Most of my clothes are old things people gave me - but most of those don't meet modesty requirements so I tend to layer and/or sew things together a LOT. Like today I was wearing full length skirt made of 3 knee length skirts chopped up sewn together... I have only one dress that I can wear entirely 'as is' that was bought that way... and it was a gift from a friend who might be able to give a better answer to your question... I presently wear a head covering only in church.

https://www.roman-catholic-saints.com/traditional-franciscan-calendar.html

These all gone?

That's a beautiful idea. They used to keep veils like that at the back of one of the chapels in Geneva... you also never know who could arrive to TLM for the first time and feel out of place for not having a head covering and be very grateful... If your husband prefers lace though maybe keep one for big feasts/ anniversaries/ family occasions ;) at least for 6 months to a year, unless you're certain you have no use for them at all ever!

@Amber Constant God bless you too Amber! I'm not sure I deserve that, mostly I'm just working things out as I go along when I write - but you have a great gift of encouragement that really helps build up this forum. And I don't just mean the above - it's a general observation! =)

Follow up. This is my plan, join if you will, NO pressure at ALL... Sorry I got a bit carried away perhaps. I liked this idea... And didn't know Pius X was a Third Order Franciscan!! Novena beginning feast of St. Michael to finish with oath on Our Lady of the Rosary so long as studying answers rather than raises questions (at this point in time I'm not entirely sure what modernism is, except 'bad' lol, and an oath's a pretty serious thing...) Each day, this novena: https://www.stpiusxcc.org/media/1/21/Novena%20to%20Pope%20Pius%20X.pdf Because I also don't know St. Pius X very well, only bare bones of his story. Study for each day: 1. Oath and preliminary reading of Lamentabili Sane https://www.papalencyclicals.net/Pius10/p10lamen.htm 2. Pascendi Dominici Gregis 1-8 https://www.vatican.va/content/pius-x/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-x_enc_19070908_pascendi-dominici-gregis.html 3. PDG 9 -17 4. PDG 18-28 5. PDG 29-38 6. PDG 39-43 7. PDG 44 -58 8. Return to study of Lamentabili Sane and oath to consolidate thought / prayerfully consider 9. Finish Novena and (God willing - to be confirmed) take oath If I have any questions at all remaining I won't take the oath at the end as I don't have a regular confessor here yet (it seems no one in the traditional chaplaincy speaks enough English and I'm wandering from priest to priest a bit until God's will is clear as to where I should stop - or maybe I just need to get on and learn Polish!!). In that case I'm not sure when I can get clarity/permission. Maybe I'll email my last confessor in Geneva... If everything's very clear, however, then I think full steam ahead with the oath... Anyone have thoughts/ideas/comments? God bless

On this note!!! Kinda - but I think this isn't necessary to start a new thread for. So recently I applied to join the Confraternity of St Peter. I put a big note at the start of my application form that I didn't want to do it if it was incompatible with a third order membership and the chaplain assured me this was not the case. Which made sense, since religious are allowed to join, but wasn't stated explicitly and I wanted to be certain... ANYWAY! They say a decade of the Rosary plus a prayer for the FSSP each day (I'll post it at the end for reference) and the whole idea got me thinking. Actually I've been thinking about this since the end of the Rosary novena pretty much. I know we pray for the friars, but could we find/ask Friar Anthony for a specific prayer FOR them that we could pray daily? Maybe such a thing is already in these books that we will get, i don't know... I just find having a daily prayer makes the thing particularly intentional and focused... thoughts? Here's the CSP prayer to give you an idea of the kind of thing it might be - but FRANCISCAN! Following a decade of the Rosary: V. Remember, O Lord, Thy congregation. R. Which Thou hast possessed from the beginning. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus, born to give testimony to the Truth, Thou who lovest unto the end those whom Thou hast chosen, kindly hear our prayers for our pastors. Thou who knowest all things, knowest that they love Thee and can do all things in Thee who strengthenest them. Sanctify them in Truth. Pour into them, we beseech Thee, the Spirit whom Thou didst give to Thy apostles, who would make them, in all things, like unto Thee. Receive the homage of love which they offer up to Thee, who hast graciously received the threefold confession of Peter. And so that a pure oblation may everywhere be offered without ceasing unto the Most Holy Trinity, graciously enrich their number and keep them in Thy love, who art one with the Father and the Holy Ghost, to whom be glory and honour forever. Amen.

I just use a big scarf.... They definitely stay on more easily than mantillas... recently a friend I made at Mass gave me a second scarf she said she never uses which is very pretty too, so now I have something special for feast days (I left Ireland with one scarf lol)! I really like this part of the rule. Partly because it was something I could do readily because I already had the thing and didn't have to wait till I could afford it (unlike a 'stupid' phone or ankle length skirts at the time), For me I do find that wearing a scarf rather than a mantilla does increase the purity of intention because it's more unusual and therefore a bit more mortifying. This was moreso the case in Geneva - in Poland actually the scarf/mantilla ratio is about 50/50 - but my initiation is complete now ;) I also feel more 'hidden' under it, which helps me pray...

I found a couple of good free sites... Depends how you like to study. I don't like to spend long amounts of time before a screen with a backlight so I prefer finding things I can download as pdf and read on kindle (if they're full books it's a bit much to print...) So what I found is mostly summed up at this link: https://stcatherinecenter.wordpress.com/2014/04/08/learn-church-latin-for-free/ In particular, the very first link it gives - www.learnchurchlatin.com has lots of good ideas and links to downloads. Most of the downloads are on archive.org, which is a site I love - you can get all sorts of things there... but before I get distracted with talking about that site here is one that is relevant to an above comment! On that second site she has a recommendation for an accompaniment to Wheelocks: https://learnchurchlatin.com/2021/01/28/if-you-have-to-wheelock/ - that is amongst many, many other things. As I say the site is worth checking over. Going back to the archive.org tangent, I found a few interesting specifically Franciscan downloads and am wondering about finding ways to integrate them with general offices... Haven't had the time to sit down and make a plan yet but - well for example there is this: https://archive.org/details/antiphonale-romano-seraphicum-1928-ocr Friar Anthony had mentioned in a previous conference being able to give us inserts to make things more Franciscan so we would need to check the details maybe but I don't think he'd be opposed on principle... Anyway God bless!!!

No I haven't, but that would be interesting... we could do it as a group! For whoever wants... https://www.papalencyclicals.net/Pius10/p10moath.htm Maybe we could do a novena, saying a novena to St Pius X and studying Pascendi and Lamentibili first?

Sorry my reply is so slow, internet access has been very sporadic the past few days so I tend to look at things and not get a chance to reply immediately, but I did see and have been praying. How are things now - with Steve, yourself and your daughter's family? As for me and America, in God's time it would be lovely to see you all but I've surrendered even whether or not I'll even be able to travel as far as Ireland again in the near future, as things continue to get more and more strange... At this point in time all that really matters is obedience to the Holy Spirit and whilst it has been scary taking the risks that has meant - God is very faithful. I'm finding my feet here nicely and Providence has seen to so many details I have no doubt as to His being in all. But I believe I need prayer not to miss cues and to recognise and respond to grace and co-operate effectively so that the longer term plan will unfold without me getting in the way... That's beautiful about St. Anne's and I'm glad the bishop there isn't blocking things... I see that's the case in a lot of places thank God. Here too the Traditional chapel has been given the go ahead to continue as usual... Even so reading the different statements of bishops made me feel terrible because it's a right their authority shouldn't be granting and withdrawing, which kinda forces even the nice ones into a role like a benevolent dictator... anyway we pray!! God bless

Tak! Thanks for asking! I'm in Poland - have been here a little under two weeks now and I'm pretty settled. Letting things unfold gently so otherwise no major news... will keep you posted as things go =)

It's funny having practically no money is actually one of my biggest hindrances in living the rule properly in the immediate (now that I'm kinda in one place - before when I was moving every few weeks it was difficult to establish a regular horarium but that's pretty regulated now thank God). E.g. I can't really just go out and buy a few new skirts that are (in fairness, a couple of inches) longer than the ones I have. I can't replace my phone... in time these things will need replacing anyway, and then I can look at the specs for what we should have - but for now I know it would be extravagant and risky for me to be buying new ones when I have to buy food and pay rent... I'm not saying what I'm doing is perfect, but I do believe that Jesus has called me to this and will give me what I need to fulfil things more aptly as time goes on, it's just a matter of trusting Him and following on with the call where one is at, always being prepared to give more... and my point is: if I can't yet do things we're explicitly told to do because I have to wait until I have the money and opportunity I really don't think your friend should worry about stepping into the unknown as regards simplicity and detachment and what the spirit of the Franciscan Order might ask of him. God meets us all where we're at when He calls us to where He's taking us, and He'll make it clear which sacrifices He's asking for when regarding material detachment etc... the Third Order isn't a mousetrap!! I would say maybe to your other friend that one should also be wary of giving too many cautions and risking frightening people away early on in discernment. A beauty of how the Church goes about these things is that whilst we start to learn live the rule now there's a process of becoming acquainted with its ins and outs and what it means in our life that happens not before but during formation. In a sense everything before investiture, and in some degree before profession, is still discernment. One makes a resolution in beginning, but the formal commitment comes after that resolution has time to be tested and for that it's probably better if your friend knows what it's like to be part of the community, what the friars and talks are like and not just what the demands are... so often the best thing is just to jump in!

Praying. Keep us posted! And if it's ok to share first names (his, wife, daughter) please do but if not will pray anyway.

Going back to what Friar Anthony was saying in the meeting (one before last) I think finding the most generous way to sanctify the hours that is practically possible for you is the general aspiration. So if it's difficult to do more, even just to say one Our Father for that hour and build from there, but the key is to decide to do that Our Father and seek to build... So judging by that advice I would say what you're doing Is spot on. If you have time at Compline, great, if other hours are busier and it's the Little Office do what you can... if it's a flying Pater at Vespers maybe try praying two Paters the next evening ;) but I think if you don't mix things as you go it would be difficult to follow Friar Anthony's advice about building gradually towards doing what one can, as at some point you'd have to do a compete overhaul to be praying the full office lol...

These replies are awesome!!! You've answered questions I had and didn't ask too - like can we be buried in a habit =) Thank-you for thinking of me! However I may not be in France in a 4-6 weeks' time. My work here finishes up mid/late June and I probably won't stay beyond that - will keep you posted on my whereabouts and the right things will work out in God's time! In the meantime, will keep learning, praying, living... I have to say this Third Order is a real joy... God bless! +++

Yep as Sr. Mary Magdalene, says one can definitely do both, but to be honest I don't think of them as two separate consecrations. For me, my understanding is that there is only one Blessed Virgin, I have been consecrated to her since my first consecration. I have renewed that consecration more times than I have counted, making preparation according to different teachings and programmes - but it's all just an attempt to go deeper with that original offering, which still stands. That said, there are definitely different focuses (again, as Sr. MM said) and different graces with different methods. I have to say that I have noticed a definite series of specific and connected graces since the first time I did a full consecration according to St. Maximilian Kolbe's thought and teachings (last December) - coming across this Third Order in and amongst those graces. Haha and on the Legion of Mary knowledge it's not so impressive really. I used to work as a residential volunteer in a homeless hostel they ran which was right next door to the Legion Concilium (world HQ, though you wouldn't think that to see it!). That meant meeting lots of older legionaries who knew Frank Duff personally and liked to tell stories about him... one kind of absorbed the Legion spirit by osmosis there rather than making an effort to learn it... God bless and keep you +

You're 100% right about Third Orders - they are mutually exclusive and relatively difficult to transfer between. However the Legion isn't a Third Order, it's just a Marian movement with certain prayer commitments (varying degrees depending on the level of membership) and for active members a meeting and Evangelisation work. It's an apostolate which can compliment a Third Order membership very well - especially one with a strong Marian element. Members do make a promise of commitment to it and participate in an annual consecration ceremony to Our Lady together, but it's not a profession in the same way as one makes in a Third Order. Actually the founder, Frank Duff, was a Third Order Franciscan to the end of his days and it was on that account, rather than his commitment to the Legion, that he NEVER missed an hour of the Divine Office.

Adjutorian! I used to be an active member, in recent years I was moving around a bit too much to commit to a praesidium, but earlier this year I decided to take up the praying membership again =)

PS. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY OF EDEL QUINN! she is one of my heroes =)