A friend just sent me a copy of the newsletter Aspirant which is a publication of The Laboure Society. I’ve heard of The Laboure Society but never really knew much about them until I read this newsletter. Here’s what they say:
The Laboure Society affirms and encourages aspirants to priesthood or religious life in the Holy Roman Catholic Church and assists those with financial debt, which prevents them from fulfilling their vocational call.
In the past four years, The Laboure Society has helped 106 individuals to become ordained or professed or to be in various stages of formation: 74 sisters, 11 brothers, and 21 for the priesthood. What a wonderful work they are doing. I encourage you to check out their website.
Financial issues can often be overwhelming for people entering religious life or the priesthood. Aspirants to religious life (people aspiring to be a nun, sister, brother, monk) must be debt free upon entrance to the religious community. While certainly a reasonable requirement, it can be very difficult especially if you’ve just put yourself through school on student loans. I myself have had to deal with the question and I know many other young women and men who are discerning a call to religious life or the priesthood who must delay applying to enter or who give up all together because the debt is overwhelming to them or won’t be paid back for another 30 years on some high interest payment plan.
Here’s an article on just this topic: Debt, the Vocation Killer published by National Catholic Register (March 11, 2007).
If you are discerning a vocation to religious life or the priesthood and have financial debt, read The Laboure Society’s Procedures and Requirements for Aspirant Participation in The Laboure Society and Determination of Funds Allocation.
I can’t tell you how important it is that people like The Laboure Society step up and help out. They are a blessing and a source of encouragement. Without them, many of us might have given up on pursing God’s call to religious life or the priesthood.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow…that’s so wonderful that such resources exist now. My student loans are the main reason why I never pursued a religious vocation. (My fiancé, who isn’t fooling anyone in drag, was the other.)
The Knights of Columbus have had a program called RSVP, in which individual councils are able to provide financial assistance to those in formation for religious life or the priesthood.
Because of the length of the link, here is a tiny url which will take you to the rsvp page on the Supreme website: http://tinyurl.com/66fcx5
Many thanks, Dennis. The Knights of Columbus have been wonderful to my community. They supported me when I was taking courses while in formation.
This was a big “eye-opener.” In thinking about obstacles to a religious vocation, I missed this one completely. I would expect Roman Catholic educational institutions to have a loan forgiveness program, similar to those used for graduates who teach, practice medicine, etc. in “under-served” areas.
Hooray for the K of C! Thirty yrs ago, they helped me pay 1/2 my college tuition during postulancy. That Catholic college’s fees for *one class* cost more than the fees at my state university for *three years*!
For me this article just what I was looking for. I am currently in the process of applying for candidacy to a religious congregation and was just about to give up when I found this article