Manya A. Brachear reports in the Los Angeles Times on one major obstacle standing between monasticism and modern life:
Alicia Torres must raise $94,000 in order to take a vow of poverty.
[…]Torres fits the mold of many young Catholics longing for traditions that waned after Vatican II and gravitating away from modern religious orders whose members live on their own, devote less time to community prayer or no longer wear habits. Experts say the inability of modern orders to attract new candidates and the lack of commitment among America’s secularized youth have led to a sharp decline in religious vocations in the U.S.
But some attribute the downturn to debt.
Read the full article here.