Religious life 2012: Profession of vows, entrances and ordinations

It is no less challenging to follow Christ today, It means learning to keep our gaze fixed on Jesus, growing close to him, listening to his word and encountering him in the sacraments; it means learning to conform our will to his. This requires a genuine school of formation for all those who would prepare themselves for the ministerial priesthood or the consecrated life under the guidance of the competent ecclesial authorities. The Lord does not fail to call people at every stage of life to share in his mission and to serve the church in the ordained ministry and in the consecrated life (48th World Day of Vocations, 2011).

The key words for us ought to be "to follow," "to keep our gaze," "listening," "conforming," and "encountering." The crux is, to whom do we belong? Of course, I would hope that we could easily say that we belong to Christ and to His Church. But we know that while we may honestly believe this fact, it is not so every day. We say one thing but we don't always follow and keep our gaze on the Lord. May this be our prayer and our work today!

This is the third year that I have surveyed, in representative manner, some of the US monastic communities and religious orders who have had members profess simple and/or solemn vows, new members who received the habit or have receive ordination to the Order of Deacon or Priest. While the numbers may be sobering, the point is not about numbers as much as to recognize the many testimonies of grace, the rich living of the offer God has made to our sisters and brothers to love and serve Him in religious life. Corrections welcome.

Monastic life

monks

• St Anselm's Abbey (Washington, DC): 3 novices entered
• St Louis Abbey: 1 monk made a profession of solemn vows; 2 monks ordained deacon

• St Meinrad Archabbey: 1 profession of simple vows; 2 novices entered
• Conception Abbey: 2 ordained deacon and 1 ordained priest
• Marmion Abbey: 5 novices entered; 1 monk ordained priest.
• Glastonbury Abbey: 1 monk made a profession of simple vows
• Monastery of Saint Benedict (Norcia, Italy): 1 monk professed solemn vows

• St Vincent's Archabbey: 4 profess simple vows; 4 profess solemn vows; 2 ordained deacons, 2 ordained priests
• St John's Abbey: 2 monks make a profession of solemn vows; 3 professed simple vows
• St Benedict's Abbey (Atchinson, KS): 1 monk solemn vows, 3 received as postulants, 1 postulant in Brazil
• Belmont Abbey (Charlotte, NC): 1 novice entered; 2 monks profess solemn vows
• St Martin's Abbey: 1 entered as a novice

• Daylesford Abbey (Norbertines): 1 simple profession, 2 entered the novitiate
• Cistercian Abbey of Our Lady of Dallas: 2 monks make solemn professions; 2 monks ordained to the Order of Deacon, and 2 ordained to the Order of Priest
• Charterhouse of the Transfiguration (Carthusians in Vermont): 1 novice entered, other juniors in community

nuns

• Abbey of Regina Laudis: 2 entered the postulancy, 2 entered the novitiate, 3 nuns profess simple vows and 2 profess solemn vows
• St Walburga Abbey (Virginia Dale, CO): 2 nuns profess solemn vows
• St Scholastica Priory (Petersham, MA): 2 nuns profess simple vows
• Benedictines of Mary, Queen of the Apostles: 4 sisters profess simple vows, 3 novices take the habit, 1 candidate invited.
• Mount St Scholastica Monastery (Atchinson, KS): 2 received as postulants
• Monastery of the Visitation, Mont Deux Coeurs (Tyringham, MA): 1 nun professed solemn vows, 1 novice with 2 postulants entered.
• Valley of Our Lady Monastery (Prairie du Sac, WI): the Cistercian nuns simply professed 1; others entered.