I know this is something many of us have long been waiting for. The Sisters of St. Joseph in the Diocese of Rochester will be visited this week by the Vatican investigation into the life (and doctrinal fidelity) of women religious.

From Bishop Clark’s article on the Courier website:

“A final note about religious life: Our Sisters of St. Joseph will be hosting a team of visitors this week, participating in the Holy See’s program of visitation of women religious in our country. I know that the visitation team will be as impressed by our sisters as we are. Please take the occasion of the visitation to pray in gratitude not only for the Sisters of St. Joseph but for all of the women and men religious who have poured out their lives in service of the people of our diocese since our diocese was established 142 years ago.
Peace to all.”

Let us hope that the Vatican investigation will take a very close inspection into the liturgical and pastoral activities of Sr. Joan Sobala (see laundry list here), Sr. Karen Dietz (see here), and other local personalities who live in priest rectories instead of convents. I don’t expect any miracles to happen immediately, but this investigation should hopefully yield fruit in the restoration of orthodoxy to women religious groups over the next ten years. Provided these groups are still around by then.

Don’t be alarmed if you hear after the visitation the visitors saying good things about the SSJs in Rochester. We should expect positive spin no matter what their report actually contains.

Tags: Joan, Orthodoxy at Work

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