Monastic Immersion Experience 2017-2018

Upcoming Monastic Immersion
Experiences:

  Thanksgiving Weekend
November 24-26, 2017

New Year

December 30– January 1, 2018

Holy Week and Triduum

March 25-31, 2018

Corpus Christi

June   1-3, 2018

Additionally, women are
welcome to come at other times as their schedules permit

Vocational Discernment Opportunity

Monastic Immersion Experiences

Is Jesus Calling you to follow Him as a Benedictine nun at St. Emma Monastery?

Have you been wondering if you have a monastic vocation?

Do you want to experience the ore et labora of our monastery?

Do you desire a closer look?

Do you want to share our life for a few days but without a commitment to enter on your side?

Single Catholic women, between the ages 16-38, are invited to join us at various times throughout the year to experience our Benedictine monastic life for themselves.

We host several “formal” Monastic Immersion Experiences each year, please see the schedule below for our upcoming dates.  Additionally, individuals are welcome to come for informal Immersion Experiences as their schedules permit.

During these visits, vocation guests have the opportunity to explore the possibility that Jesus Christ might be inviting them to follow Him more closely through a monastic vocation with our community.

Participants take part in our daily schedule of prayer – the daily Eucharist and The Liturgy of the Hours – and in our work in the monastery, in caring for guests and in our gift and book shop.  Recreational time together belongs also to the monastic day.

Time is also provided to spend in silence, reading and reflecting.  Talks with Mother Prioress and the vocation director also offered.  The Monastic Immersion Experiences normally begins with arrival in the afternoon on the opening day and closes after lunch on the closing day.  For those desiring a longer time, arrangements can be made.

Please contact Sr. Mary Clare at 724-610-7586 or email vocations@stemma.org for additional information or to register or an upcoming Monastic Immersion Experience.

Upcoming Monastic Immersion Experiences

Thanksgiving Weekend - 

November 29-December 1, 2013

New Years - January 3-5, 2014

Besides these weekends, you are welcome to come for an informal Immersion Experience at a time that is convenient for you; please let us know about your desire to visit.

Some thoughts shared with us from a participant in one of our Immersion Experiences

The first three days I spent on the Monastic Immersion Experience, all I could think was:  Is this it?  Is this where I’m called?  I found myself growing frustrated and resentful.  Why don’t they give me time to think?!

Kneeling before Him in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, it hit me:  This is a Monastic Immersion Experience.  If you want time to think, go on a silent retreat!

I have seven days here, I thought.  I’m here to experience monastic life the way it really is.  If I’m going to really have that experience, I need to have it in my heart, too.  I will have plenty of time to reflect on the experience from a discernment perspective once I get home.  For now, just live in the moment.

Why is it important to wait on the Lord?  Because I cannot possibly know where I am called by my own power.  Real discernment is too complex to “figure out” on my own.  Once I had seen monastic life from the inside, I understood why you can’t approach discernment as if it were a hunt for the right college.  You have to chill out, and wait on Him.

But like pretty much every other discerner, I want to know where I will be in one year, five years, twenty-five years…  That day before Our Lord at St. Emma’s, I realized that my desire to know — especially to know NOW — is a desire for control.  I want control over my life.  I want to know because the predictability will give me a sense of peace and comfort.  But in having control, I fail to hand my life over to Him.  In finding my peace and comfort in my own power, I fail to find it in Him.

After that hour in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, things got much better.  I felt instantly less frustrated, drained, and impatient.  In fact, I started to have a pretty good time.

When I got home, I was not the same discerner that I was.  These wonderful women gave me a place to stay, three meals a day, an opportunity to learn to pray the Divine Office, great conversation, some wonderful spiritual direction, and loads and loads of love.  But much more importantly, they blessed me with an experience that taught me to wait for Him, and in so doing, they gave me peace.    - JES

Fiat Days , Harrisburg Diocese PA

Vocation retreat for young women, who are keeping their hearts open to the possibility religious life. 

This event was wonderful and all of the young women where very prayerful and willing to ask questions, and the best of all they making connections with the different religious communities.

God bless all who participated in this retreat.

  

What is it you request?

What is it you request?  This question begins the ceremony wherein a postulant receives the habit and becomes a novice.  What is the postulant seeking?  Her response to the Prioress' inquiry in the ritual, The mercy of God and acceptance into the community of your Sisters, touches on some of her deepest desires but likely the answer and the reality have many layers and various levels of meaning.

The same can be said of discerning vocation as well as living monastic life day by day.  We all come seeking a deeper union and communion with God.  Living in community aids us on the journey with companions who are also on the same path seeking God and holiness of life.

Consider joining us for one of our upcoming Monastic Immersion Experiences or schedule a time that fits your schedule to help discern this question for yourself.

Please call Sr. Mary Clare at 724-834-3060 or email vocations@stemma.org to begin the process of journeying with us.

Our Habit

The tunic, scapular, cincture and veil to be blessed for a new novice.

One of the more common questions that arise is "What exactly are the various parts of your habit?"  The habit is made up of several basic elements:  tunic, scapular, cincture (or leather belt), coif and veil.

The tunic is the main garment of the habit.  It is a long sleeved, floor length garment, belted at the waist. 

The scapular consists of two panels of fabric joined at the shoulder that is the same length as the tunic.  Originally St. Benedict thought of this garment for work purposes, as an apron.  

The coif (some also call this a wimple or guimpe), is the white material covering a nun’s head and throat and has a rounded collar.  For the early morning Offices and Holy Mass we wear a coif that is pleated.  It is approximately a yard of starched linen.  During the day, we have a simple coif that is sewn of wash and wear fabric and much easier to maintain. 

The veil is worn over the coif.  A novice wears white veil, a black veil is worn by a nun in temporary vows, a nun in solmen vows wears a black veil with white liner, it is also referred to as “double” veil.

Nuns in solemn vows also wear a cuculla, or choir robe.  It has wide, deep sleeves, and pleats vertical pleats or folds that hang the full length from the shoulders to the floor.  This is worn over the tunic and scapular.  We wear our cacullas on Sundays and Solemnities, except during the summer months due to the high heat and humidity of southwestern Pennsylvania.

So what's it take to be a nun?

The question seems simple, doesn't it?  For our monastic community, here are the "basics" we look for in vocation candidates.

Candidates to our Benedictine monastic life need to possess a deep love of God and practice their Catholic faith (and have received all the Sacraments of Initiation or are a convert to the Catholic faith of at least three years).

They need to be able to live and work with others and have the physical and psychological strength to live in community and to participate in the daily round of prayer and work.

A college education is not necessary, but at least two years of work experience post high school are required.

A good sense of humor is essential.

Individuals may begin making vocation visits at age 14, entrance ages are between 20-40. 

How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

I had rather one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I had rather lie at the threshold of the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
Psalm 84:11

The response and verses of today's Responsorial Psalm at Mass sum up so beautifully how our hearts are drawn to the Lord!  Even a single day with Him is better than days beyond counting.

Praying, living, working all within the confines of the monastry grounds and in such close proximity to the Chapel is the grace of our monastic vocation.  Supported by each other, we place our hearts and whole being at His service.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like?  We invite you to come and experience it for yourself.  We have a new overnight planned for Palm Sunday weekend (March 31-April 1) or a longer time planned April 4-8 (or you could come for a day or two during those days).  Contact Sr. Mary Clare at 724-834-3060 or email vocations@stemma.org for additional information or to sign up.

Coming to Visit

The next step after the initial contact has been made is coming to visit.  We invite single Catholic women, between the ages 16-38, to join us at various times throughout the year to experience our Benedictine monastic life for themselves.

We host three “formal” live-in experiences each year:  over the Triduum/Easter, in July and during Advent.  Our next scheduled live-in experience is December 9-11.  Additionally, individuals are welcome to come at other times as their schedules permit.

During these visits, vocation guests have the opportunity to explore the possibility that Jesus Christ might be inviting them to follow Him more closely through a monastic vocation with our community.

Participants take part in our daily schedule of prayer – the daily Eucharist and The Liturgy of the Hours – and in our work in the monastery, in caring for guests and in our gift and book shop.  Recreational time together belongs also to the monastic day.
 
Time is also provided to spend in silence, reading and reflecting.  Talks with Mother Prioress and the vocation director also offered.  The Live-in Experiences normally begins with arrival in the afternoon on the opening day and closes after lunch on the closing day.  For those desiring a longer time, arrangements can be made.

Please contact Sr. Mary Clare at 724-834-3060 or email vocations@stemma.org for additional information or to register or an upcoming Live-in Experience.

Getting to know you...

From time to time, questions are asked about what qualities, education, etc., our community is looking for in candidates for our community. 

In candidates we look for those who love God, are practicing Catholics, are able to live and work with others, have the physical and psychological strength to live in community and to participate in the daily work — and perhaps most importantly, have a good sense of humor.

We accept candidates for entrance between ages 20-40 who have completed high school education and who have either worked or furthered their education. 

We invite women, ages 14-38, to begin getting to know us to visit either for one of our formal "come and see" experiences or to visit at a time that best works for their schedules.  To learn more about us, please contact our vocation director, Sr. Mary Clare at 724-834-3060 or email vocations@stemma.org. 

We look forward to getting to know you and sharing with you about our particular monastic vocation.