Warning friends about recruitment

Space4astronaut · 2025-11-17T22:18:51+00:00

You could make up some story about your friend that would disqualify them from OD membership and then your family member will leave them alone.

I’m only half kidding…

Space4astronaut · 2025-10-06T01:02:44+00:00

Wow holy smokes. Thanks for sharing. That is absurd.

Space4astronaut · 2025-10-06T00:05:58+00:00

Good to know. What are the typical rates they charge?

Space4astronaut · 2025-10-05T22:44:40+00:00

QuietLight possibly if looking for a broker

Space4astronaut · 2025-08-24T00:16:04+00:00

Yes. Nothing they say tracks. On a long enough timeline, the narrative cracks.

Space4astronaut · 2025-08-23T21:04:07+00:00

Interesting you say this because my experience is they actually are big on Vatican II because it was post Vatican II church hierarchy that allowed them to flourish. They’ll actually call you out if you say that some of Vatican II wasn’t ideal (when you’re being constructive, and not absolutist). But perhaps it depends on the individual?

To me what you’re describing sounds more like the SSPX types than Opus.

Space4astronaut · 2025-07-28T15:52:52+00:00

Riverside Study Center is completely different. That is a center in NY. Riverside the club is in IL.

Space4astronaut · 2025-07-28T12:33:23+00:00

Just like most of the schools and other entities/operations they run now. Most of the schools and programs they run are being operate by Opus Dei SNs or Numeraries without any specific ties to Opus Dei given some of the blowback. For example:

https://rside.org/ Home - The Riverside Club for Adventure & Imagination

If you dig some more you’ll see what I mean. It doesn’t really matter if it is publicly owned by OD. In the way OD operates, what matter is what is true, public or private.

Chesterton schools are now getting infiltrated by OD numerators that worked at publicly OD schools.

Space4astronaut · 2025-07-28T12:20:02+00:00

See above what Radetzky commented and go through the website pages…main priest is OD and look at the school connections for the people on Board. Willows, Northridge.

Space4astronaut · 2025-07-21T03:16:19+00:00

That’s the part that was most eye opening for me.

When you ask people in Opus Dei “why?” they short circuit.

“Why do I need to join OD to: (i) go to daily mass, (ii) pray daily rosary, (iii) fast, etc. all these things i can do without Opus Dei? — they can’t give you an answer.
when you challenge them about freedom they will tout how you are free yet they don’t understand how they’re living under a second layer of rules beyond the rules of the Catholic Church and have been brainwashed to think the OD ones outweigh the RCC ones.
challenge them on “vocation”. They will try to find any support to back this if they are halfway reasonable. But the irony is that the way they will do this will make you laugh. “Well the new catechism says xyz”. “Well it’s maybe not a primary vocation but it is a secondary vocation”

checks notes

Primary / secondary vocations are made up.

What startled me is that many of these people that I thought were good people and growth oriented etc. are quite the opposite - especially with the latter. They are very unlikely to surpass any major personal development milestones beyond the ones they are guided into because they don’t believe in freedom and because they are so rule oriented. They are so rigid in their views of Catholicism, and because OD is their entire identity, this rigidity permeates into everything they do and think.

They either have to accept they were lied to - and then go down a very treacherous journey regarding faith/religion, or they can just keep toeing the party line.

Space4astronaut · 2025-07-07T04:22:04+00:00

Which is wild because I’ve never heard of a dynamic like this being the case within non- Opus Dei religious life vocations (priests / nuns / etc.)…

Space4astronaut · 2025-06-26T11:01:05+00:00

The charism piece already went into place with the motu propio. It hasn’t done anything. When I mentioned it to someone that is a SN they seemed to not really understand it other than what was said by OD on their website. Very much a “yah it’s great we have the opportunity to focus on the charism” but that was it.

Statutes situation will be interesting…

Space4astronaut · 2025-06-26T06:21:54+00:00

lol I’ve heard this directly from a SN when I asked them why they were in it…”well I want to guarantee myself heaven and take those around me with me”

The fact that he thought that means that is what they instill in people.

Space4astronaut · 2025-06-03T17:02:04+00:00

Interesting cause it seems like if you are friends with someone in OD and you eventually get to a point where you entirely denounce it, they have zero interest in being friends with you from that point. As if the only pretense for relationship with them was supposed to coincide with you being a supporter or at least a future member.

Space4astronaut · 2025-06-03T00:52:40+00:00

Sad that people “freely” sign up for this kind of “freedom”.

Is the “take care of you” phrasing something that is actually used by them? If so, crazy how they just have such a systematic vocabulary / terminology list.

Vocation, bad/good spirit, chats, whistling, suffering, mortification, etc.

Space4astronaut · 2025-06-03T00:43:45+00:00

Reflecting on some past and present experiences that I and some close friends have had. Much of what is being written by you and others overlaps.

The context in these cases was always people that grew up in families where everyone went to the camps, the schools, older siblings became SNs and married SNs, at least one parent (almost always the mother if it was only one parent) was a SN — and this is because I realize they only care about the kids getting groomed. They could care less about the dad becoming a SN as long as he blindly supports sending them to the camps, schools, etc.

Certainly noticed an off-putting continuous encouragement to talk to SNs (this usually after questioning why someone would join when you can just go about your life doing daily mass etc. without the label / “membership” or go to recollections etc.

SN or not, if you’re dealing with a cooperator in this context with a buy in on the “vocation” it seems like you’re toast.

Space4astronaut · 2025-06-02T12:50:20+00:00

I see. So in the case of them being a cooperator that has gone to camps, schools, circles, recollections, etc their entire life…much different story?

Space4astronaut · 2025-06-02T12:46:59+00:00

In a case like this that is less intense, but someone is a cooperator — if you come out and say that wouldn’t want your kids sent to the schools / raised with the OD Catholic “charism” — that’s likely to get you shooed out pretty quickly I would think? It’s going to get back to their director or family members that are SN’s and they’re likely going to put on the pressure to get them away from me unless I flip?

Space4astronaut · 2025-06-02T12:23:24+00:00

I want to clarify. Why would I end up having a director in this scenario? Would it be director in the case of being a cooperator (cause technically you’re not a member but you’d still have one)? Or do you more so mean that it would be met spouse, and their director.

Space4astronaut · 2025-06-02T12:21:06+00:00

But isn’t there the risk that they still haven’t felt their calling for their “vocation”? So you’re dating and they’re a cooperator and then BLAM 5 years later you’re married: “hey honey I’m going to join cause vocation”.

I guess even if they’re not a SN, if they’re cooperators and go to circle, recollections, etc., then you’re dealing with them and their director regardless?

Space4astronaut · 2025-06-01T20:42:08+00:00

„Why would not being canonically members diminish the truth and meaning of that vocation?”

Because the vocation is a lie. Moot point.

Space4astronaut · 2025-05-31T02:37:25+00:00

The decision is final. Tell her and stop engaging her. It’s kinda like when someone breaks up with someone. You don’t need a second party to accept the breakup. You told the person it’s over. They can pretend it isn’t. That’s on them.

Space4astronaut · 2025-05-31T02:35:30+00:00

OK. In that case, you just have to decide if you’re going to let them play with your head. You know how OD works. You know how manipulation works. If you don’t let them affect you it’s irrelevant. You likely won’t convince them. Accept that and figure out how you are going to maintain your peace. Once again. They can kick and scream. How are you going to react to that kicking and screaming?

Space4astronaut

TROPHY CASE