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The Process of Becoming a Sister 

When I was first discerning becoming a sister, I thought that the process of discerning only lasted until I discerned which congregation I wanted to join. I soon learned that discernment does not end once you enter into a religious community! Religious congregations have different stages a person must complete before becoming a member of the community, and potential members are encouraged to discern whether to go forward into the next stage. The process of becoming a sister takes several years, allowing a woman to have full confidence in her vocation before her final commitment. 

When a woman enters a community, she begins an intense process known as formation, which takes place over a few years. During these years, a woman learns about the community’s history and constitution and studies the vows. She also learns the skills needed to be a sister, including how to live in community and pray in community and receives training to participate in the community’s ministry. 

The first part of a sister’s formation is to become a candidate. Candidacy looks very different from congregation to congregation, but some constants are that a woman lives and prays with the community and receives some mentoring in entering into community life. Often, she is expected to regularly receive spiritual direction during this time as well. In addition, some candidates are expected to work full time, while others are expected to spend their time in study. At this point, a woman’s finances are separate from that of the congregation, and she is not yet given the title of “Sister.” 

The next stage of formation is for a woman to become a novice. At this point, it is considered that a woman has entered into religious life, and she is given the title of “Sister.” However, she is not considered to be a member of the congregation. As in candidacy, she is free to leave at any time. The novitiate can last from one to two years and is set aside for prayer, discernment, and learning more about the congregation. 

After completing the novitiate, a woman can request to make temporary vows. Usually, temporary profession lasts from three to six years. During this time, a woman is living out the vows and is considered to be a member of the congregation; however, she is still discerning whether she wants to remain a sister in the congregation. During temporary profession, a sister is generally engaged in ministry, living in community, and participating in the life of the congregation. She is also allowed to put the initials of the congregation (e.g. OP, OFM, RSM, etc.) after her name after her first profession. She is free to request dispensation from her vows at this point and to return to her previous state of life if she determines she is not able to live the life.

If a woman discerns that she wishes to make her commitment to the congregation permanent after three years, she is able to make a perpetual profession of vows. These vows are considered binding until death. After making her perpetual vows, a sister is fully a member of the congregation, and she is responsible for her own formative experience moving forward, whether taking workshops to deepen her spirituality or pursuing further studies. 

Becoming a sister is not a quick process! But the most important thing to know is that the process is set up so that a woman has enough time to discern whether this is a good fit for her before making a final commitment. In addition, the woman will receive a great deal of support throughout the process, giving her the resources she needs to make a good decision for herself and for the congregation, because, ultimately, the point of being in a vocation is to find a place that brings you joy and leads you closer to God. 

Blessings, 
Sister Katherine 

We will soon have some exciting additions to our weekly reflections! In the meantime, enjoy this English audio version of "The Process of Becoming a Sister" on Amazon Podcasts. 

For more audio reflections, head over to any of these listening platforms:

• Amazon Podcasts
• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts

Image by Tanvi Malik from Pixabay

Applying to a Religious Congregation

So, you have found a religious congregation that you really like, where you can see yourself living the rest of your life, and the vocation director says that you are a good fit. Great! But what comes next? 

Before entering a religious community, a person has to apply to join the community as a candidate, the first part of a trial period that involves living and learning more about the community. 

A vocation director will provide you with an application when he or she feels that you are ready to begin. This application includes a lot of different parts. First, there is a paper application, which includes biographical information and questions about why you feel called to enter a particular community. 

The applicant will need to procure paperwork for the application. This can include everything from sacramental and civil records to educational transcripts, credit reports, and letters of recommendation. 

There is an evaluation aspect of the application. Often this involves an interview with a member of the religious congregation in addition to an interview with the vocation director. 

Many congregations will also require a psychological assessment, which will require at least a day at the psychologist’s office to determine if any major issues need to be addressed before someone enters. 

Finally, there are health screenings that a doctor must sign off on, stating that the applicant is in good physical health. 

This list is quite extensive, and, in my experience, completing the application takes a fair bit of time! Sending away for birth certificates, sacramental records, and transcripts can all take time, as well as scheduling appointments for the health screening. In addition, there is also a prayerful aspect in filling out the application and reflecting on the questions about why you feel called to become a candidate with a congregation. Writing out why you want to become a sister can be a powerful experience of affirmation!  

The application process can be overwhelming, but it also has the potential to be helpful. Having other people write letters of recommendation is helpful for knowing that other people support a calling to religious life. Having to articulate why you wish to become a sister can make the motivation for choosing this vocation clearer. Even the process of compiling transcripts can affirm all that you have already accomplished! Above all, the application process is a time of discernment. If, through the application process, the discerner realizes that she is not called to religious life or to that congregation, she is free to walk away. Hopefully, the process of applying to a community affirms what the next step for the discerner will be. 

Blessings, 
Sister Katherine 

We will soon have some exciting additions to our weekly reflections! In the meantime, enjoy this English audio version of "Applying to a Religious Congregation" on Amazon Podcasts. 

For more audio reflections, head over to any of these listening platforms:

• Amazon Podcasts
• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts.

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Solicitando Ingresar a una Congregación Religiosa

Así que, ha encontrado una congregación religiosa que realmente le gusta, donde se puede imaginar viviendo el resto de su vida, y la directora de vocaciones le dice que usted es una buena candidata. ¡Que bueno! Pero, ¿Ahora qué sigue?

Antes de ingresar a una comunidad religiosa, una persona debe solicitar unirse a la comunidad como candidata, la primera parte de un período de prueba que requiere vivir y aprender más sobre la comunidad.

Una directora de vocaciones le enviará una solicitud cuando se sienta que usted está preparada para comenzar. Esta solicitud incluye muchas partes diferentes. Primero, hay una solicitud en papel, que incluye información biográfica y preguntas sobre por qué usted siente el llamado a ingresar a una comunidad en particular.

La solicitante deberá obtener la documentación para la solicitud. Esto puede incluir varias cosas como, registros sacramentales y civiles, registros educativos, informes de crédito, y cartas de recomendación.

Hay un aspecto de evaluación de la solicitud.  Muchas veces esto incluye una entrevista con una miembra de la congregación religiosa y también una entrevista con la directora de vocaciones.

Muchas congregaciones también requerirán una evaluación psicológica, que requerirá al menos un día en el consultorio del psicólogo para determinar si es necesario abordar algún problema importante antes de que alguien ingrese a la congregación.  

Por último, existen exámenes de salud que debe aprobar un médico, declarando que la solicitante está en buena salud física.

Esta lista es bastante extensa y, según mi experiencia, completar la solicitud se toma bastante tiempo! El envío para la petición de certificados de nacimiento, actas sacramentales, y transcripciones puede tomar tiempo, así como también programar citas para el examen de salud. Además, completar la solicitud y reflexionar sobre las preguntas acerca de por qué se siente llamada a ser candidata a una congregación también implica un aspecto de oración. ¡Escribir por qué quiere ser hermana puede ser una poderosa experiencia de afirmación!

El proceso de la solicitud puede ser abrumador, pero también tiene el potencial de ser útil. El hecho de que otras personas escriban cartas de recomendación es útil para saber que otras personas apoyan el llamado a la vida religiosa. Tener que explicar por qué desea convertirse en hermana puede hacer que la motivación por escoger esta vocación más clara.  Incluso, aún el proceso de compilar transcripciones puede afirmar todo lo que ya ha logrado! Sobre todo, el proceso de la solicitud es un tiempo de discernimiento. Si, a través del proceso de la solicitud, la persona que está discerniendo se da cuenta de que no es llamada a la vida religiosa o a esa congregación, es libre de retirarse. Con suerte, el proceso de solicitud a una comunidad le afirmirá cuál será el siguiente paso para la persona que está discerniendo.

Bendiciones,
Hermana Katherine
 

This week's reflection comes to us from guest blogger, Katherine Frazier, Adrian Dominican Sisters Candidate.

Left to right: Candidate Katherine Frazier with Sisters Lorraine Réaume, Mary Keefe, and Kathy Nolan.

When a very pregnant Mary and Joseph set out on a journey to Bethlehem, they did not know what the journey would hold for them. Taking a journey implies transformation. Not only is there the physical change of being in a new place, but there is also the spiritual changes that take place when we meet new people and see new places. Mary and Joseph were transformed by their journey, as they became a family with a newborn son. Taking a journey also means taking a leap of faith, in allowing ourselves to be open to whatever the journey brings us, no matter how surprising. For Mary and Joseph, they had to take a leap of faith that they and their expected child would be cared for once they arrived in Bethlehem.

This story of Mary and Joseph speaks deeply to my own process of discernment. Certainly, my discernment has taken me to new places, where I have been able to meet many new people. However, more importantly, I am finding that this journey is challenging me to think in new ways, whether in learning how to be a better community member or pondering how God is active in my life. And there is a leap of faith to the discernment process once we embrace our decision, even if the consequences are surprising. Finally, I come back to the fact that Mary was pregnant with the Word of God as she traveled with Joseph to Bethlehem. As a woman discerning a vocation with the Order of Preachers, I see in this image an example of my calling to carry the Word of God to the world, and the image gives me hope that my vocation can be carried out in ways that I have not yet imagined.

It’s been a while since I have been on here, but things have been very full here in Adrian. We celebrated our Feast Day on Aug. 8 with two new women joining us in very intentional ways – Katherine as an official candidate and Marilín as a woman beginning the process of re-entering the congregation. You can read about their ceremony in this news article. 

You can imagine that these women don’t make the commitment lightly! They’ve put a lot of time and discernment into coming to this moment. Shortly before their ceremony, I sat with them and reflected on the scriptures for the Feast of St. Dominic. They said:

•  Stay focused on your call to mission, your call to mission together

•  Discipleship means being the good news.

•  Sometimes people won’t want to hear the good news of God’s reign of justice and peace, but you need to keep preaching it

 

Marilín and Katherine deepened their discipleship by choosing to walk in this particular path of Dominic. Religious life is not necessarily “in season” today – it is certainly not a common choice. But it is a good choice and a good path to live the call to discipleship.