Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Discover more about our cloistered and contemplative life of adoration. Here you will find answers to many commonly asked questions.
Q. What is the duration of an adoration period?
A. There is always one or two Sisters in adoration before the exposed Blessed Sacrament. During the day these periods are usually about 30 minutes; during the night, an hour.
Q. What is the purpose of the grille in the chapel and convent visiting rooms?
A. The grille is a sign and symbol of the secluded life the Sisters have chosen to live in order to find God more completely. The conscious renunciation of certain social advantages, known and esteemed at their true value, frees the Sisters to devote themselves more thoroughly to the quest for God, to attend to him more perfectly, and share to a more universal degree the suffering and hopes of all mankind.
Q. Do the Sisters ever leave the enclosure?
A. Yes, for legitimate reasons, such as medical treatment.
Q. How often are the Sisters permitted visits from family members and close friends?
A. Three times a year. Special consideration is given in cases when visitors come from out of town.
Q. Do the Sisters wear the rose-colored habit when they leave the enclosure?
A. The Sisters wear a gray habit when they leave the enclosure. The rose-colored habit is worn only within the cloister.
Q. What are the regulations regarding fasting?
A. The community fasts together several times a year.
Q. Do the Sisters watch television?
A. The use of television is limited to circumstances of a religious nature, in keeping with the Church’s norms for cloistered-contemplative religious.
Q. How are the Sisters informed about current events?
A. The Sisters get the daily newspaper. The daily newscast from the radio may also be taped and played when the community is assembled together.
Q. What kind of work do the Sisters do? How do they support themselves?
A. Besides ordinary household chores, the Sisters have a correspondence apostolate by which they acknowledge the many letters received every day from people requesting their prayerful support. People also enroll in the Eucharistic Mission League whereby a card certificate is issued upon request. Offerings for these enrolment cards are also a means of support for the Sisters.
Q. Do the Sisters take a vow of silence?
A. The Sisters do not take a vow of silence, but they observe silence; ordinary silence during the day when it is permitted to say what is necessary for the sake of charity and the accomplishment of work, and strict silence from Night Prayer to Holy Mass.
Q. What do the Sisters do during the recreation period?
A. A variety of things: some prefer to work on crafts and hobbies as they share conversation with each other. Others like to play games indoors or, weather permitting, to take part in more active games outdoors.