Wondering how God is calling you? Are you curious about how your job or set of relationships is really a vocation? Do you want some awesome discussions around faith in real-life and more? Think hanging out with Catholic sisters and a fun thoughtful, faith community is cool? Then you are in the right place! Welcome! Explore and be sure to visit with us every weekday at 6 pm CT in our chat room.
Seriously?
The National Catholic Reporter just posted a story about Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, prohibiting the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Baden from advertising upcoming vocation recruitment events. According to the article Greensburg bishop denies women’s order recruitment request (April 14, 2010), the Sisters “operate out of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, where the motherhouse is situated. Greensburg is a neighboring diocese, where the sisters have a long history of service.”
Msgr. Lawrence T. Persico, vicar general of the Greensburg diocese, wrote a letter, dated April 8, to priests in the diocese, stating that no diocesan office, The Catholic Accent (the diocesan newspaper), nor any parish “would promote a vocation awareness program of any religious community that has taken a stance against the United States bishops by being a signatory of the Network document.”
Persico concluded his letter stating, “For future reference and for the sake of consistency, Bishop Brandt directs that any promotion and support of a religious community’s vocation awareness program must be vetted first through the Diocesan Office for Clergy Vocations.”
Following reception of that letter, Sr. Mary Pellegrino, congregational moderator for the Sisters of St. Joseph in Baden and a member of the leadership team, issued a statement regretting the decision.
“We are saddened by the decision to ban promotions of our vocations awareness program in the diocese of Greensburg, where our sisters have had a long and rich tradition of service, particularly in schools and parishes. In a letter to the vicar general, we have requested that the diocese of Greensburg officials consider reversing the decision regarding promotions of our vocations program.”
I find this kind of reaction from the bishop quite saddening. I am sad that he felt this was an appropriate action to take, and I’m sad that he’s made the people of the diocese responsible for carrying out his decision. At the same time I am very proud of my sisters for their commitment to the Gospel and to prayerful discernment. I am proud of their gracious response and their continued service of God and God’s people.
Though there are many “commentable” themes in this story, the one that keeps bugging me is the issue of disagreement. I get the distinct impression that somehow a sister’s duty is not supposed to be to God nor to the Gospel nor to the Catholic faith but to agreeing with the bishops.
Seriously?
Other comments, thoughts, questions?
Get your nun schwag! -- We've got cool nunly items including this awesome mug at 
{ 22 comments }
Don’t know about your vow formula but ours clearly says “I vow to God.”
In many ways, this isn’t a new situation but another manifestation of an ongoing tension around the role and place of vowed religious women in our church.
One of these days, I hope to write (or edit) a book that includes the amazing stories of the founders of women’s religious communities. Some weren’t allowed to take new members because they dared question the powers that be (does that sound familiar?), others were banished from their communities because of disagreements with their Bishop (like now Saint Theodore Guerin), others were excommunicated (like Blessed Mary Mackilliop) for the same reason.
And now, today, this lovely story. I pray for our religious communities and our church, confident that the holy spirit is present and will guide us as we follow Jesus as best we know how.
Amen, Sister. Echo the prayers.
Susan Rose, you may be interested in the lectures I recorded last summer on the history of sisters in the US, from “Now You Know Media.” There are two that focus specifically on the tensions between sisters and clerics. You can find out more about them at: http://store.nowyouknowmedia.com/history-women.html (especially lectures 11 and 12)
“If you’ve nothing nice to say, say nothing at all.” I think this is one of those times when I best remain silent!
Thanks, all, for your prayers. One thing I really treasure about Mary and our team is the prayerful discernment they practice and their ability to resist being provoked into what I call “snarkiness.” They are patient, non-defensive, respectful in the face of difficulty. We are indeed fortunate to have them.
I used to feel anger with these men who see themselves as “Princes” of the Church – an oxymoron in my opinion. I confess that has changed to pity as I watch them try to salvage their positions even if it means acting contrary to the Gospel of Jesus. Unfortunately, “pity” comes with a big dose of contempt. Maybe someday I’ll be Christ-like enough to move on to compassion. But for now, I just wish they would grow up.
Did you catch that? “any promotion and support of a religious community’s vocation awareness program must be vetted first through the Diocesan Office for Clergy Vocations.” Sounds like our diocese. The archbishop only promotes priestly vocations. Anything else is up to us.
This is why I say about the investigations into US women religious “Bring it on!” I know the report will show that we women religious are the backbone and the workhorses of the Church in the country. Alway have been, always will be.
Sure, bring it on………., but why? Why must bishops, and yes, the “men of the church” zero their wrath in on those who are doing the real work of the Church? Is it only women who are able to see the truth clearly? and then…….heaven forbid! to speak about it?
Forgive me of my ignorance, first action of humility when following Jesus Christ! I truly do not know what signatory of the network document means, however is the women religious order for the network document or not? or is it the other way around? I of course google it and the network document sounds fair and open to diversity (http://www.whiterobedmonks.org/neto.html), not sure if that is the same network document mention in the article. But I am on the outside of vowed religious life, but not from corporate america! Welcome to my world and everybody’s else.
Second, since you all point out to be vowed women of God, Jesus Christ are you really being fair? What I mean is the investigation, the stance and the non-advertisment of vocation or are you seeking within yourselves and or community as a whole and thinking of your own interestest or the will of God’s or are you just picking up the stones and being against the will of God? Humility is hard to do it is almost like impossible, but that is where Jesus comes in. If you all will put down your stones for a moment you will see that the will of the Lord has already take action, the vocation was advertise, due to this restriction and just out of curosity those that have read the article will even be more curious about the community at hand than before. Its our reaction that stop Jesus deliverance, this should be your strength! If your are truly vowed women of God, than be vowed to him and be obedient to him, not to the course of your will but his. You have taken the vows to follow him and prayer, break down all walls, concrete are not. You are no different than men, that is the human portion, but man or woman is not our ultimate goal, but one of Jesus Christ the Lord, the almighty power of God, has anyone wonder what is his stance in all of this? Maybe that should be your discernment, not your own. Many people of all cultures has suffer for the name of Christ and being created by whom the carpenter has image us, so also remember those people and the people now that is suffering, throw down your stones and move out of God’s way. Remember the scripture (1 Corinthians 12:31—13:8: and Colossians 3:12-17).
I guess you haven’t figured out yet that the Church is not a democracy!!! If you can’t get on board with policy and procedures, well there’s always the other option!
As laity I am really sick and tired of hearing relgious moan and complain about the Church. There is plenty of work serving the poor and suffering instead of whining about not having your say!
Especially to Another Sister Julie, CSSF (which province of Felicians are you?)–I read the passage you quoted a bit differently:
“any promotion and support of a religious community’s vocation awareness program must be vetted first through the Diocesan Office for Clergy Vocations.”
See, I think this means that Bishop Brandt is inviting the sisters to apply for ordination! Oops! But isn’t that a no-no? Hey, does the *VATICAN* know about his problematic stance???? Should we report him? Sorry–couldn’t resist!
[Like Sister Sarah, above, I am biting my tongue and not saying more. Sandy, know that I and many of us here in Syracuse (including a lot of Latham CSJs) are with you in spirit!]
This is no different than a typical workplace scenario; people are people, religious or not. Both sides should stop issuing statements and start talking face to face. It helps to stop focusing on positions, and start talking about desirable outcomes on both sides, and look for opportunities to make a mutually desirable outcome happen. So they need to meet and talk about how they can both do what they think is important at the same time. You can’t do that by issuing statements at each other. It would help if more of our priests worked in “the real world” before entering the priesthood.
I noticed that the diocesan website in Vermont no longer lists the congregations of men and women in the state with respective information about their orders and who to contact for more information. It seems that inquiries are made directly to the Diocesan Director of Vocations about Vocation Discernment. I wonder if this change is typical across the nation.
If the bishop is so unhappy with the sisters, why doesn’t he just command them to leave his diocese? As Ordinary, he has the right to do so.
But he won’t take such action, because it would be too public and would have an adverse effect on ministry in his diocese. How would the faithful of the Greensburg diocese react when informed that the sisters who taught them, counseled them, cared for them and ran their hospitals no longer have permission to do so because they have an opinion that differs from that of the bishop? Yeesh! At this time in our church’s history, with all that is going on the church and in the world, doesn’t this guy have anything better to do than to pick on women religious?
I think some of the responses to the Bishop’s decision are very unfair. It is true that the Church is not a democracy. You don’t get to be a part of the Church when it suits your needs and then leave it when it doesn’t. My perspective is that the Bishop held the sisters to accountability and integrity in their decision. It is not a punishment. They disassociated themselves from the Bishop and from the Church and he held them to that decision. If their conscience told them to sign Network’s document and officially and publicly ignore the bishops, then why should they be able to benefit from the resources of the diocese.
When PETA finds out that a singer is a supporter of buying and wearing fur, they boycott them. They don’t publicly disagree with them and then ask for free tickets to their next concert.
I think that women religious are at a serious crossroads. No one is judging or calling good or bad but they need to make a decision. If they are so unhappy, if they are so dissatisfied, if they are so angry then they need to set out on their own. I have much more respect for women like the Benedictines of Madison who follow their conscience and do what they need to do than for women religious who want to do what they want but still profit from the institutional Church.
Many prayers for you Sister Julie.
Sister Marie
this story upset me no end, but it did not surprise me. all you women religious, i stand behind you.
A note to elleblue.
elleblue wrote:
“As laity I am really sick and tired of hearing relgious moan and complain about the Church. There is plenty of work serving the poor and suffering instead of whining about not having your say!”
Elle, Elle, Elle! You must know that no group of people has done more to help folks than women religious. These brave and courageous Sisters of St. Joseph of Baden were having a vocations awareness day to inform people of their life and work in order to interest like minded women to join them in their service to God and the Church.
The Bishop of Greensburg has shut the door on their efforts to recruit more helpers in the fields of the Lord at a time when help is needed more than ever.
Why? Because they were in favor of the passage of the Senate’s Health care Bill,
so that millions of the poor and suffering would finally have access to medical care. No, it isn’t a perfect solution, nothing ever is, but I believe it’s a step in the right direction and so do the majority of American sisters and nuns. As always our courageous Catholic Sisters have been in the forefront of the fight for the health care of the poor.
1st Catholic Hospital est. by the Ursuline Sisters in 1728.
Nurses in the Civil War were 1/2- 2/3 Catholic sisters
1st hospice in the US, Sister Rose’s Free Home for Incurable Cancer, est.1900
I sensed a lot of bad vibes toward the decision made by Bishop Brandt in some of these comments. In any case, I think that Bishop Brandt is only doing what he believe is right so as not to lead the people astray regarding the health care bill and to be consistent with his decision . The Sisters did the same when they signed that Network document supporting the passing of the health care bill. Like Sister Marie said, the Bishop is only holding the Sisters of St. Joseph of Baden accountable for their decision to go against the United States bishops decision. Rather than complaing about having to go through the Diocesan Office for Clergy Vocations, I think the Sisters should understand that this is a consequence of the decision they made.
Also, I don’t think we should be comparing who or what group did the most to help people, after all, it is all done for Jesus and I don’t think he is please when we are comparing like this. It reminds me of when the apostles were arguing about who will be the greatest in heaven (or something like that).
I was raised a Catholic & went to Catholic schools. I saw firsthand what the sisters and the lay women of the parish accomplished, often with few resources and little acknowledgment.
As a lay person I have grown apart from the institutional Church. Too many arrogant men, unwilling to learn from the women who have the hands on experience of caring for the sick, teaching the young, offering assistance and hope to the poor.
For a bishop, whose peers have been guilty of protecting pedophiles for decades, to spend valuable time & resources to stymie the recruitment of good people to the Church is beyond me.
Gloria, Pittsburgh
Seems like there’s a bit of a misunderstanding in that some feel that the Sisters are complaining or just plain upset at the decision … perhaps that’s just our own feelings that have been placed upon the situation. From the Sisters’ response, seems that although they are disappointed in the Bishop’s decision, they have gracefully and willingly accepted it. So instead of saying what we think the Sisters should have/need to do, maybe, we need to simply support them in prayer, knowing that God knows best and He’ll right the wrongs.
The Grace and Dignity women religious exhibit in following the high road when experiencing the indignities from the US Bishops and the Vatican speaks for itself. I know these women do not need me to defend them-there is nothing to defend.
Wake up American Catholics and smell the roses. We all need to join in prayer to the Spirit of God to lead Catholic communities in following the Teachings of Jesus The Christ. This then is followed up by action in supporting what works in our Faith Communities and mitigating the perpetuation of sick and deceptive practices.
One wonders and hopes if these are the last gasps of an old bishops boys club that is falling apart.
A fresh breath of air would sweep through the Catholic Community when led by the Spirit the full sacrament of the priesthood was open to women.
Child abuse would not be swept under the rug to protect the old boys club, priests would be sent for treatment and not to another parish to abuse again, women and men spending time praying and meditating on the teachings of Jesus the Christ and how to apply it in truth, love and service in our world today. Healing would begin.
The dedicated women I have known over the years have served as inspiration and guide to live in the Imitation of Christ. Thank you sisters for true leadership of action, kindness, compassion, love, integrity and humility.
The Bishops and Pope who have moved the sick from one place to another to prey on the unsuspecting children need to step down; apologize for their sad decisions and cease and desist from the illusion of leading the faithful, refocus their lives recovering from this sick state of mind, body and soul. May God Grant them healing from their sins.
Thank you for this interesting thread. I had a really frustrating morning at work today and feel at odds with a co-worker. Once I read this article and the thread above, I was able to calm down and consider being gracious instead of angry or defensive. Thank you to the Sisters of St. Joseph for their fine example of God’s grace. It is usually not easy to extend it when we need to because of hurt feelings (justified or not), but when we rise above those feelings and do in fact extend it, we are living our faith in a very real and concrete way. Thank you so much.