Are there any unwritten rules that have to do with how close religious orders are to each other?

[Gnarwhal]

I've not noticed too many different religious orders in close proximity to each other outside of special places like The Vatican, so I wondered whether there is any kind of written or unwritten rule that says something along the lines of "If an order establishes itself in this city/town/area then any different order interested in the same area has to be X number of miles away" so if let's say I was hoping some Dominicans would setup shop in my town, but there are Trappists about 20 miles away, is there any reason the Dominicans would decline to move here or be denied by the bishop? Like maybe this area is considered part of the Trappists "sphere of influence" and they don't want any conflict between orders?

Just a thought I had. I have dreams of seeing the Sisters of Life and some Dominicans setup here as a "Catholic takeover" effort of my town and wondered whether there would be any issues within the Church to prevent that beyond whether just my bishop would agree to have the Sisters and the Friars open convents/friaries here.

 

[RileyG]

I’m not sure. Where I live there is a cloistered order of nuns and an active order of nuns from Vietnam. I know in Omaha there are three different order of nuns, but they are very old and smaller in number.

I think it depends how many vocations they would attract and if there is a need for them. Many convents and monasteries are sadly shutting down due to lack of vocations.

 

[Bob Crowley]

I don't know if "spheres of influence" would come into consideration, but there would be other issues such as whether the local community can support them, if they can provide sufficient funds to buy and maintain a property and so on.

Having said that, when I read "Butler's Lives of the Saints", time and time again saints were presecuted by other members of their own religious orders, and sometimes the hierarchy.

As my old pastor used to say "One bunch of sinners is pretty much the same as the next!" The fact that someone is wearing religious garb doesn't seem to negate his comment.

 

[Gnarwhal]

I’m not sure. Where I live there is a cloistered order of nuns and an active order of nuns from Vietnam. I know in Omaha there are three different order of nuns, but they are very old and smaller in number.

I think it depends how many vocations they would attract and if there is a need for them. Many convents and monasteries are sadly shutting down due to lack of vocations.

It's true, I think the Sisters of Life are one of the few orders that are regularly seeing young women discern into their order. I have an order of Trappist men nearby who run a beautiful monastery and winery, they're 20 minutes outside of town, but I have a dream of establishing a west coast Sisters of Life here in town (right now they're only in NY and Denver) cause I think their work would have tremendous value here.

I don't know if laymen are ever involved in that sort of thing or if it's something that purely originates from within the order itself, but if it's possible someday I'd love to find a way to make it happen.

I don't know if "spheres of influence" would come into consideration, but there would be other issues such as whether the local community can support them, if they can provide sufficient funds to buy and maintain a property and so on.

Having said that, when I read "Butler's Lives of the Saints", time and time again saints were presecuted by other members of their own religious orders, and sometimes the hierarchy.

As my old pastor used to say "One bunch of sinners is pretty much the same as the next!" The fact that someone is wearing religious garb doesn't seem to negate his comment.

Boy that's the truth!

 

[RileyG]

I know the Nashville Dominicans are doing wonderful in number. I think there is 300+ women.