Affiliates

• History

  • In the Church
    Throughout the centuries, the Holy Spirit has inspired religious orders and religious communities to integrate the laity in their mission and ministry.  This is what the Franciscans did in the 13^th Century.  The Holy Spirit likewise inspired many lay persons to affiliate themselves with religious orders.  The idea has continued to this day.Vatican Council II, in its decree “Apostolicam Actuoitatem” emphasized the role and the mission of the laity in the Church.  And His Holiness Pope John Paul II in his encyclical “Christifideles” recalled the vocation and the mission of the laity in the church and in the world.  Both encouraging and giving approval to programs like the affiliates.
  • The Immaculate Heart of Mary Province of the Cordi-Marian Sisters.
    The Cordi-Marian Sisters in all their communities have found themselves surrounded with devoted friends, among the laity who assist them in their ministries.  We want to invite you to be an   Affiliate; to get involved in our mission among the poor; to pray and to share your talents.  Together, we will serve the destitute in different ways and care for their needs.

• The Affiliate program: …a way of life!

  • Today’s world is so busy and complicated; full of wonderful opportunities, attractive and demanding activities, and peer pressures.  These and social trends influence many or our decisions and paths that we take in daily lives.  Religious orders of women and men are suffering a shortage of sisters, brothers and priests.  Young men and women are under a great deal of pressure to comply with today society.  Many are having difficulty discerning what God is calling them to do.   Because we (The Cordi-Marian Sisters) see the need for time to discern and because we have a great need to do ministry, but experiencing a lack of members, we have, therefore designed a temporary program for single women and widows to experience ministry and time for discernment.        If you are uncertain, or question your  vocation as a religious, or might just want to give one year of service to Our Lord through His people, the Cordi-Marian Affiliate is the program for you.  This program is intended to allow you to spend a year living as a non-vowed Cordi-Marian Sister in one of our communities.  Yet, there is a need that you feel or demonstrate a relationship, a strong association with the characteristic spirit of our religious community and willing to give up you normal way of life to experience “religious life”.  This affiliation should also include:    
    • A commitment to gospel values and a deepened prayer life;
    • Modeling humility, simplicity and charity;
    • A desire to grow in community and service; and
    • A deep interest in sharing the ministry of the Cordi-Marian Sisters community.

Founding Roots: St. Anthony M Claret

National Connections:

• National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO) 
  National Religious Retirement Office, NRRO, coordinates the national collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious and distributes these funds to eligible religious institutes for their retirement needs.  NRRO also assists religious institutes in addressing their current retirement realities.