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FROM OUR VOCATION OFFICE ...

"How can one not read in the story of the “servant Jesus” the story of every vocation: the story that the Creator has planned for every human being, the story that inevitably passes through the call to serve...  In particular, how can one not read in the parable of the Son, Servant and Lord, the vocational story of the person who is called by Jesus to follow him more closely: that is, to be a servant in the priestly ministry or in religious consecration? In fact, the priestly vocation or the religious vocation are always, by their very nature, vocations to the generous service of God and of neighbor.                                                                                          ( Pope John Paul II on Vocations, 2003)

 

"Jen's Story" - A Journey Home

After several years of getting to know the Baptistine Sisters and discerning God's plan for her, on September 18, 2005 Jennifer Raimo will take a big step forward in her life's journey as she formally begins the first phase of her religious formation as a Sister of St. John the Baptist. Along with her joyful spirit and radiant smile Jen brings her skills as a practicing attorney to the Baptistine Community.  Here is her story in her own words:           "I am the oldest of five girls who grew up in  south- eastern Pennsylvania.  When I was growing up, I never understood the importance of spiritual things and often tried to avoid them as much as possible.  Once I was old enough to drive, I stopped going to Sunday Mass.  After a very long time away from the Church, I found myself turning towards God and returning to the Church after I was made intensely aware of just how incredibly wrong I’d been.              While I was in law school, I began to think of religious life.  At first, I considered the idea to be shocking and scary.  I did everything I could to avoid investigating the possibilities for the next two years.  Finally, I couldn’t stand running from God anymore and voiced my thoughts and my fears in two e-mail listserves.  The people I met there knew exactly where I was coming from and offered me a great deal of support.   When it came time to speak up in real time, my online friends encouraged me to visit a community in Tennessee.  It was also obvious to me and everyone involved that God was telling me to go to their "Come and See" weekend even though I really didn’t think I wanted to.  So, I reluctantly called Tennessee and announced I would be coming to the weekend the next day.  I couldn’t understand why the poor vocation director of that community insisted on asking such personal questions as my name and address, what airport I would be flying out of, and (worst of all) where I was in my discernment.  I actually went so far as to tell her I didn’t really think it was any of her business and asked if I could just come and watch.  I wouldn’t even give her my current address!  She probably should have turned me away.  Instead, Sister wholeheartedly agreed to let me come and maintain my distance.  Before I went to Tennessee, I basically thought that entering the convent would be the equivalent of locking myself away in a Catholic prison.  I would be bound by all these rules designed to make sure that I’d never be happy.  Needless to say, I was amazed at what I saw.  Nuns can actually be happy with their lifestyle, and they usually are!  Even more amazing to me from a practical standpoint, when I was at that convent, I learned that the Sisters not only consider it to be ok to have a prayer life outside of Sunday Mass, they actually thought it was perfectly normal and to be expected!  Nowadays I can laugh about it, but it really hadn’t occurred to me that my prayer life only serves to make me spiritually healthy, not different.                I left that visit certain that I wanted to take a good hard look at religious life, but not with that community.  My online friends suggested to me that some communities try to schedule discernment weekends around college spring breaks.  So, I ran a search on the internet for any Catholic nuns that were having discernment weekends during my spring break.  The Baptistines were the only community I found with this type of information online and they fit my schedule.  I contacted the vocation director and arranged to come to my first discernment weekend with the Sisters in March, 2001.             That first visit was an amazing experience.  When I arrived at the convent, the vocation director came running out to my car to greet me with a big hug and whisked me away to a diocesan discernment group meeting on Friday night.  Throughout the weekend, I was permitted to meet the Sisters who lived in that house.  During the day, we discerners participated in various activities with Sisters from the Vocation Committee.  Evenings and mealtimes were spent with the Sisters who happened to be home that weekend.  We also participated in morning and evening prayer with the Sisters.              I loved all of the Sisters I met during that first visit.  I found them to be a warm and genuinely caring group of women.  I also found them to be very diverse in their ministries and nationalities, but still very much the same in a way that I can’t really describe.  I left at the end of the weekend flying higher than a kite, already trying to find a way to be able to come back for a second visit as soon as possible.  I couldn’t tell you what was making me so happy, but I was smiling so much that my face hurt.  I remember holding my face while I was driving home trying to stop myself from smiling because it hurt so much.  It lasted for days and continued to happen every time I visited the Sisters of St John the Baptist for about a year.               In August, 2001, I had the privilege of visiting Rome and meeting the Baptistine Sisters there.  Before I left the United States, the vocation director gave me the names and telephone numbers of several Sisters at the Generalate and Provincial Convents.  When I arrived in Rome, many Sisters had left for vacations.  Nevertheless, those that remained generously welcomed me, encouraged me in my discernment, and invited me to a party the next day.  I agreed to return for the party feeling that same extreme happiness that I just couldn’t contain inside me.              As we were leaving the party, my friend told me that she had never before seen me as happy as I had been during our two visits with the Sisters in Rome.  She also asked why I couldn’t just enter the convent in Rome right away and said she thought it was what would be best for me.  This was the first active support in my discernment that I had ever received from any of my friends outside of my e-mail group.  It meant everything to me and I am immensely grateful to the Sisters we met in Rome for making that happen.  It was also a definite turning point in my discernment.           After I returned to the United States, I kept in touch with the Vocation Director.  I would get an e-mail or a phone call from her checking to see how I was doing and that was always the highlight of my week.   As I got to know the Sisters, I always felt very well cared for.  I always knew I was the Vocation Director’s top priority.  Any concerns I had or experiences I wanted (especially more weekend trips) were always addressed in an equally concerned manner.               As time passed, I got to know many Baptistine Sisters and made many visits to be with them while still participating in discernment weekends.  The five to seven hour drive up north never bothered me when I went to visit the Sisters.  I was always too excited about the upcoming weekend to notice it.  Coming home, however, was a far different story.  The trip is much shorter on Sunday afternoon than it is on Friday night, but I found that it felt longer and longer each time I visited because I couldn’t find a reason to want to go home.  Home was good, but the convent was better.  I knew what I was giving up by returning to my daily routine in Virginia and I didn’t want to do that.           At the same time I was getting to know the Baptistines, I was also meeting with other communities and vocation directors one time each.  Some of them gave me the same personal attention I found with the Baptistines.  Others did not.  Regardless of their approach, I found all of those Sisters to be very nice, but they just weren’t Baptistine.  They didn’t have that unnamable something I found with the Sisters of St. John the Baptist, and I quickly learned that no one could make me happy like the Baptistines do.  Eventually, I became convinced that no other community could give me that same spark and began to focus on how I could get myself out of debt and into the community.            In February 2003, I was accepted into the Affiliate program.  Until recently, I considered it to be the highest honor I’ve ever achieved.  I couldn’t believe that the Sisters seriously thought that I might have that mysterious something that’s needed to become one of them.  I was very excited about having the opportunity to participate in more community events and visit more Baptistine houses.  I couldn’t wait to meet even more Sisters or to participate in summer service projects.  I was also certain that they were going to realize that they’d made a mistake in thinking I could ever be like these women that I admired and loved so intensely.  I half-expected to be asked to leave the Affiliate within a year.  When I think about it, I’m still surprised and relieved that nightmare never came true.            As I write this, I am still amazed to see just how far I have come in my faith and in my discernment journey with the Sisters over the last four years.  The thought of finally being able to continue on to the postulant phase of discernment fills my heart with a deep sense of joy and brings back that incredible happiness I felt in my earlier days of discernment with the Sisters.  I still can’t believe that it’s finally time to prepare for this change, but I know my years of prayer and hard work have paid off.  It is with great pleasure that I look forward to that Sunday afternoon in September when I don’t have to face that long drive back to Virginia.  I will finally be home." ************ Update   -  Having completed her first year of preparation (postulancy) Jennifer and the Community agreed that she is ready to move to the next stage of her formation program. On Saturday, September 23, 2006 in a simple ceremony at Providence Rest Chapel, Bronx, NY in the presence of the Sisters and her family, Jennifer will receive the habit of the Sisters of St John the Baptist and begin her canonical novitiate year.  During this period she will devote herself more intensely to prayer, studies of the vows and knowledge of the history and tradition of the Congregation. Jennifer will also participate two days a week in the Intercommunity Novitiate Program at Ossining, NY and give volunteer service at one of our apostolic locations. Please remember Jennifer in your prayers and also all those who may  be discerning God's call to religious life.   *  The support of your prayers will be most important to Jen as she deepens her response to    God's call.  *  Please pray that many other young women will also have the generosity of spirit to hear and respond to God's call. *  If you would like to assist us in the expenses of forming our new members, financial contributions can be sent to:             Sr Lois Darold, Development Office, PO Box 711, Gladstone, NJ 07934-0711

(Used with permission.  Copyright 2001 NCCV.  Complete kit available. Call 1.800.671.NCCV)

WHO  2  BE?

Each person is created by God out of love and is called to live in relationship with God by loving God, self, others, and all creation. Every baptized person has a responsibility to live a life dedicated to God and to growth in holiness. St. Augustine wrote "the human heart is restless until it rests in God". Through Baptism and Confirmation all Christians are called to follow Jesus Christ and to live out the call to holiness and service by means of one of these vocations:

Each of these vocations is a pathway to holiness and offers a way of serving God's Kingdom here on earth.

Most people understand "a religious vocation" or vocation to the consecrated life to include priests, Brothers and Sisters who are members of religious communities. These women and men further their baptismal commitment by living according to the evangelical counsels, most often known as the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. 

Each person who lives a life consecrated to God in poverty, chastity and obedience – no matter what form it takes – is mindful of a God who loves unconditionally and lavishly. Living with an undivided heart, believing that God is the only real treasure, and desiring to do God’s will, are radical ways of living the gospel.

In this way, consecrated persons maintain a single-minded focus on living the life that Jesus embraced. As Jesus was offered to God in the temple, so too, consecrated women and men present the gift of their lives. They serve God's people in a variety of ways, including but not limited to: work in parishes, education, the medical, social services or legal fields, on the missions. Or they may dedicate  themselves to a life of solitude and prayer.  Each new day provides an opportunity for deeper awareness of the call to be messengers of and witnesses to God’s love in a world that cries out for meaning.

Mary of Nazareth, the first disciple, is a great model for women and men  who want to share the mission of Christ. "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word," (Lk 1:38). Her willing obedience – or listening – to the movement of the Spirit, and her wholehearted response is the goal of all who live a consecrated life. 

What can you do to increase Vocation Awareness?  

* Reflect  on what vocation is God's plan for you and how it leads you to holiness.

* Learn  more about consecrated life in today's Church. This section of our Webpage contains information about religious life as lived within the community of the Sisters of St. John the Baptist.  For more general information about vocations and religious life we invite you to visit the Webpage of the National Coalition for Church Vocations:   http://www.nccv-vocations.org/glossary.html#vocation 

* Consider  whether God may be offering a call to the consecrated life to you.

* Encourage a family member or a friend who may be expressing interest in the consecrated life.

* Pray for all young people who have yet to determine what is God's vocation for them.
   Pray that many young women and men will generously accept God's call to religious life and    priesthood 
   Pray for those women and men who are on the journey of discernment in answer to God's call. 
   Pray for those who have already accepted this gift of a vocation to the consecrated life.  

Pope John Paul II has called upon the universal Church to pray for Vocations to the Consecrated Life.  Use your own words or use the prayer below:

Be Still   -  And Be With God

Throughout the year young women  who feel that God may be calling them to religious life are invited to take time out from the busyness of daily life to attend a  Discernment Weekend at Mt. St. John Convent in Gladstone, N.J.  Situated in the heart of central New Jersey, the acres of beautiful  scenery surrounding Mt. St. John  provide a sacred environment both for times of solitude as well as for sharing.          As they discern God’s plan for themselves these women come together in an atmosphere of prayerful reflection, relaxation and dialogue  to explore the meaning of the vowed life in the Church today.  At this time of year, on this mountain, it is a perfect place for them to "be still and be with God".        The women arrive on Friday evening. After supper there is time for introductions, communal prayer and informal discussions. Some of our weekends coincide with our Community Advent and Lenten Days of Prayer and our annual Remembrance Mass for our Deceased Sisters. This is a good time for the women to meet with many of our Sisters as we share Liturgy, prayer and a meal. Whatever the schedule for the day or theme for the weekend,  there is always private time for the women to be with their God in the Chapel, in the woods, or in the quiet of their rooms.        Saturday evenings include reflection on Sunday's Liturgy followed by voluntary sharing.  Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, recitation of the Rosary, personal reflection time and Prayer Services are also prayerful moments during our weekends.        As each woman leaves, we give her the gift of our prayers and our thanks for sharing some time with us. We offer encouragement as she seeks to know how best to respond to the God who speaks to her with great love and with greaat respect for the journey of decision-making which she is undertaking.  Comments from Recent Participants... "Thank you for the wonderful and peaceful time we have had together. It was a prayerful weekend." "Thank you again for your love and hospitality on another wonderful weekend. The Lord has told me, 'Come and see'.  I wait with happiness for the day he says, "Come and stay!" "With prayers and gratitude." Stephanie "Thank you so much for you wonderfully planned weekend. It was wonderful and uplifting! They always seem to fall when I need them most. Thank you also for your hospitality and guidance." Nicole "Thanks so much for having us here this weekend. I loved being here (as always) and look forward to the next time." Jen "Thank you and God bless you for your prayers, generosity and kindness this discernment weekend." "Thank you especially for sharing the gift of yourselves and for responding to God's call in your lives so that the life of Christ may shine through you to others." "Please know that you are in our prayers and intentions. May God bless you and keep you in the hollow of his hand." Loretta

Membership  As  A  Vowed  Sister   My daughters, what do you think you have  come to the Institute for?  You have come here to form a family,  a family of saints.  This is the scope of our lives,  to sanctify ourselves through love."              (Fr. Alfonso Maria Fusco, Founder)  Why Does Anyone Become a Sister?      The choice to become a Sister is really a response to an invitation and a plan - God's loving call and God's unique plan.  In almost every religious tradition there are those who are called forth from the community of faith to serve and to lead the community by example in their faith journey. In accepting this call, the individual promises in a public way to put God first. All else follows from this. What Does a Sister of St John the Baptist Do All Day?      For a religious Sister there are usually four major aspects of her life: Her relationship to God; her relationship with her Community; her relationship with those to whom she ministers, and her personal relationship with family, friends and self.  In deepening these relationships, the Sister spends a part of each day in prayer and worship; in sharing daily routines and responsibilities with her Sisters; in some form of ministry or apostolic work, and in personal time both private and social.  Why Can't Sisters Marry?        A Sister of St. John the Baptist, through her religious congregation, makes solemn promises to God, called vows, to imitate Jesus by living certain Gospel values in a special manner: Chastity -  Acknowledging that God is Love and that every human person is a channel of God’s love, through the vow of chastity the Sister chooses to express her love for others and her relationship with God through prayer and service to a wide circle of God’s family rather than by directing her love to one special person or human family. Poverty  -  Acknowledging that all life is dependent on God,  through the vow of poverty the Sister strives to free herself from the excesses of material goods and consumption. Each Sister chooses to live a simple life and to share all goods in common, being mindful of each one’s obligation to the poor and to the stewardship of all of God's resources. Obedience  -  Acknowledging that the God's will is primary in her life, through the vow of obedience the Sister chooses to live in a community, to participate in its daily life, and to dedicate herself to furthering its goals, its hopes and its mission. To accomplish this the Sister commits herself to listening to and responding to the will of God as expressed by her fellow Sisters, her religious superiors and the signs of the times in society. How Do I Know If Being a Sister Is For Me?      Coming to know God’s will is a prayerful process of individual and communal reflection combined with personal experience that takes place gradually over a period of time. Before a young woman is fully a member of the Sisters of St John the Baptist there are phases of increasingly greater incorporation into the experience of religious life. Each phase provides an opportunity for the applicant and the Community to come to know each other better Time of Affiliation - This phase extends from 6 months to two years. During this time the candidate lives and works or studies from home. She meets on a regular basis with the Vocation Directress for prayer and vocational guidance. Time of Postulancy - This phase extends from 6 months to one year. The "sister-in-formation" lives in a local convent and shares in the Sisters’ apostolic ministry under the direction of an experienced Sister. Time of Noviceship - The duration of this phase is two years. The novice lives in a formation community. She devotes the first year to prayer, spiritual and theological preparation, and learning the history and mission of the Baptistine Community. In the second year the novice lives in a variety of local communities and engages in periods of apostolic ministry. Commitment  of Temporary Profession - For five years the professed Sister lives and serves as an active member of a Baptistine local community. During each of these years, as the Sister and the Congregation mutually evaluate her call to Baptistine religious life, there is the free choice to renew her vows. Commitment of Perpetual Vows - Confirmed in God's call to follow Jesus by living in the Church as a religious Sister according to the constitutions of the Sisters of St. John the Baptist, the Sister undertakes a lifetime commitment of vowed love to God in and through the Congregation of the Sisters of St John the Baptist.  Is Anyone Becoming a Sister Anymore? God still calls many women to follow Jesus  through religious life. In years past it was common for young girls, often soon after high school, to  "become a Sister".  Now, the Holy Spirit is leading  many women who have already completed college or spent years in a career or who have even already raised a family to consider religious life.            More information can be obtained from our Vocation Directress, Sr Anne Dolores, CSJB. Sr Anne Dolores, C.S.JB.  Vocation Directress  St John Villa Academy 26 Landis Avenue Staten Island, NY 10305 Phone:  718/447-4150 Ext. 196 E-mail:  Lvw111b@aol.com   MEMBERSHIP IN OUR LAY ASSOCIATE PROGRAM      The Holy Spirit is leading the Church today to rediscover the power, purpose and uniqueness of the gifts given to the laity for the growth of the Kingdom. To facilitate this growing bond between religious and laity, to further our common mission to "prepare the way of the Lord", and to nurture a mutual vision of living in the charism of our Founder, Fr. Alphonso Fusco, the Sisters of St. John the Baptist offers to their friends and colleagues a program of Lay Association   Who  Are  Baptistine Lay Associates? Lay Associates of the Sisters of St John the Baptist are:              - women and men, single or married, 18 years or older,              - who desire to take a more active role in the life of the Church,               - through greater union with the Sisters of St. John the Baptist.      Through the Lay Associate program these women and men grow in the knowledge and love of God while sharing in the charism and mission of the Baptistine Sisters through one or more types of association.   What Are the Requirements of Membership?   The requirements for becoming an Associate on any level are:             - the wish to deepen one’s own faith;             - the desire to participate more fully in the life of the Church;             - and the willingness to promote the mission and charism                of the Sisters of St. John the Baptist in a manner appropriate                to one’s life circumstances.       The obligations that a Lay Associate assumes depend on the type of Association selected, ranging from prayer only (Legion of Prayer)  to direct involvement with the Sisters’ apostolic works (Associate in Ministry).   Who Directs the Lay Associate Program?          A Board of Directors consisting of both Sisters and Lay Associates is appointed by the Provincial Superior and her Council. Each Lay Associate serves for a renewable term of 2 years; each Sister serves for a renewable term of 3 years. The current Board members are: President: Sr. John Agnes Barone, CSJB, Provincial Superior Director: Sr. Michele Sinnona, CSJB Co-Director: Michael Roman (NY) Treasurer: Sr. Mary Austin, CSJB Secretary: Helen Swirski (NY) Secretary: Alba Cancel (NJ)    What are the Types of Association?   Associates in Ministry  have:                -  journeyed with the Sisters of St John the Baptist as                   Associate  Friends for at least one year               -  a strong desire to be more formally associated with the                    Sisters while maintaining their own living and working situations.      Women and men choosing this form of affiliation share in the charism and spirit of the Sisters of St John the Baptist through a commitment to active involvement in the apostolic works of the Sisters.      These Associates  meet once a month at a local Baptistine convent to:               -  to share in faith, prayer and fellowship,                -  to receive spiritual guidance                -  to deepen their understanding of the mission and charism                    of the Sisters of St. John the Baptist.      Additionally, they receive the Community newsletter, attend an annual meeting and weekend retreat, and are invited to participate in various Baptistine celebrations such as Founder’s Day, the annual Mass for Deceased Sisters, and selected Provincial meetings. A formal commitment to the Associates in Ministry program is made and renewed annually on the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus. Associate Friends   -  are united with the Sisters of St John the Baptist in a spirit of prayer and mutual support. They may assist the Sisters informally in various activities but they do not make a formal commitment of involvement.       Like Associates in Ministry  these Associates  meet once a month at a local Baptistine convent to:               -  to share in faith, prayer and fellowship,                -  to receive spiritual guidance                -  to deepen their understanding of the mission and charism                    of the Sisters of St. John the Baptist.        Additionally, they receive the Community newsletter and are invited to attend an annual meeting and weekend retreat, as well as such Baptistine celebrations as Founder’s Day and the annual Mass for Deceased Sisters. A formal commitment for Associate Friends is made and renewed annually on the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus. To learn more about these Lay Association Programs, please contact:   Lay Association Program Sisters of St. John the Baptist 3304 Waterbury Avenue Bronx, NY 10465   Association Through The Legion Of Prayer "In all our needs let us pray,  for this is the most effective way to obtain the grace of God."  (Fr. Alfonso Maria Fusco, Founder)" For members of the Legion of Prayer the primary mode of association with the Sisters of St John the Baptist is through prayer. Established in 1975 the Legion of Prayer now includes hundreds of people across the country who pray for the Sisters and their ministries as well as for each other. Periodically throughout the year members receive a letter with spiritual reflections. Membership in the Legion of Prayer incurs no obligation other than that of reciting the following prayer each day. Legion of Prayer  -  Member's  Daily Prayer      O God, give the Sisters of St. John the Baptist  the strength,  courage and the integrity of your Precursor, St. John the Baptist.      Guide them in a  sincere love and concern for the well-being of all  peoples. Let them be selfless in reaching out to  those in need and thereby share in the effort to  restore all things in Christ.      Bless their work and may their numbers multiply  for your honor  and glory. Bless all the members of the Legion of Prayer and their  families.      Guide us in  our work;  in our family decisions and in all  our needs,  both spiritual and material. Give us your peace as you shared it with Mary and Joseph.                                                                  Amen.   For more information on the Legion of Prayer please contact:   Sr. Mary Clemens, CSJB Legion of Prayer  Mt. St. John Convent  150 Anderson Hill Rd.  Purchase, NY 10577 Or click on our mailbox below: