Entering the initial stages of religious life
The initial stages of religious life provide a time to learn more about
community life, vows, ministry, prayer and other facets of being a Sister
of Notre
Dame. Each stage has a different focus. During each stage of her initial
formation in religious life, a woman is accompanied by a director who seeks
to guide her in listening to and responding to God’s invitation.
Pre-Novitiate
Responding to God’s invitation and affirmed by the community, a woman
is welcomed as a candidate into the pre-novitiate where she begins to share
life with the Sisters of Notre Dame.
She lives in community and participates
in the sisters’ rhythm of life: prayer, community and ministry.
Prayer, instruction and study facilitate growth in her relationship
with God, her
sisters in community and herself.
Gradually, she becomes more familiar with the rich history and heritage
of the Sisters of Notre Dame as an international, apostolic congregation.
As
she daily encounters the charism among her sisters, she recognizes
this gift also in herself.
Novitiate
For two years the novice enters more deeply into the mystery of God’s
call in her life as she prepares to profess vows of poverty, chastity and
obedience.
One year of the novitiate is set aside for more intense preparation
for the profession of vows. During this time she is freed from her
usual
ministry so that she may devote more time to the study of religious
life and to
deepening
her relationship with Jesus in the context of her religious community.
In the alternate year, she may be involved in formative activities
that will assist her in integrating alternating periods of contemplation
and
action
as a Sister of Notre Dame.
At the conclusion of the novitiate she professes vows for three years.
Temporary Professed
A temporary professed Sister of Notre Dame shares fully in the life
and ministry of the community. Usually, she remains under temporary
commitment
for a minimum
of five years.
During this time, she grows in integrating her life of prayer
and ministry in the context of an apostolic religious community
of
women who are
committed to sharing with others their experience of God’s goodness and provident
care.
Growth in prayer leads to the inner freedom that prepares her
to offer her whole life to God in faith and love. 
At the conclusion of this stage, the sister makes a lifelong
commitment to God, the Catholic Church and her community through
the profession
of vows.
< Discernment Process
