Which religious order is best for me?

[Rebekah45]

Dear Fellow Bloggers,
I have been thinking of becoming a nun off and on since I was 15 years old, now I'm 17 and a junior in highschool. The first time it occured to me, to maybe, become a nun was when I was 9 years old; however this thought at that age only occured for about a month or two. I also at that age, remember how I use to practice evangelizing people, by telling my dog and rabbit, the bible stories about who Jesus is and how aweome he is. I also remember, that even at the age of just 3 years old, I had a devotion to God, helping the poor, and wanting to become a saint, because I remember how I would look up to my favorite saint at that time, St. Francis of Assis, and would want to be just like him. I've prayed off and on for God to show me if I'm called to be a nun or not, by him strengthing his own will and lessoning my own. This prayer seems to be working, because I seem to be, almost falling in love with the Catholic Church and just crave to have more knowledge and the wanting to learn how to help people in their times of need and pain. I just wish I could wrap all the people in pain and in their times of need: spiritually, physically, a mentally; up and giving them a big hug and tell them it'll all be okay, like a mother would to her small child when it was hurting. However, I cannot do this. I have so much wisdom or knowlegde it seems, that it's difficult to find a way to spread it throughout the world, so everyone an anyone can learn from it.
I think I'm being called to becme a nun, but before I go to be a nun I want to get a degree in nursing and maybe a minor degree in theology. I get frustrated when I've been researching lately because I find so many different convents I could be in. The ones I find the most interesting are the, Missionaries of Charity, and an active convent in Jamaica, that just opened its courters to women too. The problem that I have with going to the missionaries of charity is I'm not sure if I could do the work, or if I'm good enough for it. Plus when I think of going there, I feel nervous and excited to help the people in this world, but I feel like somethings missing there. I look back, and then realize, I know, that they help people physically, but do they help people spiritually too. An example of this, is: A young man is ill physically and in the house for the dyeing, but not only needs help physically, but also needs, deep help spiritually, would they teach him about how God loves you and such stuff like that, without converting him into Christianity directly and would they pray with him, or would they just speak about God in his religion and not teach him any difference or would they just pray with him and ask to comfort him, just by being there for him?
I also wish there was a nuns order, where nuns are all preachers as in evangalization, teachers as in teaching the children of the tomorrow, and also help the poor, and maybe even going to help at the local prisons. If someone or anyone knows of or finds a place like this, please share the name of the order or a link to it.
(PS. prayers are need for me, to further go on with my vocation or passion, and for me to follow God's will and to find my purpose in life, without fustration, but instead with patients.)

Thanks for Reading this and getting this far,
Love,
Rebekah Arrigo

[saribee]

Have you spoken with anyone from any of the orders you are considering?

Also, College is an amazing time of change an transformation (I'm in college myself). Graduate from high school, go to college, and God may even reveal to you more of what his plan is for you. I wouldn't stress out now about it, but you can still do as much research as you can. Contact the order, and speak to your priest if you haven't already he may be able to suggest somewhere you haven't heard of yet. You may even find out about what may become your future order through your college.

God definitely has great things in store for you. Reading your story was exciting.

[Lamentation]

Originally Posted by Rebekah45

I also wish there was a nuns order, where nuns are all preachers as in evangalization, teachers as in teaching the children of the tomorrow, and also help the poor, and maybe even going to help at the local prisons. If someone or anyone knows of or finds a place like this, please share the name of the order or a link to it.
(PS. prayers are need for me, to further go on with my vocation or passion, and for me to follow God's will and to find my purpose in life, without fustration, but instead with patients.)

Thanks for Reading this and getting this far,
Love,
Rebekah Arrigo

The Daughters of Charity, found at http://www.daughters-of-charity.org/ , come strongly to mind. They were the first non-cloistered nuns if I remember correctly... Much like their fraternal counterparts, the Congregation of the Mission (AKA Vincentians), they were mainly founded by St Vincent de Paul to evangelize the poor, in fact taking that as their motto.

[KS Housewife]

The Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth sound like they would be of interest to you. They teach, evangelize, have missions. They even have a wonderful college, including a nursing program. Many of those ladies have been some of the top educators in their field in Kansas.
They are very well though of in the Kansas City area. Good luck to you.

Here is their website. There is a button to click on for women interested in becoming sisters.
http://scls.org/
Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth
4200 South 4th Street
Leavenworth, Kansas 66048-5054

Phone: 913-682-7500
Fax: 913-682-2128

[PerfectTiming]

Loreto sisters (Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary) often teach. I myself was educated for some years by Loreto sisters. There website, which is here, has a list of their various convents. Assuming you are in the US, the community in Illinois has various ministries, including pre-school, shelters for women and retreat centres.

The VISION Vocation Network also has a 'matching' test that might help you identify orders that suit what you want and then if you want sends your information to the orders.

God Bless you, I will keep your discernment in my prayers.

[Ievita]

The Assumption sisters work with evangelization/education of children, immigrants and even prisoners. They also leave much space for prayer in their life.

http://www.assumptionsisters.org/

[Rebekah45]

Thanks so much everyone for posting and reading it means a lot, and my family also knows that I might have a calling to be nun and they know of some of the orders I'm courious about.

[SecretGarden]

I'm happy that you are discerning. I suggest that you speak with your local diocese and parish priest and ask them to recommend a spiritual director for you. Spiritual direction will be key and extremely helpful. That way, you can begin to discern both. I think nursing is a wonderful field and it's a vocation that many orders will be glad to have someone who is trained. In terms of orders, there are also the Sister's of Life who does some wonderful work. I know nursing would be extremely applicable for their mission. I was doing some researching for a project and I found the following link.

http://www.vocations.com/womenrel.html

It has a long list of many religious orders that might helpful in your discernment journey.

Good luck.

[Rebekah45]

This is a head's up to how I am now. I'm trying to earn a Certified Veterinary Certificate, (CVA), in highschool as a Junior, & I plan on going to college to become a nurse, for now. This is all that I can really can imagine being, as I am not quite sure I can even imagine my life past five years from now, infact I know I can't. But, I feel safer this way, because then if God has a second calling for, then I could be ready to answer and follow him, because I couldn't imagine my life past this point, and I would know what he was calling me to be was true by then. If any of this makes any sense please respond. Oh, by the way, I'm still praying and trying to have a closer relationship with God, but I sometimes struggle with sin or anxiety, especially when it's around the time of the month. So please pray for me to stay close to God, despite how hopeless, or annoyed I get with it.

[FraLeones]

rather have a spiritual director to help you discern

at 15 i already wanted to enter religious order too. i am now 17 too. At 16 years old i entered a religious institution and 2 months after my birthday i was sent home due to very poor health. (though i am a man)