What is the new St. Jane de Chantal Gallery Community all about?
Who is invited to pray, visit and discern within this community?
Where is it?
Why was it established?
How does it relate to the Georgetown Visitation Monastery?
When can we visit?
Sister Susan Marie: Welcome to tonight’s chat session!
We started the new community June 6
Sister Susan Marie: Hello Guest 889. Do you have a question about the Visitation community we just began?
Jun 16 2013, 7:14 PM
Guest889 (guest): Yes, I would like to know more about it.
Jun 16 2013, 7:15 PM
Sister Susan Marie: Sure! We discerned this community as one that would be especially for younger vocations, but established within an existing Monastery
Sister Susan Marie: The focus is on discernment for the first year
Jun 16 2013, 7:16 PM
Sister Susan Marie: Two professed Sisters are the core members who will guide those discerning and they will have both spiritual exercises as a new community and also interact with the Georgetown Sisters community
Jun 16 2013, 7:17 PM
Guest889 (guest): Is this just for the Georgetown monastery?
Jun 16 2013, 7:19 PM
Sister Susan Marie: Not exactly. We are trying to see whether the new community of St Jane will develop into an independent one, or become a “feeder” for Georgetown, so to speak.
Jun 16 2013, 7:19 PM
xellos101: feeder?
Jun 16 2013, 7:19 PM
Sister Susan Marie: Of course, a discerner can always go to another Visitation Monastery if they prefer.
Jun 16 2013, 7:20 PM
Sister Susan Marie: a source of vocations for Georgetown vs independence
Sister Susan Marie: Right now two women are planning to come to discern at the St Jane Gallery Community this summer
Jun 16 2013, 7:21 PM
Guest889 (guest): How long do they stay?
Jun 16 2013, 7:21 PM
Sister Susan Marie: As long as they are able. One is coming for 3 weeks, another for 10 days
Jun 16 2013, 7:22 PM
Guest889 (guest): After the visit, what will happen next?
Jun 16 2013, 7:22 PM
Sister Susan Marie: If they are drawn to it, after January 2014 they can make a pre-postulancy in the St Jane community of 6 months
Sister Susan Marie: Before that, they can return for shorter visits
Jun 16 2013, 7:23 PM
Guest889 (guest): What qualifications are needed?
Jun 16 2013, 7:24 PM
Sister Susan Marie: Simply, an interest in living a contemplative, monastic life, an age range up to 50 years, and a pioneering spirit, to some extent!
Sister Susan Marie: It is important to be emotionally healthy
Jun 16 2013, 7:26 PM
Guest889 (guest): How will they interact with the Georgetown community?
Jun 16 2013, 7:26 PM
Sister Susan Marie: The charism is one of gentleness and humility, the little virtues St Francis de Sales talked about as coming from the Heart of Jesus
Jun 16 2013, 7:27 PM
Sister Susan Marie: There will be a balanced yet somewhat flexible schedule with the Georgetown community. For ex, some prayer times as Morning and Eve Prayer and Mass with the Georgetown Sisters; Office of Readings, Daytime Prayer, in the St Jane community’s own Chapel. Similar for meals
Jun 16 2013, 7:28 PM
Sister Susan Marie: The St Jane community has its own refectory .
Jun 16 2013, 7:29 PM
Sister Susan Marie: The idea is to develop a vocational ambience for discernment suitable for those in that process
Jun 16 2013, 7:30 PM
Sister Susan Marie: Two nights of recreation with Georgetown Srs and the others in the St Jane. This way one can benefit from all these shared times with wisdom figures of the Professed Sisters and yet have a balance segment to be in peer relationships
Guest889 (guest): Will they be expected to become teachers or will they earn their living in other endeavors?
Jun 16 2013, 7:33 PM
Sister Susan Marie: No, actually, Visitandines don’t earn their living in the same way as apostolic Sisters. Our corporate work is our source of income. The members of the St Jane community will not be teachers but they will be encouraged to share in the ministry of the high school there, perhaps by home room or vocational talks with the students
Sister Susan Marie: The St Jane community is a project of the Second Federation of the Visitation which includes all 5 monasteries
Guest889 (guest): How are the 5 monasteries involved? I understand Brooklyn sent a sister and one sister from Georgetown are involved with this project.
Jun 16 2013, 7:37 PM
Sister Susan Marie: All the Monasteries were approached to see their interest and some other Sisters from the other Monasteries could join in.
Jun 16 2013, 7:38 PM
Sister Susan Marie: The new community is accountable to the Federation leadership of these 5 monasteries for its first year
Sister Susan Marie: We are all praying for this community and discerning together in terms of how we are being led
Guest889 (guest): In the first year, individuals come for a visit and start a pre-postulantcy period. Is this correct?
Jun 16 2013, 7:40 PM
Sister Susan Marie: Yes, that’s how it is envisioned
Guest889 (guest): What if an individual does not fit into this community? Can they try a regular formation program in one of the monasteries?
Jun 16 2013, 7:43 PM
Sister Susan Marie: Oh certainly!
Jun 16 2013, 7:43 PM
Sister Susan Marie: The Sisters at St Jane community can make referrals too
Sister Susan Marie: Among the established monasteries this has also happened at times
Guest889 (guest): If an individual came for a visit, can the sisters tell if the formation program would fit that person? Would they need more time than a visit to tell if they should try a regular formation
Jun 16 2013, 7:48 PM
Sister Susan Marie: Good question! There are strong similarities in the formation programs of all our Second Federation Monasteries
Jun 16 2013, 7:49 PM
Sister Susan Marie: It is not so much the formation program but the community life itself that would be distinct, not in the horarium but in the composition of the persons in community
Jun 16 2013, 7:50 PM
Sister Susan Marie: I think more than a simple visit will be needed, unless the discerner immediately realizes that they are not drawn to the new community
Jun 16 2013, 7:50 PM
Guest889 (guest): Should an individual visit the new community and one or 2 other communities?
Jun 16 2013, 7:51 PM
Sister Susan Marie: That’s another good question! In any discernment process it is a good idea to visit more than one community. I have heard that the ideal number is around 5
Jun 16 2013, 7:53 PM
Sister Susan Marie: One wants to give sufficient time in each community to absorb its spirituality a little bit. One has to listen to one’s heart where the Lord may be speaking
Sister Susan Marie: The discernment process is mutual with discerner and community and Jesus is in the middle of it all!
Jun 16 2013, 7:54 PM
Sister Susan Marie: Also the actual experience of the visits will guide you to your next steps. One can’t pre-plan it all.
Guest889 (guest): What does the community look for and what should I look for?
Jun 16 2013, 7:57 PM
Sister Susan Marie: The Sisters will be praying to the Holy Spirit to guide them with each candidate. They will look for a prayerful person who wants to grow spiritually, can live comfortably in community and in this case, be adaptable in sharing with the host community, Georgetown
Jun 16 2013, 7:58 PM
Sister Susan Marie: Your stance should first be to the Lord’s will in your life, and in terms of the community to see if the way the Visitandine life is lived and its spirit matches your interior
Jun 16 2013, 7:59 PM
Sister Susan Marie: For ex; does the life of silence within a community setting enable me to grow closer to the Lord?
Jun 16 2013, 8:00 PM
Sister Susan Marie: How am I being drawn to service?
Sister Susan Marie: Since I don;t live in the new community you might want to contact the Sisters there for specifics: http://visitationgallerycommunity.org/contact/
Contact |Visitation Gallery Co
2013, 8:01 PM
Sister Susan Marie: A vocation is a mysterious part of life!
Jun 16 2013, 8:02 PM
Guest889 (guest): Thank you! I will check out this link. Yes, a vocation has more facets than I thought possible.
Jun 16 2013, 8:03 PM
Sister Susan Marie: You have excellent thoughts and a facility for discernment I think!
Jun 16 2013, 8:04 PM
Sister Susan Marie: Those who have been called to start this new community, S Anne Francis and Sr Marie de Chantal, will have the deep sense of how and what they are being called to form
Jun 16 2013, 8:04 PM
Sister Susan Marie: Their inspirations may be very valuable to you