Dioceses and c 603 Vocations: Minimizing Uncertainty and Risk in the Process of Discernment and Formation

In The Long Journey, I wrote about the journey to Union with God and something of the universality of that call. With c 603, it has sometimes been difficult for dioceses to adequately discern and assist in the formation of diocesan hermits. This prompted the following questions, which I promised I would return to: [[It seems to me that either a diocese has to be really patient and willing to take a risk with someone, or the person has to have made a long journey before contacting their diocese to request profession and consecration. The first problem with this is, what diocese has the patience to wait as long as needed to discern a solitary eremitical vocation with someone?]]

In my initial post, I quoted you, [[It seems to me that either a diocese has to be really patient and willing to take a risk with someone, or the person has to have made a long journey before contacting their diocese to request profession and consecration.]] and I responded: [[I believe both things are true. The person must have made a relatively long journey before contacting a diocese with the request to be professed under c 603 AND the diocese must be patient in a process of mutual discernment and formation that assists the person making their petition to truly know the way God is calling them, and to prepare for the necessary stages of commitment if they (both) find the person is called to c 603 eremitical life.]] Let me point out further that dioceses always take risks with vocations. No one comes in with a certified letter from God saying, "Consecrate her. She is called to be a c 603 hermit"! When I was consecrated, my diocese supplied a "Bishop's Decree of Approval of (my) Rule of Life". That decree expressed thanks to God for the gift of this vocation. At the same time, it included the following sentence. "I pray that this Rule of Life proves advantageous in living the eremitical life." So yes, there is always risk because vocations come from the Mystery we know as God, and discerning vocations is, as Sister Susan Blomstad, OSF, once noted, difficult and something of an art.

The risk that dioceses take in admitting someone to the profession and then to consecration as a diocesan hermit, however, can be minimized in ways that make the process less onerous for the diocese or its staff. In this blog, I have referenced a process of discernment and formation that focuses on the requirement that the hermit write a Rule of Life. This requirement, as I have explained a number of times, can be used to guide the formators and other diocesan staff in discerning the nature and quality of the vocation in front of them. Writing a Rule of Life is itself a formative process. To write about all of the elements of c 603, to describe a healthy eremitical life that embodies these elements and the whole spirit of c 603 in a contemporary setting, requires significant experience and reflection on that experience. Dioceses can schedule conversations at different points throughout this process, both to hear how God is working in this candidate's life and to determine if there are resources the hermit candidate could benefit from in her process of formation. 

At the same time, through this process, though no vow of obedience is involved, the candidate learns to work with diocesan personnel in ways that will help develop her sense of what such a vow might entail and what it may not. It can assist the candidate to develop a deeper sense of the ecclesial nature of this vocation. Contacts may be made with those special individuals who may accompany her in her vocation for many years to come. And of course, both the hermit and the diocese in question will come to understand c 603 much more fully and fruitfully, not simply as a law allowing the profession and consecration of solitary hermits, but as a rich, fertile template of solitary eremitical life, a source of guidance and inspiration for personal exploration in the hermit's lifelong journey** to union with God. The underlying focus in all of this work is the idea of this specific journey and the assurance that the hermit/candidate is committed to (or clearly moving toward) this above all things. (In the beginning years of a hermit's eremitical life, this commitment exists, but it may not yet be articulable in terms like "union with God".) None of this takes away all risk in professing and consecrating a diocesan hermit, but all of it can minimize risk and, down the line, allow for similar work and better discernment and formation with other candidates for c 603 profession and consecration.

The process referred to here can take some time, yes. There are different reasons for this. Sometimes candidates don't have sufficient experience of living in solitude, some are not contemplatives, some may find reflecting on c 603 and the way God calls them to embody it in their lives an extremely challenging task, while others may simply find writing this out in a Rule of Life very difficult. All of this takes time, and dioceses must understand that writing a Rule of Life is formative, challenging, and critical to the discernment of such a vocation. It is not the easiest, most concrete element of c 603, and therefore easily dispensed with via the instructions, "Now, all you need to do is go write a Rule of Life!" The diocese must allow the writing of a truly liveable Rule to take the time necessary for each candidate; they must also allow the task of writing the Rule to assist them (Diocesan personnel) with conversations regarding the discernment, formation, and writing processes at periodic points along the way. 

Mentors (other c 603 hermits with appropriate backgrounds) can assist the diocese and work with the diocesan team and candidate with the Rule and c 603, or, if there are insufficient diocesan staff to follow a candidate in the way that is needed, she may work with the candidate on the diocese's behalf. (In such cases, the mentor will report to diocesan personnel occasionally regarding how the process is proceeding.) What I am describing here is not onerous for either candidate or diocese, but it is critically important in discerning and forming such vocations. While such discerning and appropriately forming (or ensuring the formation of) such vocations takes time, I am not suggesting this process can or should be stretched out interminably. In my experience, it tends to become clear within two or three years (sometimes, though rarely, fewer) whether  or not one is working with someone with an authentic eremitical vocation. In other cases, uncertainty will be cleared up as the person engages or fails to engage with the process of formation. (This requires a significant degree of initiative and self-knowledge; it will be evident to formators.)

Often, the question of time is arbitrarily determined by reference to canon laws that fit religious living in community rather than solitude. Sometimes the addition of such time frames is meant to supplement what are perceived as deficiencies of c 603. Personally, I believe this is a significant mistake, especially in its misperception of the depth and breadth of c 603, but also in its complete failure to understand the uniqueness and flexibility of solitary eremitical life. The composition of a liveable Rule of Life truly rooted in the candidate's lived experience will take time. Of course it will!! The diocesan conversations accompanying such a process and contributing to its fruitfulness will allow discernment to take place without arbitrary time limits or time frames. Dioceses need to trust this! 

At the same time, should a candidate fail to adequately engage in the process, a diocese might well decide to suspend it for the time being. If the candidate had been doing well, the diocesan staff will want to understand what has happened. Depending on the circumstances, dioceses may or may not be open to restarting the process once the hermit candidate is in a better position to truly engage the discernment/formation process. Yes, all of this takes patience, skill, wisdom, prayer, and courage. It does not, however, ask for anything diocesan formation, vocation, or similar personnel should not have in abundance, particularly when dealing with such a significant and individual vocation!!

**Sister Rachel Denton, Er Dio, prefers the term pilgrimage here, and I understand her preference, not only because of her own specific experience with pilgrimage, but especially in light of Vatican II and its reflection on the People of God as a pilgrim people. I am just not yet personally comfortable enough with the term to use it easily myself, so, for the time being, I will continue to use the less specific "journey" here as I read about and reflect more on "pilgrimage" and all it implies. Readers, of course, should feel free to change the language and think of the c 603 vocation in terms of lifelong pilgrimage if that is more helpful!!

Once Again on the Varying Lengths of Time to Discern, Form, and Perpetually Profess c 603 Vocations

[[Dear Sister Laurel, I wondered why it is that c 603 vocations can take varying lengths of time to discern and be formed when it is not that way in life in community. You have stressed that the process can take some time, anywhere from five to twelve years or more. I am assuming you are not just making up the numbers here, so where are you getting them, and why have you changed them from time to time?  I think you should know. I was listening to a video by someone who said you were making things up, . . . and that some dioceses profess c 603 hermits after a very short period of time so you're wrong in what you say about this; it doesn't take such a long time to be approved by a diocese.]] 

Thanks for your questions. Regarding the various time frames I have referred to here over the past 18-19 years, those are drawn from several places and also try to reflect both the individuality of specific cases and the ways dioceses differ in handling petitions re canon 603, the standard time frames (3-9 years) for moving from temporary to perpetual profession and consecration in religious life (norms which only partly apply to c 603), and my own shifting understanding of the discernment and profession process over the years. Also, as the canon has become more familiar to Bishops and diocesan staff, and as mentoring by competent hermits becomes available, time frames have been affected as well. It is significant that c 603 neither provides any recommended or required time frames, nor does it depend on the canonical time frames required for members of institutes of consecrated life; the c 603 life is an individual one with its own unique demands and must be dealt with on a case by case basis.

I have had several different concerns in opining about necessary time frames. These have included: 1) a desire to help candidates understand the weightiness of the step they are proposing to take, 2) a wish to encourage them to patience because there is no cookie-cutter temporal framework in establishing readiness for profession and/or consecration under c 603, 3) the need to remind them if the process takes a long time, they will continue living as a hermit in any case, and nothing will be lost in the meantime, and 4) a concern to underscore that the formation required for this vocation is significant and takes time to secure. (A person seeking profession can make many moves to secure this formation themselves; they need not and probably should not depend on their diocese alone for this since most diocesan teams do not have the time or the expertise to do this. The hermit must show initiative in this and many other matters.) Finally, there is the fundamental lesson that it is the journey (to wholeness and holiness in union with God) that is crucial, not the destination (where destination is admission to profession and consecration); if candidates for c 603 can commit to the journey and keep their perspective in this, their eremitical vocation will also be well-served whether or not it is or becomes a canonical vocation.

Generally speaking, those seeking to be admitted to profession and eventual consecration under c 603 should understand that the process is neither quick, nor is it as relatively "rote" as it can be in a religious institute. There is no year of candidacy, no canonical year of novitiate, no apostolic year, and no period of 4-6 years of juniorate (during or after each of which stages the congregation may cut one loose as unsuitable). There is ordinarily a period of 3-5 or more years once one makes first vows and before they are perpetually professed; this is up to the diocese and the individual hermit's readiness to make a definitive commitment. Growth in the hermit life cannot be assessed in the same way it is for someone living in community under relatively continuous observation and supervision for initial formation. It is very much more individualized than this (and more individualized than even some of the newer approaches to formation in community). Even so, there are some givens in determining how much time admission to first profession will take. 

Some Bishops say they will not even consider professing a c 603 hermit for 5 years after the person contacts the diocese. Dioceses depend, though not exclusively, upon the quality of the Rule written by the hermit and the evidence it provides of 1) lived experience and understanding of the eremitical life (which is a good deal more than simply living alone), 2) knowledge and appreciation of c 603 itself, 3) the quality of the candidate's sacramental life, 4) ongoing competent and regular spiritual direction, and 5) provision for self-support, limited ministry, study, etc. Underpinning all of this must be a sound theological grounding and personal maturity. It would be hard to overestimate the importance of the candidate's written rule or plan of life in determining a lot of this. When combined with regular meetings with diocesan staff to discuss all of this, a diocese can get a very good idea of the quality of the vocation they are dealing with and what deficiencies still exist.

Securing all of this takes time, and it is especially time-consuming for those working with the candidate to get to know them beyond superficialities. I have always been grateful that my diocese sent someone to my hermitage to meet with me over a period of several years. Solitude comes in several "flavors," and some are healthy while others are not, some are transitional, and others are not. A diocese needs to understand why the hermit has embraced solitude and how healthy that solitude is. They need to be able to see the quality of the journey the hermit is engaged in with God and assess that in terms of c 603 and the eremitical tradition. Again, this takes time, patience, and serious attention. Spiritual directors, pastors, physicians, and (sometimes) therapists all have to provide letters of recommendation that clearly show a strong sense of who the candidate is, the quality of her or his faith life (if they are competent in this area), perseverance in prayer, faithfulness to vows (if professed as a cenobite or apostolic religious) or evangelical values (if not vowed), etc. All of these must be considered and discussed with the diocesan formation team and the candidate him/herself. 

Allowing a person to make public profession whereby they take on the canonical rights and obligations of an ecclesial vocation is simply imprudent and uncharitable if the person is really not ready to do so, and while no one wants to string a person along, making sure they are ready to assume the obligations and rights of this vocation is not ordinarily done in a handful of months. If the candidate has already made a life commitment (marriage, religious profession, ordination) then the diocese must understand what happened with this commitment and assure the person possesses the canonical freedom and maturity to undertake another life commitment with c 603. For instance, someone who was once married and divorced, but without a decree of nullity, is not canonically free to make eremitical profession under c 603. Similarly, if a person has tried to get professed in other dioceses (or in a religious congregation) and was unsuccessful, the current diocese will want to understand what reservations the diocese or religious institute had that prevented them from professing the person. Sometimes this has nothing to do with the quality of the vocation being considered, but sometimes it does.

We are talking not about whether a diocese approves of a person in a general way or not. We are talking about taking the time to carefully discern and help form or oversee the formation of a solitary eremitical vocation and an ecclesial one at that! I have worked with several serious candidates at this point, and the time frames this took were different in each case. Only one of these persons made perpetual profession in less than five years, and she was an exceptional candidate. Another candidate awaiting admission to temporary vows is also exceptional in many ways. She has used this "waiting" time well, shown persistence despite speed bumps with her diocese, and docility to the Holy Spirit. She has shown great initiative in providing for her own spiritual and physical needs, worked to make connections she will need to live a healthy and fruitful, specifically ecclesial, eremitic life. When her diocese is ready to profess her, they will be gaining an exemplary c 603 hermit. Most candidates have nowhere near the preparation, experience, seriousness and diligence of these hermits, and thus, their discernment and formation processes take correspondingly longer. 

To summarize, it makes sense that someone approaching a diocese and petitioning for admission to profession under c 603 can anticipate the process from the time they first approach the diocese to the admission to perpetual profession, taking anywhere from 5-12 years. And this is true when there are no exceptional circumstances to consider!! By the way, I would argue that if a diocese does not take candidates and this vocation seriously enough to truly discern and give necessary time for the formation needed for this vocation, they ought not profess anyone at all. Dioceses that professed people after knowing them less than a year may exist, but they are not typical nor is their example worthy of being followed. Again, such praxis is not only imprudent, it is also uncharitable; further, it dishonors a vocation possessing tremendous value to the life of the Church and endangers its ongoing existence in the faith community. All of that said, none of this is carved in stone, at least the numbers are not, but all of it is rooted in experience and wisdom gleaned from that by bishops, diocesan personnel, and other c 603 hermits.