Vocations
Formation Process
The goal of the formation process within religious life is authentic Christian freedom, so that each new member is able to accept and cooperate with God’s gift more completely. It is a time to go deeper in living out one’s Baptismal call, and to become more closely conformed to Christ through growth in virtue. These elements of the formation process, anchored in prayer and the common life, help to prepare the young Sister to make a life-long commitment to God.
The time of formation imparts to new members a deeper understanding of what religious life is and how it is lived particularly within the community to which they are called. Our formation process includes a postulancy, a novitiate, and a time of temporary profession before the profession of final vows.
Religious formation can be effective only to the extent that Christ is formed in the candidate and the grace of Baptism is lived to the full.
cf. Constitutions, St. John Paul II to Religious in India, 1986
Formation Stages
I
Postulancy
(1-2 years)
The first stage of formation is postulancy. During this time, though not yet members of the community, the postulants participate in the community’s prayers, daily living, and many of our apostolic endeavors. Studies include theology, an introduction to philosophy, and classes on the history and charism of our community.
II
Novitiate
(2 years)
Upon entrance into the novitiate the sister receives the religious habit of our community, of which she is now a member, and a new religious name. The religious name signifies her call to belong to God as his bride and denotes a special patron for her life as a religious sister.
III
Temporary Profession
(5 years)
Junior profession is a time of greater commitment marked by growth into a more mature living out of the vocation to be a sister in a particular community. The young sister makes her first profession of the vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience at the beginning of this period of formation, at which point she is given a brown veil in place of the white one. She renews those vows annually for at least five years. The junior sister continues to take classes and study, even as she takes on more responsibilities within the community and apostolate.
IV
Final Profession
Final profession is the tremendous gift of making of one’s whole life an offering to God. It is characterized by a permanence and stability that is only possible by God’s grace. It is deepening of one’s spousal commitment to God which is confirmed and blessed by the Church. At this time the Sister receives a ring which she wears on her right hand as a symbol of her bridal relationship with Jesus Christ. She truly becomes a living image of the Church.
