Sister Frances Marie, a Passionist Sister of St. Joseph Monastery in Whitesville, Kentucky, expected contemplative life to be ‘boring’ when she first heard about it in high school. Now as a professed sister, she sees the beauty and joy of the vocation.
While all priests receive a stipend or a salary, it depends on whether they are a part of a religious order or a diocese. Religious priests take a vow of poverty, so their stipend is used to cover basic needs. On the
Deacons are often mistaken for priests, and while their ministries overlap, the permanent diaconate bears witness to Christ the Servant. He is, by virtue of his ordination, an envoy or emissary of the bishop through the three-fold gifts of liturgy, word and
For married deacons, his vocation impacts not only his life but the lives of his wife and kids. In fact, a family man called the diaconate must be clear (and so must his pastor) that his calling as a husband and/or father
In her testimony about living in a religious community, Sister Lucia Christi with the Sisters of Life shares how she was surprised at the range of personalities found in her community. Far from the common assumption of the “cookie cutter” sister, the
It’s not easy being the face of the Church. When priests wear a Roman collar in their daily activities, they are bound to attract attention — both positive and negative. Father Jacob Meyer shares his experiences as a priest and how he’s
Discerning a vocation to the cloister can be a time of anxiety and fear. But Allison Barrick, an aspirant to the Passionist Nuns in Kentucky, shares that God desires to teach us that he is trustworthy. She writes: “He is worth all
Dominican Sister Mary Bendyna is the former executive director and senior research associate at the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University. Her work with CARA and the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious has led her to
Brother Paul Quenon, a Trappist monk at the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky, says that life in a monastery is different for each monk or nun, but he sees it as a combination of work and prayer. Scripture, prayer and silence are
Jessica Hayes first heard the term “consecrated virgin” while in college. Now, four years after consecrating herself to God in this unique vocation, Hays shares her experience as a consecrated virgin: how she discerned her vocation, how it differs from religious life,