Religious Formation
Life is a journey consisting in various stages. The same is true of a commitment to give one's life to God. The formation period is of paramount importance.
Complete Initial Formation Steps
Vocational Journey Before Entrance
Do you feel called to religious life?
Do you feel drawn to our Congregation?
Are you looking for answers to your questions?
Come meet with us. During this period, consisting in dialogues, reflections and observations, called "Come and see", we will work with you in order to validate together your desire for consecrated life and the signs of your calling. You can then live, for a few days, among the Sisters. Our mutual acquaintance will then be reinforced through socializing, prayer, meditation and shared meals.
Once you have returned home, you can continue your reflection and complete the discernment to determine whether you should take the next step, which is the pre-novitiate.
The Pre-Novitiate
Before entering the novitiate, you experience a stage that promotes continuity in your search for God's will. Working with a mentor appointed by the Superior General, you ascertain the signs of your call, your motivations and your ability to make decisions freely. You can go through this step while keeping your job or continuing with your studies. Duration of the pre-novitiate: nine months to two years.
The Novitiate
The novitiate is the stage where you are initiated to the radical demands of religious life and intimacy with Christ. You are now free to listen to the Lord speak to your heart and to let yourself be transformed by His love. You are introduced to community life and the life of prayer. You take courses that allow you to get to know the Foundress better, to deepen the spirituality and the charism of the Institute, to grasp the meaning of each of the vows that you will be taking.
Apostolic internships are offered. The novitiate lasts two years.
Temporary Commitment
After the novitiate, you take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience that you will renew each year for a period of three to nine years.
Vow of poverty:
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call to voluntary poverty
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to concrete commitment in a wounded world
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for justice, sharing and solidarity with the poor
Vow of obedience:
- appeal to a spirituality of trust
- to a greater openness to the other, with his or her differences
- to a state of availability to better serve
Vow of chastity:
- call to find our happiness in Christ
- to find our fulfillment in the mission
- in the service of life in universal love (not self centered and non-possessive)
Final Commitment
Towards the end of the novitiate, you manifest the desire to make perpetual profession by sending a letter of request to the Provincial Superior. Through this commitment, you express the total and definitive gift of yourself to God the Father, following Jesus, in the service of the Church in the Congregation.
You will live your mission of compassion in education, health care or service to the poor.
Continuing Formation
Throughout our life, this initial YES must be repeated... throughout our life, one must revive the love of the beginnings... Throughout our life, we seek the means that help us not only to improve our skills for a better apostolic performance, but also to nourish a more ardent spiritual life, to discover a specific way of being, serving and loving.
