St. Mary of Egypt (Lent)
This afternoon/evening I went to meet some of the women still in the formation process and learn more about the first few years. Rather than give a blow by blow account, here are the main things I learned that I found particularly of note.
You Don’t Have to be Extroverted
This was a big one for me, because I always struggle with being a bit introverted with people I do not know or situations I am not comfortable in. I am not a ‘people person’ naturally, though I have been working hard to overcome that by deliberately going places I feel uncomfortable (like the jail ministry which I turned out to love doing) and general social gatherings. Like Mr. Darcy learned from Elizabeth, it is a matter of practice. That aside, several people there brought up the subject without my even mentioning it and explained their own journey as naturally more introverted and studious personalities and how that worked within the community. I found it fascinating and also very relieving to know I was not alone in working to overcome that particular trait.
Catholicism Varies
I had a general notion that there were a few variations within the church, much like the Anglicans have different sorts of masses, but I learned that there is a huge variety worldwide of styles. It was exciting to hear about different more ethnic ways of doing things and even the range within the US.
You Can Bring Lots of Books
This may sound amusing but it was a definite question I had about if I came to a point of moving in to the formation house. I was graciously taken on a bit of a tour and it was explained that the furnishings of each room depended completely on who was occupying it. When I asked if we could bring books, I was informed that one person currently in the house brought boxes and boxes of them and had mostly bookshelves in her room. This was extremely encouraging– not that I want an entire room of books, but I do have many that I reference quite often, particularly Dante and Anglo Saxon early Christian writings.
Traveling Happens
While it was not a question I had, the information was quite helpful. There are all sorts of interesting conferences and trips that various sisters go on. They don’t spend all their time in a small geographic area and some have even been as far as Rome. It was good to know that it wouldn’t involve just staying in one place for the rest of one’s life.
Ministries Change
During formation I learned that you are able to try out different things, and once a sister it often will change as well. It is not the same ministry forever, but shifts, often dramatically.
In general I thought this was the most helpful of all the evenings so far, except perhaps the first one. It was very practical and most of my questions were actually anticipated because they were literally going through that process and it was still fresh. I found out things like how the kitchen schedule worked, what responsibilities the weekly prayer leader has, etc.
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