On Monday, January 9 the Dominican Sisters of the Oakford Congregation closed the doors of their convent in Neustadt-am-Main and moved to a residence in nearby Kist.
Dominican Sisters had been in Neustadt since the beginning of the 20th century and in the 1970s they built a rehabilitation centre which they successfully ran for many years.
All over the Western World religious congregations are closing their doors, fewer women and men are joining congregations. Numbers of young men joining priesthood shrink by the day. Because of the declining numbers of priests, bishops muddle about trying to organise some sort of framework so as to keep parishes afloat. The new magic word is ‘cluster’. It’s appeared and does anyone really know what hit means. Jargon?
Over the last 50 years has there ever been any real, honest, open discussion as what the future holds. Has anyone had the courage to say out loud there can be no taboo subjects?
It seems as if it has all been controlled by a group of people, who are far distant from the pulse of the women and men who are in actual fact the church. It might well be fair to ask has the church been hijacked by a clerical caste?
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