The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-02-01

I. What is the difference between
the different orders of Sisters. How
old must girl be before she is over
age to become Sister. How much
must she have in money to enter
convent? 2. Can a girl choose the
work in a convent which she likes to
do, or will she have to do what is
appointed for her? 8. How long
does a girl have to stay in convent
before she becomes a Sister?
1. 1t would take too long to explain
how the numerous religious Sister
hoods in the Church differ from one
another. Each one was established
for the special purpose which the
founder had in view and employs
special means to attain it's end. The
age limit is not the same for all
Orders. AS a general rule, it may be
said that few Sisterhoods care to
accept a postulant over thirty years of
age; and many place the age limit
much lower than that. The reason
for this is that it is easier to train
the postulant in the virtues and
duties required by the community when
she enters before her character and
habits of life and thought have been
definitely formed and moulded. The
majority of Sisterhoods in this coun-
try are in need of subjects and are
willing to take a girl who has the
necessary qualifications even though
she be unable to bring any money into
the treasury 2. The essential char
acteristic of convent life is obedience
to authority, and any girl who enters
a convent with the idea of having
her own way or choosing the kind of
work which she likes will never ad-
vance beyond the postulate unless her
self-will and desire to follow her own
inclinations are absolutely eradicated.
The religious life would be an impos-
sibility if each member of the COM
munity were free to follow her own
sweet will, go and come as she
pleased, and do the kind of work that
appealed to her. The religious must
show a ready obedience to her superb
ors and to the rules of the order and
be ready to perform the duties as
matter. how mental or distasteful
these duties may be. 8. All religious
orders require a period of probation
through which the aspirant must
pass before being admitted to full
membership. The girl who enters
a convent usually spends some
months, at least, in the practice of the
religious and other duties required
of her before she receives the habit
of the Order and becomes novice.
The term of novitiate is usually two
years during which the novice con-
tinues her preparation and exercises
herself in the various duties imposed
by the rules of the community. At
the expiration of this period she
makes her vows and is then admitted
to the full privileges of the Sister
hood, although several years must
elapse before she makes the final
VOWS and becomes member of the
Order in the strictest acceptation of
that term.
1. Why do the altar boys raise
the priests Vestment when he genu-
2. Is confession worthy If the peni.
tent is sorry for his sins but does
not make firm resolution to sin nc
more? 8. Does the Catholic Church
approve of Catholic, suffering from
a long illness, to take the Christian
Science cure? 4. How much of the
fast and abstinence prescribed by the
Church is a woman bound to keep in
case her husband is a non-Catholic
and she does most of the houseWork
and cares for her little children?
l. In the early days, and in fact
up to the sixteenth century, the
Chasuble worn by the priest at Mass
was an ample, flowing robe or vest
ment which left nothing but the
head visible. 1t was necessary fol
those who assisted the celebrant tc
lift and fold this Chasuble often dur
ing the Mass to enable the celebrant
to perform the sacred function with
greater facility. In the course Of
time the Chasuble underwent modi
fications and changes until it assumed
the form which it has at the present
day. The custom of lifting the enc
of the celebrant's Chasuble by the
server at the Conservation, not a.
the Elevation, is now observed, mo-
through any necessity whatsoever
but merely as vestige of the ancien
custom of having the deacon and sub
deacon hold up the priests robe a
the time when the larger and fulle1
form of Chasuble was in use. Thi!
was required then in order that thu
priest might not be impeded in any
way at the solemn moment of Con
secration. In some places the prac
tice of lifting the Chasuble of the
priest at the time of Conservation i.
going into desuetude, but the custom
should be kept up wherever possible
as it is full Of meaning for those whC
understand its history. g. Since true
contrition is essentially a turnins
away from sin in order to serve Coz
more faithfully it necessarily implie,
a purpose not to sin again. TIL,
truly contrite sinner can scarcel.
fail to form an explicit purpose o
amendment when he thinks of tn,
future. This purpose of amendmen
should really be an explicit one, tina
is to say, the penitent should, befor,
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