Growing into the community

“The goal of the monastic journey is a gradual transformation
into the likeness of Christ through the action of the Spirit of God.” .        (Guidelines on Formation)

A call to our life is received in the depths of one’s heart. Sometimes this attraction by God is acknowledged quite clearly and intuitively, but sometimes not – sometimes one wrestles for years, discerning the call. Before a person enters our community and makes a definitive commitment, there is a long period of getting acquainted, testing the vocation:

 “See if they are truly seeking God...”.      (St.Benedict)

• Visiting the Guest House and speaking regularly with the novice mistress and the abbess.
• Periods of living within the enclosure to get a taste of monastic life.
• When someone asks to enter, a standard procedure is begun
• If the candidate is accepted, a date to enter will be set
• When someone enters, her postulancy begins, which lasts at least 6 months and not more than one year.
• At the end of her postulancy, the candidate can receive the habit of the Order. This ceremony is referred to as her clothing and is the beginning of the next phase of formation, the novitiate.
• After a minimum of 2 years and a maximum of 2 ½ years, the novice can express a desire to make simple profession and another standard procedure will be begun, which is a path of deeper integration into the community.
• After a minimum of 3 years or a maximum of 6 years of simple profession and growing into the community, the junior can ask to commit herself definitively to the community and the standard procedure for solemn profession will be begun.
   

Formation continues throughout one’s life, both personally and as a community, in the daily practices of monastic life, the pastoral care of the superior, and other means which are made available according to the needs of the time.

“Formation is always to be based on the Rule of Saint Benedict and the Cistercian patrimony and is to draw from the riches of biblical, patristic, liturgical, theological, and spiritual sciences.”.
(Constitution 58 )

The social sciences also help us grow in our humanness