Unless the orders go back to the true Mass and true Catholicism they will die out and never flourish.How can they flourish if they "dance through the tulips" to borrow the phrase from Bishop Williamson. What is needed is Traditional religious sisters and nuns in Ireland

The Good Shepherd Sisters for example had at one point about 200 sisters in one Irish city. They hardly have 200 in the entire order now.

http://irishdominicanvocations.blogspot.ie/2012/07/there-are-no-vocations.html

When did you last see a picture (click to enlarge) such as the one above? It has been a long time I suspect! The sisters pictured above are Nashville Dominican sisters at a reception following their first profession of vows on July 28th last. You can get a real sense of the uncontained joy of these young women in the photograph. It certainly gives the lie to those who like to shout out loud that 'there are no vocations'!

Some of these Nashville sisters were in Ireland recently and spoke to various groups about their life, ministry and work. The conviction and enthusiasm of their presentations was infectious. It was clear to all who met them that these sisters had a very clear message about their identity, their form of religious life and the ministry that they are involved in. While it is almost impossible to copy or replicate what some religious orders in the United States do to promote vocations - there is no valid reason why religious orders in Ireland can't make a more concerted effort to make their identity known in a practical and meaningful way.

Religious orders of men and women in Ireland have made significant contributions down through the centuries - and continue to do so. Why are we afraid to tell the world about that? Why are we so shy about sharing our joy and enthusiasm for our form of life? Why is it that the only time you will hear a sermon in your local church about vocations will be on the fourth Sunday of Easter (Vocations Sunday) - that's if you hear one at all? Why have the bulk of the religious orders blended in with the rest of society to the point of invisibility? Why have some of the orders taken the decision not to recruit new members in the future?

A lack of urgent response to these questions will almost certainly allow others to declare and shout aloud:  'There are no vocations!'
Posted by Gerard Dunne OP at 5:59 PM

You're on the downslope at this point, but I think it will bottom out soon. There are signs of Ireland waking up. It will take time to repair the damage, though.

Can't you see that no vocations is actually a GOOD thing? Signs of the springtime!

The faithful are living a healthy lay secular spirituality!

And the vocations that do happen must be really good ones. The cream of the crop! So we are eliminating the chaff!  :rolleyes:

I like to see traditionalist nuns, even if technically part of the novus ordo.  The nuns don't consecrate the bread and wine so validity isn't an issue, they simply consecrate themselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and take a vow of holiness!  

There is a problem in the SSPX seminaries, because they effectively reject
any young people who apply when they come from independent chapels. It
happens as a kind of de-facto situation, because it's the other seminarians who
are disrespectful of them, and the administration doesn't intervene, rather, it
seems that the attitude might actually be rooted in the administration, but it's
hard to prove that.

Seeing the machinations lately in Menzingen, it makes total sense. This secretive,
cultish behavior comes from the top. Remember, when +Williamson was sent
packing to Argentina, the seminarians he left behind in Winona did not get
ordained. And now, they're effectively cutting off the supply of vocations when
they come from Traditional Mass centers that are not SSPX.

I'd appreciate it if Matthew could comment on this because he has first-hand
experience in this situation!

It certainly looks like it's time for +Williamson at least, perhaps the other two as
well, to put together a new movement so as to provide for traditional priests in
the future. I'm sure there will be support amongst the faithful. But it might take
some careful posturing because a lot of Catholics among the small chapels are
oblivious to the problem in the SSPX, just as in SSPX parishes, where the news
is suppressed so effectively, from across the Atlantic Ocean. It's hard to believe
it would be possible, but it's happening, so I guess "possible" isn't a reasonable
question, in light of the facts.