Tag: stages of formation

What is it like to enter the Monastery?

It’s not easy to answer this question, because it’s different for each young woman who enters! But we can give you a glimpse inside the entrance of our new postulant, Michelle.

Michelle arrived with several members of her family, who came to see her enter!

Michelle giving her mother a goodbye hug at the entrance door.

Michelle’s family doesn’t live too far from us, so they are able to come to visit once a month (with permission, of course). Here, we see Michelle and Sr. Mary Christine with some gifts her family brought on a recent visit.

A welcoming party in the novitiate! From left: Sr. Mary Christine, Michelle, Sr. Mary Margaret, Sr. Marie Augustine, and Sr. Mary Pauline.

Michelle has many talents–including playing the clarinet!

Once you have entered, and the farewells and greetings and blessings and parties are over, life settles into a daily regimen of prayer, study, and work. Postulants also have recreation both in the novitiate and with the professed community in the evening. We would love to bring you a story on what it’s like to be a novice…so keep praying for Michelle and for us over this next year!

What’s Going On in the Novitiate?

Sr. Maria Goretti, Michelle, Sr. Margarita, Sarah, Sr. Marie Augustine, Sr. Mary Christine

Good question! We’re happy to say we have two sisters who are transferring to our community and two aspirants at present, with hopes for more. God is really blessing us! And Sr. Margarita will be receiving our community’s habit on March 25–along with a new name. We don’t know what it is yet, but we’ll keep you posted!

The sisters who live in the novitiate have their own dormitory, community room, library and classroom all in one convenient building. They spend most of their time there, although they join the professed sisters for evening recreation, meals, and (of course) prayers.

Our community policy is that a transfer from an active community of religious sisters spends about 6 months to a year as a visitor–that’s why we have the two sisters wearing their original habits. After receiving our habit, they remain in the novitiate for one year (required by our constitutions) and then spend a second year in the novitiate before they make the move over to the professed, where they spend some time integrating into the community before they make solemn vows. It’s a process, but the sisters who have done it say it’s worth it!

An aspirant comes for a specified length of time to get to know the community (and allow us to get to know her). If all goes well, they may return for the next step of religious formation–the postulancy, which lasts a year. After this, the postulant is clothed in the habit and receives her religious name.

Our novitiate has been having a lot of fun!

Recreation in the community room

Enjoying the cool March weather in the novitiate courtyard

The novitiate keeps the garden outside their building looking good.

Sarah and Michelle, our two latest aspirants. Please keep them in your prayers as they discern!

Sr. Maria Goretti and Sr. Margarita, our two active sisters. Sr. Maria Goretti is a Franciscan and Sr. Margarita is a member of an active Dominican community. Please keep them in your prayers!

Please pray for us, too, that we will be open to the Holy Spirit as we make our own decisions about these women!