Entering into Religious Life We are so blessed at St. Francis to have two women from our parish currently enter a religious order.
- Sister Mary Francis (formerly Mary Jo Peter), a lifelong parishioner and teacher at St. Francis School has begun her Novitiate with the Marian Sisters of Diocese of Lincoln.
- Lily Timmermeyer, also a daughter of St. Francis parish, who has been teaching the past several years at St. Thomas Aquinas school, will be entering the Postulancy with the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Wichita on August 13th, 2023.
So... what is a Novitiate? ... what is a Postulancy?
These are formal titles of stages by which a young woman discerns God’s Will for her life. Specifically, whether she, first, is called to be a religious sister, and second, is called to the specific order that she is entering. Basically, there are four formal stages by which a woman enters the religious life, with a specific religious order. These are: Postulancy, Novitiate, First Profession, and Perpetual Profession.
Yet, prior to these four stages, much prayer and discernment must be done. First, a young woman must come to a decision to consider that God might be calling her to a religious vocation, as a spouse of Jesus Christ. This is done through prayer and spiritual direction. Second, she must decide which order she is to enter, as each religious order and religious house are unique in their life (Rule) and their mission and ministry (charism). Retreats like FIAT help a young woman do this. In some ways, deciding which religious order to join is like dating, seeing if personalities and expectations of life ‘fit’ before making a more serious commitment.
Once a young woman is somewhat certain that God is calling her to religious life, and after deciding which order to enter, she then goes through the stages of formation as follows:
Postulancy: The word postulancy comes form the verb “postulate,” meaning to question. This stage lasts about one year and includes living in the convent, wearing a simplified religious garment, attending classes, and discerning her call to religious life.
Novitiate: The root of this word is “Novice” meaning ‘new.’ This stage is a deeper commitment to discernment, not only of religious life, but also of entering a specific religious order. It usually lasts two years and includes study of poverty, chastity, obedience, spirituality, theology, and philosophy. It also includes a fuller participation in the life of the community and learning to live according to that community’s Rule of Life (i.e. particular way of living the religious life). Importantly, at the time of the Novitiate, the young woman gets a veil as well as receives, for the first time, her new name by which she will be called for the rest of her life, should she complete her vows.
First Profession of Vows: This is the first formal act by which a young woman both comes a professed member of a religious order as well as a member of a specific order, such as the IHM’s. This is done by professing, for one year, to live the vowed life of a religious sister in the community to which she is called and continues in the same formation as above. ventually, a sister in this stage can also begin active, public ministry. What is unique about this is that these vows are taken only for one year at a time, for at least three years. If need be, the temporary vows can be taken for more years, if more discernment is needed.
Perpetual Profession of Vows: As indicated by the title, this is the final act of formerly becoming a religious sister as well as committing, permanently, to a particular religious order. These vows are as binding as vows taken by married couples. By them, the woman makes a total commitment to our Lord, seeks continually to do the Will of God according the charism (work) of the order, and commits herself to achieving a life of holiness. Let us pray for Lily and for Sister Mary Francis as they continue to discern God’s Will in their lives.
It should be noted that a young person can leave the convent, usually, at any time through postulancy or novitiate, if she or the community learns that they do not ‘fit’ God’s Will for either of them.
Father Jarrod Lies, Pastor