HOW TO BECOME A SISTER

"Listen carefully my child, to my instructions, and attend to them with the ear of your heart. This is advice from one who loves you; welcome it and faithfully put it into practice."/Prologue to the Rule of St. Benedict

The word vocation comes from the Latin verb vocare meaning “to call.”  When God calls someone to a religious vocation, this call can be quite compelling and will take different forms with different people.  As St. Benedict advises, it is the time to listen with the ear of the heart, in other word, to discern.  Sometimes a person does not become aware of a religious vocation until late in life.  At St. Benedict Monastery the entrance age is from 25 – 60 years.  Once a woman believes she may have a religious vocation, the time of discernment begins.  An initial step will involve the choice between being called to an apostolic community or a contemplative community. An apostolic community is involved with services and works for the greater good of the Church and society, which take the members out of their monastery or convent.  The work of a contemplative community, however, normally involves activities/ministries inside the monastery, although there are exceptions.  Its primary works are “the work of God” through prayer and the “work of the cenobitic living” or the living out of Gospels values in the everyday interactions within the community.   St. Benedict Monastery is such a community.  While we are contemplative, we are not cloistered.  Cloistered nuns remain within their monastery except for medical attention and special events as permitted by the diocesan bishop. At St. Benedict Monastery, a Sister may leave the monastery grounds with the permission of the superior to conduct monastery business, attend educational conferences and diocesan Sisters’ gatherings, participate in monastery outings, receive medical attention, take care of occasional person shopping and  make periodic visits to her immediate family.

INQUIRY STAGE

This is the first step in discerning a religious vocation.  It is an invitation to learn more about the monastic life while seeking to know God’s cal for you.  The Inquiry Stage involves a short visit to experience the monastic life as lived in this community.  During this time we will share articles and information about Benedictine life and values with you.

CANDIDATE

The next step involves being invited to move to St. Benedict Monastery in anticipation of being received into religious life.  This period is one to three months long and gives you and the Sister a trial period.

POSTULANCY

The Postulancy lasts a minimum of six months and may be longer.  The postulant participates in all the activities of the monastery: Liturgy of the Hours (Opus Dei or “Work of God”), community projects and corporate ministries, house and garden work, basic formation classes.  At the end of the postulancy period, if both the postulant and the Sisters of the monastery feel that there is a call to this particular monastic community, the postulant may formally request admission to the novitiate.

CANONICAL NOVITIATE YEAR

A one-year novitiate is required by Canon (Church) Law.  The novitiate period may be extended by/for a second year.  Received as a novice in a special ceremony, the postulant is clothed with the Benedictine habit and may request a new name or continue to be known by her baptismal name as a Sister.  Formation classes continue with focus on monastic profession (obedience, fidelity to the monastic life, stability), Benedictine history and spirituality, and the statutes governing St. Benedict Monastery.

MONASTIC PROFESSION

At the end of the time of novitiate and following an affirmative vote by the monastic chapter, the novice, on the Feast of John the Baptist (June 24) makes temporary monastic profession for a period of three years.  This involves a promise of stability to this particular monastic community, obedience according to the Rule of Benedict, and fidelity to the monastic way of life at lived at St. Benedict Monastery.  The period of temporary monastic profession may be extended for up to six years.

If you are feeling compelled to inquire, please do! Please direct inquiries to:

Further reading:

St. Benedict’s Rule for Monasteries, Liturgical Press 1948, Collegeville, Minnesota
The Rule of Benedict, Insights for the Ages, Joan Chittister, Crossroad Publishing, 1996