or promises of poverty, chastity and obedience.  All other lay persons in other groups and organizations remain lay, without consecration.  Some groups label their men or women members who have commitments to living out poverty, chastity, and obedience, as “consecrated” members.  This is incorrect.  They are no more consecrated than any other lay person if they are not religious, diocesan hermit, consecrated virgin, or member of a secular institute.

Anyone trying to say that members of an organization that is not a diocesan right or pontifical right religious community (who belong to the consecrated state) or of the only way of life that is “consecrated laity” (secular institutes who have semi-public vows but the non-ordained members remain lay), is incorrect.  I have recently read a convoluted argument from a pious group which is facing a Vatican investigation that claims that they are “consecrated” even though they are a collection of lay persons.  In a nutshell, because they are not a diocesan/pontifical right institute of religious life nor a secular institute, they have no right to collectively call their members with promises, “consecrated”.

(c) 2010 by Therese Ivers, JCL

www.DoIHaveAVocation.com

All rights reserved.

by Therese Ivers, JCL

Way back in September, I was asked to help with an upcoming retreat for women discerning their vocations and who feel like they’re beating their heads on the wall “discerning to death”.  This topic really resonated with me, and as I continue to prepare for this weekend’s retreat, I am seeing more and more how although there is plenty of literature giving pieces of information about the discernment process, there is hardly anything out there that talks about how to bring it to a peaceful conclusion.  The goal of discernment is to figure out God’s will in one’s life, most particularly whether God is calling one to assume a lifelong commitment by virtue of ordination, vow, or consecration.  In theory figuring out one’s vocation sounds pretty straightforward, but plenty of folks agonize over it, and some have never reached a practical conclusion as to whether there is a state in life they should pursue.  How exactly does a person go from the beginning to the middle and then reach the end of vocational discernment?

Vocations and the Fairy Tale

Good fairy tales touch upon the deep desires of human beings.  Some are about wealth as the reward of virtue and valor, a concept that even Our Lord uses in speaking about the reward of eternal life.  Others talk about longevity and an absence from the ordinary woes of life (think immortality and the properties of risen bodies).  The majority, however, are about romantic love in which after trial, the princess and the prince happily live together ever after.  Again, this reflects the eternal betrothal between Christ and His Church…

Yet, it never ceases to amaze me when I am judging marriage annulment cases and we get someone under oath testifying that they thought that once they got married, everything would turn out great (despite the fact their spouse was abusively beating them daily during their courtship, they were both high on drugs most of the time, that they had two or three children before they decided to get officially hitched…) simply and solely because getting married in the Church was somehow going to magically make things different!  It gets worse when they blame people in the Church for their failed marriage (why didn’t the priest stop us?)!  How is it that the fairy tale of living happily ever after gets drummed into people’s minds when it comes to vocational choices?  I will be forever happy if I marry that person…  I will automatically be holy if I become a priest…  As soon as I slip on that habit or religious life emblem, I’m gonna be floating around in prayer…  It seems to me that good discernment starts with understanding that fairy tales are just that.  Fairy tales.

The process of discerning a vocation starts with the realization that the process usually takes knowledge, dedication, and work.  Knowledge is necessary to make informed choices.  How much do you as a discerner know about the vocations open to you in the Church?  It takes dedication to following the will of God.  It also takes effort, or work.

One can say that the time of courtship, discernment for the seminary, convent, or other form of consecrated life, is normally a time of mutual discovery.  It takes work, both on the part of the person making the decision to pursue a particular path or narrow it down to a path, and of the person(s) who admit that person into vows (think marriage, religious life, diocesan hermit life, and secular institutes), consecration (consecrated virgins) and ordination (diaconate, priesthood, and episcopacy).  One who is discerning should work not only at improving knowledge about vocations, but self-knowledge so that obstacles and fears may be evaluated and addressed.

The Goal

The final goal of vocational discernment is to make vows, be consecrated or be ordained if this should be the Lord’s will.  Yet, the immediate goal of the discerner should be to do what it takes to determine which path (if any) to which one seems to have a genuine call and make a decision to pursue it in a prudent fashion. That way, one can peacefully but purposefully pursue a possible call and offer oneself to a concrete person, diocese, order, or institute if one prudently and prayerfully determines they could be a fit.  Of course a person should be “open” in that the other person, diocese, order, or institute may determine that it is not their vocation to be united with you in their particular path to holiness.

(c) 2009 by Therese Ivers, JCL and www.DoIHaveAVocation.com.

]]> http://doihaveavocation.com/blog/archives/119/feed 0 http://doihaveavocation.com/blog/archives/108 http://doihaveavocation.com/blog/archives/108#comments Fri, 18 Jul 2008 05:16:24 +0000 Therese Ivers, JCL http://doihaveavocation.com/blog/?p=108 by Therese Ivers, JCL There are two types of hermits.  The first is the privately dedicated individual who makes private vows.  The other is the canonical (diocesan) hermit who makes public vows.  Since both of them live in solitude, it … Continue reading →]]>

by Therese Ivers, JCL

There are two types of hermits.  The first is the privately dedicated individual who makes private vows.  The other is the canonical (diocesan) hermit who makes public vows.  Since both of them live in solitude, it may seem on the surface that there is little difference between living in public or private vows.  This, however, is not the case, and we will go through some of the differences between the private hermit and the canonical hermit.

The private hermit makes vows.  These vows can be made alone or before a priest (the priest merely witnesses the vows; he does not accept them in the name of the Church).  The hermit who wishes to profess a vow of obedience should find an individual who would be suitable as a superior or moderator and who agrees to function as such.   Normally, it is best if the superior is not his spiritual director unless exceptional circumstances call for it and if the extent of the obedience owed is clearly spelled out in the hermit’s rule of life.  Otherwise, the private hermit should not make a vow of obedience but should content himself with the vows of poverty and chastity.  The vow of obedience more properly belongs to the applicable canonical forms of consecrated life, not to private individuals who are not living in community or under hierarchical authority.

Who, then, is a private hermit?  A hermit under private vow(s) is lay (unless he is a cleric).  As a privately dedicated individual, he should not style himself “brother” or wear a habit of a particular order.   Since  he is not a member of the consecrated state, he should refrain from speaking of himself as a Catholic hermit as that implies canonical status as such.  Rather, he should explain to those he may encounter that he is a lay person drawn to solitude with its implication of prayer and penance.

The diocesan, or canonical hermit, on the other hand, is an individual whose superior is his local bishop.  He receives formation suitable for his calling and if his call is genuine, he may make his profession in the hands of his bishop.  Frequently, the canonical hermit wears identifiable garb.  The cowl is traditional for hermits.  He has a superior in the form of his bishop, and he lives out his vow of obedience as spelled out in the rule of life which he wrote and was accepted by the bishop.  He may call himself “Brother” and may refer to himself as a canonical hermit or a hermit by right of his profession.

Discernment on the part of both the hermit-candidate and the bishop can be helpful in pointing out the will of God for the discerner.  The period of testing and formation can help bring the candidate into a fuller understanding and appreciation for his vocation as a public witness to Christ through a life of solitude, prayer, and penance.  Further, the acceptance of the person as a canonical hermit gives the blessing and recognition of the Church upon him and acts as a sacramental.

As a publicly consecrated eremetic person, the canonical hermit usually enjoys the privilege of reserving the Blessed Sacrament in his hermitage.   This privilege is not normally given to private hermits because they are not recognized as hermits under the law.  The reservation of the Eucharist is permitted to the diocesan hermit by some bishops because of his unique vocation of assiduous prayer and penance.  It is similar to that privilege given to consecrated virgins by virtue of their being the brides of Christ who keep Him as their center of life, and of religious for their chapels to assist them in their vocation.

Some people are called to be private hermits.  Others are called to be canonical hermits.  Either way, the differences are not slight.

(c) 2008 by Therese Ivers   All Rights Reserved

]]> http://doihaveavocation.com/blog/archives/108/feed 2 http://doihaveavocation.com/blog/archives/98 http://doihaveavocation.com/blog/archives/98#comments Wed, 14 May 2008 22:26:51 +0000 Therese Ivers, JCL http://doihaveavocation.com/blog/archives/98 Today was the first day of the International Congress Pilgrimage of the Consecrated Virgins held in Rome. After registration, almost 500 consecrated virgins from 52 countries gathered for Vespers and Mass celebrated by an Archbishop of France and half a … Continue reading →]]>

Table of contents for Congress Pilgrimage 2008 Rome

1. International Congress Pilgrimage of Consecrated Virgins Rome 2008 Day 1
2. International Congress Pilgrimage of Virgins Rome 2008 Part II
3. International Congress Pilgrimage of Consecrated Virgins, Rome Day III
4. Consecrated Virgins International Congress Mass Days IV and V
5. February 2: World Day for Consecrated Life

Today was the first day of the International Congress Pilgrimage of the Consecrated Virgins held in Rome. After registration, almost 500 consecrated virgins from 52 countries gathered for Vespers and Mass celebrated by an Archbishop of France and half a dozen other (arch)bishops and a couple dozen priests. While most of the consecrated virgins are those living in the world, also attending were certain religious who have received the consecration at the hands of their bishop. In addition, some hermitesses who are also consecrated virgins were in attendence.

Archbishop Raymond Burke and a panel of consecrated virgins from Germany, Italy, Spain, the USA, and France presided at the first series of presentations by consecrated virgins on the status of the vocation in their countries of Italy, Austria, Germany, Argentina, Finland, and Hungary. According to the reports thus far, the median age began fairly high as the Rite was re-instated only 30 years ago after about ten centuries of most disuse. However, the median age is rapidly dropping.  Many virgins are receiving the consecration now at the average age of 35 years.

Tomorrow, the international pilgrimage congress group of consecrated virgins will be honored by a private audience with Pope Benedict XVI. More on that later… and pictures to follow.

by Therese Ivers

A consecrated hermit is an individual who has made public vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the hands of his bishop and lives them according to a rule of life approved by that bishop. The “diocesan hermit” and “consecrated hermit” lives a seclusive  lifestyle and vocations to this form of consecrated life are rare. In this article, a hermit is male. However, most of what is written of male hermits applies equally to female hermitesses.

Life of Solitude

Each hermit lives in solitude. Social interaction is strictly limited because a hermit finds his vocation in the contemplation of divine things away from the tumult of the world. Consecrated hermits who are not ordained often attend Mass in the local parish. They may also be seen grocery shopping and running necessary errands. The degree of solitude and the manner of observing it is spelled out in their own rule of life, which may differ from hermit to hermit.  Hermits may also live in “community” in hermitages built on the same property.  They meet for common exercises such as Holy Mass.

Public Vows and Rule of Life

To become a diocesan hermit, an individual must normally live for some time under a rule of life. The hermit normally submits this rule to his bishop for approval. If the bishop discerns that a hermit who has been steadily living a balanced rule of life and observing the evangelical counsels should be admitted as a diocesan hermit, the hermit enters the consecrated state by making his profession at the hands of this bishop.

Desert Fathers

The desert fathers were the first known hermits. They lived in solitude either in “cells” or “hermitages” spread out far and few between or in clusters. Eventually many of the hermit clusters evolved into monastic groups. Some orders today preserve their eremetic roots. Carthusians, Camaldelese, Carmelites, and others were heavily influenced by the ermetic lifestyle. While over the centuries members of religious institutes could sometimes receive permission to become hermits, those who are not members of religious institutes are able under canon 603 to become diocesan hermits.

Vocational Discernment

If you are discerning a vocation to become a consecrated hermit, your first step should be to consult your spiritual director. You may also want to consult your diocesan office for vocations and perhaps the bishop himself.

by Therese Ivers

For centuries people have been embracing the evangelical counsels and binding themselves to observe them by the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.  The most common example we have of persons making these vows are the men and women who make their profession of vows as religious.  These religious make what is known as public vows.   Not all people, however, are called to make public vows, but instead elect to follow the evangelical counsels through private vows.

There is one primary difference between a public vow of poverty, chastity, or obedience and a private vow of poverty, chastity, or obedience.  Public vows are made in a religious profession, or profession in the hands of the bishop of a diocesan hermit and have the effect of placing the individual in the consecrated state in the Church.  Private vows are made outside of this context of Ecclesiastical acceptance and they do not change the canonical status of the individual making them within the Church.

Concretely, this means that if Mark would like to dedicate his life to Christ but does not feel called to enter religious life, join a secular institute (by making semi-public vows),  become a diocesan hermit, or receive Holy Orders, he may consider whether he is called to make private vows.  Making private vows, especially those of the evangelical counsels, is not something to undertake lightly and ought to be done only after careful consideration, prayer, and consultation with a spiritual director.

Vows made by members of Secular Institutes are what some people term “semi-public” vows.  That means that they are not public vows which would place them in the consecrated state, but they are not totally private vows either because the Church recognizes these vows.  Vowed members of Secular Institutes remain lay if they were lay and ordained if ordained, but they are in the world and are not in the consecrated state.  You could call the lay members the true “consecrated lay people” of our Church.

One final thought.  Vows can remain private even when made in a Church ceremony.  An example of this can be when a priest receives private vows of an individual during Mass.  Vows are also private (meaning they don’t put you in the consecrated state) if they are made in a Public Association of the Faithful, or a Society of Apostolic Life.  The mere fact that a vow is made in front of other people does not make it public in the eyes of the Church.  Members of any group that is not recognized in the Church as a religious institute who make vows in a ceremony or Mass in their community are not to consider themselves in the consecrated state because their vows are essentially private.  Hence to call themselves consecrated men or women is misleading as they are not officially recognized in the Church as belonging to the consecrated state.

by Therese Ivers

1^st Mistake – Choosing A Director With A Strong Bias Towards A Particular Way Of Life Or Spirituality

When Susie approaches her spiritual director who happens to be a Sister, she has the right to expect that this Sister will help her discern her vocation without pressuring Susie to join her religious institute. The primary purpose of a spiritual director is to help an individual to recognize and respond to the guidance of the Holy Spirit whether or not it benefits the spiritual director and his/her own institute directly. It would be nice to say that all spiritual directors and those giving advice on spiritual matters recognized and followed this principle of being fair, balanced, and not acting on a pre-set agenda, but this is not the case.