Courtney McGrailThe Poor Clare Sisters in Co. Galway have said there is continuing interest in the contemplative life of their order despite the lures of modern life.
Speaking to The Irish Catholic newspaper this week following the latest Monastic Experience Day at their Nun’s Island convent, Sr Faustina of the Poor Clares said while those visiting and making enquiries varied from women “steeped in their faith, to those returning to it”, there is one common factor bringing visitors to Nun’s Island.
“In a world of smartphones and connectivity, it is the connectivity to something deeper they seek,” Sr Faustina said of those she had met and spoken with.
Visitors
Describing the Monastic Experience as “our answer to that seeking”, Sr Faustina outlined the event as one in which visitors joined with the community during their daily routine in prayer, but also one in which they spoke with sisters and each other on a one-to-one basis to discern whether or not they have a calling to the contemplative life.
“There is no pressure,” Sr Faustina stressed. “Informal and relaxed is the order of the day.”
Now engaging on an increasing basis with the digital age, Sr Faustina explained that, beyond the Monastic Experience Day, the Poor Clares are fielding queries online too all through the year.
And the dual approach is paying off for the community.
“We have one new postulant with us since January,” Sr Faustina happily reported, “and two more set to join us next year.”
