Catholic Info
Traditional Catholic Faith => Anσnymσus Posts Allowed => Topic started by: Domingo Banez on September 19, 2022, 12:36:40 AM
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The ideal vocation for me would be to live as a Traditional Dominican friar( so I could devote my life to prayer and study) However, there are really only 2 Traditional Dominican communities in the world today, and given my health issues, I can’t really join either of them.
Nevertheless, I want to devote my life to prayer and study( I want to live as a Dominican would without being a Dominican) Im currently in university and I may go for a PhD, but I have no desire to teach at a modern university.
I have very poor eyesight( so it’s difficult for me to cook and do laundry- perhaps I could learn to do both ) I also don’t drive.
So at this point, my thinking is that once I finish all of my degrees, I’ll move to a place with cheap housing/food and a solid( non-SSPX) Trad chapel. At that point I’d start writing articles and books.
Here are some questions I have
1. Any recommendations for where I could live? I’ve thought about learning French and moving to a place like Avrille( where the Dominicans are) but I’m not sure what housing options are available in a place that rural. Like I said, I’d be looking for a place with cheap housing/food.
2. I’m not opposed to doing some manual work to support myself, but with my bad eyesight, options are pretty limited. I don’t think I’d be able to support myself merely by writing books/articles though. Any thoughts on how I might support myself?
Feel free to PM
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I don't have any answers to your specific questions, but I do have some important advice.
Let's just say that "non-standard vocations", including starting your own business, are rife with obstacles and require great self-discipline.
I know of a Trad young lady who quit her office job "so she could focus on her writing" and two decades later, she has never finished, much less published, a single thing. She is about the opposite of self-discipline though, being more of a "creative, curious" type. Like many CathInfo members, I dare say. But curiosity, truth, knowledge, Theology, and philosophy don't pay the bills.
On the self-discipline front, I can recommend this: have a to-do list every day. But also have a "done" list, so you have accountability for how you spent each day. I personally do this, using a text file. I can even do searches in it, to see when I did such-and-such. It's quite helpful.
I put in a dash followed by the "end time" for each activity. You could modify this system though; this is just what works for me.
Up at 7:00
Wake up, breakfast - 7:45
Exercise - 8:00
Cure cancer - 8:10
Read CathInfo - 10:00
Watch Youtube videos - 12:00
I'm joking about the last few -- but you need to put down honestly however you spent your time. That is the only way to have self-awareness and self-knowledge of how you're truly spending your time each day. You can say "I'm an author" but if you spend 8 hours a day wasting time, browsing videos or watching movies, you might want to work on that.
But it's not JUST about accountability. I wish I had a nickle for every time I found the motivation to do something primarily to "get it off my list" and/or to have something solid to put on my Done list.
And it's not just about pointing out "bad guys" in your time management. You might THINK that X is the enemy of your free time, whereas it's not actually taking up as much time as you FEEL LIKE it is. The real culprit might be Y or Z instead. It's easier to see this when it's all laid out on paper, in black & white.
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I think you're looking at this from the wrong end. Try looking at it this way: Your first duty is to support yourself and not be a burden on society, so get that taken care of first, and then what you do in your free time after work is up to you.
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I think this is a very noble pursuit, and if I could do something similar to you I totally would. Haha. I don't know specific answers to your questions but some general advice I have is since Mass and the Sacraments are the most important aspect of our lives I would begin looking at Mass locations starting with your top places based on personal preferences. Then start looking at the job market around that area.
Here is a link to help you with finding a job in the United States, you mentioned eye sight problems and this might be something you'd find resourceful: https://rsa.ed.gov/about/states (https://rsa.ed.gov/about/states) - They will help you find a job best suited for your needs.
Whatever you end up doing try to find a job that's conducive to your personal writing/study schedule. Keep praying for guidance and I will pray for you too.
::)
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You mentioned poor eyesight. As long as one can actually see so as not to bump into things I’m not sure how that prevents one from cooking and doing laundry, people who are totally blind learn how to do these things for themselves. But the ability to see to read would also be absolutely critical to the life of a scholar. An early piece of advice, if this hasn’t been completely worked out, is to see a MD or DO who is board certified in ophthalmology, rather than an optometrist, get things checked, and sort out what might be done. My father left a successful career as a certified public accountant to become a farmer in the 1950’s partly because he was blind in one eye and the doctors then said the eye strain from accounting work could leave him with very diminished sight at a younger age than if he did something involving less eye strain.
You mention that you don’t drive. Unless you can live in a community (such as a monastery) where there are others around to help you, you may be largely limited to living in an urban area with a solid public transportation system to get you around. While urban areas may have advantages such as access to libraries and perhaps traditional chapels one can get to on food or by transit, they also will be more expensive for housing and groceries.
I mentioned “groceries” rather than “food” on purpose. I’ve never claimed to be very smart about money, but one thing I learned early on in my 70+ years is that one of the easiest and surest ways to reduce one’s expenses / increase one’s available income for essentials and savings is to buy food in as natural and unprocessed a state as feasible and cook meals from scratch at home. It would behoove you to learn how to cook, and even garden. Check out some cookbooks from the library and jump in. There are also often community classes that one can take to learn these basic life skills.
In the current economy retail, hospitality, and service jobs are readily available (at minimum wage, but that is $15.00 per hour in Washington and other states). I had a part time job as the manager of a small rural branch of our local library system, and the town branches (accessible by public transit) are frequently hiring for full and part time clerks. I think a library job might be well suited to an aspiring scholar. In rural areas you might find seasonal work in agriculture but you would have to get to the farms unless you were in walking distance. In the latter case (living on a farm) how would you get to the nearest town or village to buy groceries and supplies?
None of these factors are necessarily unsurmountable barriers, but they are issues that need to be thoroughly thought through and addressed.
In addition to the two pieces of advice others gave (develop self-discipline and time management, and determine how you will support yourself) I’ve added: (3) Make sure the eyesight issue has been completely checked out and sorted; (4) Learn how to cook.
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You mentioned poor eyesight. As long as one can actually see so as not to bump into things I’m not sure how that prevents one from cooking and doing laundry, people who are totally blind learn how to do these things for themselves. But the ability to see to read would also be absolutely critical to the life of a scholar. An early piece of advice, if this hasn’t been completely worked out, is to see a MD or DO who is board certified in ophthalmology, rather than an optometrist, get things checked, and sort out what might be done. My father left a successful career as a certified public accountant to become a farmer in the 1950’s partly because he was blind in one eye and the doctors then said the eye strain from accounting work could leave him with very diminished sight at a younger age than if he did something involving less eye strain.
You mention that you don’t drive. Unless you can live in a community (such as a monastery) where there are others around to help you, you may be largely limited to living in an urban area with a solid public transportation system to get you around. While urban areas may have advantages such as access to libraries and perhaps traditional chapels one can get to on food or by transit, they also will be more expensive for housing and groceries.
I mentioned “groceries” rather than “food” on purpose. I’ve never claimed to be very smart about money, but one thing I learned early on in my 70+ years is that one of the easiest and surest ways to reduce one’s expenses / increase one’s available income for essentials and savings is to buy food in as natural and unprocessed a state as feasible and cook meals from scratch at home. It would behoove you to learn how to cook, and even garden. Check out some cookbooks from the library and jump in. There are also often community classes that one can take to learn these basic life skills.
In the current economy retail, hospitality, and service jobs are readily available (at minimum wage, but that is $15.00 per hour in Washington and other states). I had a part time job as the manager of a small rural branch of our local library system, and the town branches (accessible by public transit) are frequently hiring for full and part time clerks. I think a library job might be well suited to an aspiring scholar. In rural areas you might find seasonal work in agriculture but you would have to get to the farms unless you were in walking distance. In the latter case (living on a farm) how would you get to the nearest town or village to buy groceries and supplies?
None of these factors are necessarily unsurmountable barriers, but they are issues that need to be thoroughly thought through and addressed.
In addition to the two pieces of advice others gave (develop self-discipline and time management, and determine how you will support yourself) I’ve added: (3) Make sure the eyesight issue has been completely checked out and sorted; (4) Learn how to cook.
The above was from me.
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Wanting to be scholar/writer (and getting paid for it) is right up there with wanting to be a professional actor/singer. Like someone else said, learn a skill so you will be able to support yourself first, then in your spare time you an pursue whatever you like. Work is good.
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That's kind of like what my own life has morphed into in recent years (though in the Eyes of God I am married and not single, civil divorce notwithstanding).
You do have to have an income. It's hard to make a living in philosophy, theology, or study (as opposed to teaching) of arts and sciences. I educate my son at home, and I have also been working with my mother, to overcome a horribly lacking catechesis that she received when she came into the Church. Thankfully I will have a modest retirement income for life. It's hard to recommend such a life without that.
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Wanting to be scholar/writer (and getting paid for it) is right up there with wanting to be a professional actor/singer. Like someone else said, learn a skill so you will be able to support yourself first, then in your spare time you an pursue whatever you like. Work is good.
I agree.
Especially considering the number of people who read books anymore -- next to nobody. Even if a few dozen Trads read and buy $300 of books a year, how could even ONE author make a living off that? It's just too rare now. Even if your book(s) is good, it won't matter. The most you'll gain is name recognition/fame/help the world become a better place.
I'm not talking about the number of people whose depth of thought goes beyond comic books -- there are plenty of those. But most of these would-be book buyers content themselves with cheap/free used books, online books/articles/websites/forums, PDF versions of classic books, borrowed books from the library, etc.
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I have very poor eyesight( so it’s difficult for me to cook and do laundry- perhaps I could learn to do both ).
Of course you could learn to do both.
I had a friend, when I was younger, whose both parents were blind. They raised a family and did much of their own housekeeping, cooking and laundry. I don’t know why a person would not learn such essential skills.
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Being single, you have plenty of time to both hold down a job AND become a scholar and writer. If somehow your writing takes off, you could transition to that full time, but unless you come from an independently wealthy family, it’s not a very practical aspiration. If you work an 8-hour day, you have at least 8 hours a day for prayer, study, and contemplation. What I would give for that right now. I’m up this late here working my second job and have very little time for prayer and study.
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Being single, you have plenty of time to both hold down a job AND become a scholar and writer. If somehow your writing takes off, you could transition to that full time, but unless you come from an independently wealthy family, it’s not a very practical aspiration. If you work an 8-hour day, you have at least 8 hours a day for prayer, study, and contemplation. What I would give for that right now. I’m up this late here working my second job and have very little time for prayer and study.
You have a second job? I hope things are going okay. I'll pray for you
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Isn't a PhD at least 5 years? If you live a single life, I think you could save maybe 20k per year on a PhD stipend. By the end of 5 years you might have 100k saved up. After PhD, you could live off that 100k without a job for a long time.
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If somehow your writing takes off, you could transition to that full time, but unless you come from an independently wealthy family, it’s not a very practical aspiration.
Yes, I think the problem with the OP is that he sort of takes his living for granted. But I definitely don't get the sense he is independently wealthy.
My friend, you have to support yourself first. And no, you will not be able to do that by studying or writing. There is no money in that these days, especially not in the world of traditional Catholicism.
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Isn't a PhD at least 5 years? If you live a single life, I think you could save maybe 20k per year on a PhD stipend. By the end of 5 years you might have 100k saved up. After PhD, you could live off that 100k without a job for a long time.
Yes, a PhD in the US ideally takes 4-5 years to complete. However, the amount and "reliability" of the stipend can vary quite a bit depending on the specific institution, the area of study, and the ultimate source of the money/funding involved. On one side of the coin, I have known a few Traditional Catholics accepted into a PhD program at an "Ivy League" school (to study Medieval manuscripts/Gregorian chant) who received stipends of over $50K per year for 5 years.
However, this is more the exception rather than the rule. In a typical situation (average state university) a PhD stipend in the US is often only between $15K-$30K per year. This money may come in the form of scholarships, grants awarded to research proposal (s), or in part by functioning as a teaching assistant. Depending on the cost of living in a given location and personal (i.e. medical, family, etc.) needs, this may or may not be enough to fully cover living expenses or allow for saving. When looking at any graduate degree program, it is critical to make sure that the degree will be reliably funded via one of these methods. If not, the only way to finish the PhD degree is by paying for it, which inevitably results in serious economic trouble.
I think an important question the OP could explore (in addition to the big question of supporting himself) is whether the PhD is actually needed for the kind of work he wants to write. Does he want to conduct research/write papers for some kind of peer-reviewed journal (which would need a PhD/doctorate), or does he want to write books, articles, or informal newsletters on theological subjects for fellow traditional Catholics (which most likely wouldn't require PhD)? Graduate school can be rough, and given the broken modern university system (which is problematic in so many aspects), it could be especially difficult for a traditional Catholic at this time. Whether this is ultimately worth it depends on what the OP wants to learn and how he plans to use that knowledge. I do think a choice to pursue a PhD nowadays would need to be thought through very, very, carefully.
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Quote from the original post
I’m not opposed to doing some manual work to support myself, but with my bad eyesight, options are pretty limited. I don’t think I’d be able to support myself merely by writing books/articles though.
Some have seemed to take the OP to task by lecturing him that he can’t possible support himself by writing and he’d better forget about that (or at least lay the idea aside for a while) and find a job. In fairness to him, he rather explicitly acknowledged that reality (see quote above from the original post), and was he asking the forum for
- Ideas for where he might live that would allow him to devote his life to prayer and study, and also have affordable housing and food (and by context utilities, transportation, and other expenses generally considered necessary);
- Ideas for what specific ways he might support himself.
My reply did expand beond his original request in that (without knowing any other pertinent information) I suggested that he should be sure his eyesight issues are well sorted out (and remedied if possible) as I wondered how, if it is really poor, that would work out for one who is a scholar and writer. I also commented on employment that would seem to suite his situation and is often available, based on personal experience (working for a library).
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You have a second job? I hope things are going okay. I'll pray for you
Thank you. Yeah, about 80 hours per week for over a year now. I'll probably be dead within another 2 years at the rate I'm going. God bless you.
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have known a few Traditional Catholics accepted into a PhD program at an "Ivy League" school (to study Medieval manuscripts/Gregorian chant) who received stipends of over $50K per year for 5 years.
However, this is more the exception rather than the rule. In a typical situation (average state university) a PhD stipend in the US is often only between $15K-$30K per year. This money may come in the form of scholarships, grants awarded to research proposal (s), or in part by functioning as a teaching assistant.
I think an important question the OP could explore (in addition to the big question of supporting himself) is whether the PhD is actually needed for the kind of work he wants to write. Does he want to conduct research/write papers for some kind of peer-reviewed journal (which would need a PhD/doctorate), or does he want to write books, articles, or informal newsletters on theological subjects for fellow traditional Catholics (which most likely wouldn't require PhD)? Graduate school can be rough, and given the broken modern university system (which is problematic in so many aspects), it could be especially difficult for a traditional Catholic at this time. Whether this is ultimately worth it depends on what the OP wants to learn and how he plans to use that knowledge. I do think a choice to pursue a PhD nowadays would need to be thought through very, very, carefully.
OP wouldn't be saving anything on a 15k stipend, so I guess it's important to get into a university that pays a stipend that's at least 30k per year.
But is being a teaching assistant almost a requirement to get that stipend? That might be problematic because it distracts from researching full time. Depending on how many hours goes into the teaching assistant role, it may not be worth it.
Even though PhD is not needed for a future job, it could at least provide him the money to do what he would do anyway in his free time, but it would help to know how much time is spent as a teaching assistant to see if it's worth it.
Alternatively, OP could get into IT field (by self-study), work for a few years to make enough money to be able to research without working for some years. Maybe OP could even make passive income from buying a condo and renting it out or Airbnb.
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OP wouldn't be saving anything on a 15k stipend, so I guess it's important to get into a university that pays a stipend that's at least 30k per year.
But is being a teaching assistant almost a requirement to get that stipend? That might be problematic because it distracts from researching full time. Depending on how many hours goes into the teaching assistant role, it may not be worth it.
Even though PhD is not needed for a future job, it could at least provide him the money to do what he would do anyway in his free time, but it would help to know how much time is spent as a teaching assistant to see if it's worth it.
Alternatively, OP could get into IT field (by self-study), work for a few years to make enough money to be able to research without working for some years. Maybe OP could even make passive income from buying a condo and renting it out or Airbnb.
Yes, from what I have observed, the teaching assistantship does appear to be an expected part of a typical PhD program in the US. Typical PhD students often work 40-60 hours per week to get everything done (research+classes+teaching), sometimes more. However, there are a lot of program and school-specific variables in this. Figuring out if the situation is feasible therefore depends on learning the protocols of the specific school, thoroughly researching the particular lab member (s)/research groups who are supporting the PhD, and ideally speaking with students who have graduated from the program to ask what their experience was like.
For example, some programs have the PhD students teach throughout all 4-5 years, others during only some of them (to permit more time for the dissertation research). Typically the PhD students teach parts of an undergraduate class (perhaps a laboratory section or recitation, but not the main lecture) This in and of itself can take a long time, but the professors are still responsible for the main lectures, creating a course structure, creating tests, etc. However, schools with fewer instructors sometimes put the PhD's completely in charge of classes (which is a bad idea for everyone, including the PhD student). This can seriously delay or even prevent a student from graduating. Beware of schools that offer "easy" PhD 's because their departments are growing too big for their own good and they "need more teachers".
One of the biggest factors of all though is the way PhD programs are structured. The big characteristic of the PhD (and other thesis/dissertation-based degrees) is that gaining it does not depend solely on passing classes. Rather, it is an apprenticeship with one research faculty member or mentor (the PhD advisor), who is supposed to be the master of a specific discipline. You are supposed to produce original work in this discipline under the direct guidance of this advisor. Ultimately, the student has to "defend" this work in front of a large number of instructors, who ask questions to test the quality of the work.
As a result, the outcome/difficulty of all this largely depends on the PhD advisor. If the PhD advisor is ethical and a good mentor, they won't overload the PhD student with teaching responsibilities. If they are nasty, they will pile their own teaching responsibilities onto the PhD student, preventing the student from producing appropriate research. A good advisor will help a student graduate as quickly and smoothly as possible. A bad advisor can single-handedly block a student from graduating, even at the last moment or on a whim. Some advisors are micromanagers who will basically tell the student what to do with every minute of their time; on the opposite extreme others are distant and only consult with the student every few weeks. Therefore, in addition to the financial side of things, figuring out if a prospective PhD advisor is someone you are comfortable working with very closely for 4-5 years is also crucial.
I'd say that if the OP is definitely planning to go down the PhD route, one of the most important initial steps is to meet in person with the potential advisor (or even better, work with them for a while as a volunteer or non-PhD student worker). This will help determine what kind of person the advisor is by observing their interactions with current students/staff. If the advisor is a raving liberal, a narcissist, or negligent, the degree will obviously not go well. If the advisor respects the student's ideas/traditional mindset, wants to help the student realize those ideas, and also is willing to put in the time to advise the student, those are good signs. By and large, most academics nowadays are liberal in their worldview, but there still are some sympathetic to traditional-minded students or dissertation topics. It can take time to find these though. Reading the prospective advisor's published work is a good approach too. Depending on the subject, it can sometimes reveal a lot about their worldview...
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Pray the six Sundays devotion to St Aloysius for the intention of discerning your vocation. St Aloysius is patron of youth and a sure guide in discernment.
As part of the spiritual reading included in the devotion I suggest the masterpiece biography by V. Cepari.
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The ideal vocation for me would be to live as a Traditional Dominican friar( so I could devote my life to prayer and study) However, there are really only 2 Traditional Dominican communities in the world today, and given my health issues, I can’t really join either of them.
Nevertheless, I want to devote my life to prayer and study( I want to live as a Dominican would without being a Dominican) Im currently in university and I may go for a PhD, but I have no desire to teach at a modern university.
I have very poor eyesight( so it’s difficult for me to cook and do laundry- perhaps I could learn to do both ) I also don’t drive.
So at this point, my thinking is that once I finish all of my degrees, I’ll move to a place with cheap housing/food and a solid( non-SSPX) Trad chapel. At that point I’d start writing articles and books.
Here are some questions I have
1. Any recommendations for where I could live? I’ve thought about learning French and moving to a place like Avrille( where the Dominicans are) but I’m not sure what housing options are available in a place that rural. Like I said, I’d be looking for a place with cheap housing/food.
2. I’m not opposed to doing some manual work to support myself, but with my bad eyesight, options are pretty limited. I don’t think I’d be able to support myself merely by writing books/articles though. Any thoughts on how I might support myself?
Feel free to PM
Have you ever considered being a third order religious?
Many people have done this who have not been able to join fully into religious orders.
Some lived at the monasteries and helped serve them in the kitchens and gardens. Some lived at home with family and others lived alone.
Here are a couple examples of such saints:
Saint Martin de Porres
Saint Catherine of Siena
Have you talked to any priests about your vocation? They might be able to offer some suggestions. Hope it all works out well for you. :pray:
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Have you ever considered being a third order religious?
Yes, you should consider that, such as the Dominican Third Order led by Fr. Albert, O.P. (USA) (https://isidore.co/misc/Res pro Deo/Dominican/Fr. Albert/from Fr. Albert, O.P./Dominican Third Order Information + app.pdf).
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I don’t think I’d be able to support myself merely by writing books/articles though.
The Latin translator Ryan Grant, founder of Mediatrix Press (https://mediatrixpress.com/), does.
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If he has not been mentioned already, Charles Coulombe seems to manage well with his writing for different publications and periodicals, considering that he is able to afford studying in Austria away from home for the past few years.
https://www.tumblarhouse.com/collections/Charles-A-Coulombe
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If he has not been mentioned already, Charles Coulombe seems to manage well with his writing for different publications and periodicals, considering that he is able to afford studying in Austria away from home for the past few years.
https://www.tumblarhouse.com/collections/Charles-A-Coulombe (https://www.tumblarhouse.com/collections/Charles-A-Coulombe)
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If he has not been mentioned already, Charles Coulombe seems to manage well with his writing for different publications and periodicals, considering that he is able to afford studying in Austria away from home for the past few years.
https://www.tumblarhouse.com/collections/Charles-A-Coulombe (https://www.tumblarhouse.com/collections/Charles-A-Coulombe)
I believe Charles Coulombe is independently wealthy.