Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ
WHAT ARE THE CATEGORIES OF MEMBERSHIP WITHIN THE LITTLE SISTERS OF ST. CLARE?
There are three categories of membership with The Little Sisters of St. Clare: Friend, Companion and Professed Sister. A Friend of the Community must be a baptized Christian who supports the Community through prayer and alms. A Companion of the Community is a woman who supports the Community through prayer, alms and fellowship, and attends monthly Chapter meetings. A Vowed Sister must take vows of Simplicity, Fidelity, and Purity and follow a Community Rule and Personal Rhythm of Life. Both a Companion and a Vowed Sister must be a baptized Christian and a member of the Episcopal Church or a church in communion with the See of Canterbury.
WHO ARE OUR SPIRITUAL LEADERS?
Our Bishop Visitor is The Right Reverend Greg Rickel, Bishop of the Diocese of Olympia, Washington. The Bishop Visitor serves as the guardian of the Community, and presides at the Solemn Profession of all new Sisters. Our Chaplain is The Rev. Connie Carlson, Priest Associate, St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Seattle, Washington and our Interim Chaplain is The Rev. Cynthia Espeseth. The Chaplain serves as the spiritual advisor to the Mother Guardian and the Council. She serves on the Admissions Committee and offers Eucharist and spiritual guidance at convocations or other gatherings of the Community. The Community selects both the Bishop Visitor and the Chaplain.
SO – WHAT DO WE DO?
Traditionally religious orders focused on specific ministries, such as teaching, nursing, or working with the poor. The Little Sisters of St. Clare does not have a common ministry, but each Sister has their own ministries within their communities. Our Community focuses on the formation of women on their spiritual journey so they learn to hear God’s call in their lives and live out their Baptismal Vows following the teachings in the Gospels. So the question is not what we do, but who we become through our lifetime of prayer, study and service.
What do you mean by formation?
Formation is education in the ways of living a spiritual life that helps us listen to what God is doing in our lives and calling us to do. Our formation is structured around a two-year cycle of curriculum on Franciscan spirituality, which we study in Chapter meetings. Each Sister also has a Spiritual Director that is another partner in her formation. Sisters are required to maintain a life of spiritual study through books, lectures and pilgrimage, and set aside time for retreat. Each year Sisters gather for convocation, which is an annual meeting of the entire community. Formation is a life-long process; we are always in formation.
DO YOU WEAR SPECIAL CLOTHES?
We wear brown robes or “habit” on special occasions and gatherings of the Community. You’ll see community members in habit throughout the site, however, in our daily lives we wear regular clothes.
WHAT ARE YOUR VOWS?
Following in the tradition of St. Francis and St. Clare, our vows are three fold: simplicity, fidelity, and purity. Professed members seek to live these vows in our daily lives. Vows are renewed annually.
DO YOU HAVE A COMMON HOUSE OR CONVENT?
We live and work on our own. We are a dispersed community so we do not have a convent or common house. We meet two or three times a year as a whole group and for our annual Convocation. Members are also organized into local chapters for study, prayer, fellowship and mutual discernment.
WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED?
We are primarily located in Western Washington, in the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia. However, we have Friends, Companions, and Professed Sisters in a number of US states.
WHO ARE THE COMMUNITY LEADERS?
The Mother Guardian is the spiritual and administrative leader of the Community. The Community elects the Mother Guardian to a three-year term of office. The other two elected positions are Secretary and Treasurer. The Mother Guardian appoints a Deputy Guardian to assist her, and a Formation Guardian, who is a Professed Member of the Community committed to the formation of Novices in religious life. The Formation Guardian develops the formation curriculum, and oversees Novices. The Mother Guardian also appoints a Vocations Guardian, who is a Professed Member of the Community who works with Postulants and oversees outreach to the larger world. Other appointed positions include the Almoner, who collects all monetary funds; the Liturgist, who prepares all liturgies for the Community; and Chapter Conveners, who are responsible for the scheduling of monthly formation meetings for each Chapter.
WHAT IS REQUIRED TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY?
The first step is to contact Mother Guardian through the contact section of this website. She or another Community member will contact you to tell you more about the Community. If you decide to continue on the path to becoming part of the Community you can apply to be a Friend, Companion or Professed member.
If you decided to become a Professed member, you will be asked to live under simple vows and complete a formation program, unique to our Community. The formation program has you explore, with other members of the Community, a variety of Franciscan topics such as Joy, Peace, Obedience, and Social Justice. In response you will write a series of reflection papers. After a period of mutual discernment you may be invited to profess your vows and personal Rhythm of Life in front of our Bishop Visitor.