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Vocation Program: Stages of Discernment of Vocation
The following
qualities should be present in a woman seeking to be a member of the Sisters
of the Presentation:
- A love
for God and a desire to follow Jesus in this religious congregation;
- Knowledge
and practice of the Catholic faith;
- A level
of human maturity necessary to make a life choice;
- The intellectual
capacity sufficient to understand religious life;
- Basic
good health;
- The ability
to be engaged in ministry in an apostolic congregation;
- Freedom
from canonical impediments
Stage
One: Inquiry Stage
This stage
provides an opportunity for the interested woman:
- To have
her questions answered and to have an initial opportunity for discernment
of the likelihood of her vocation to the religious life in general and
to the Sisters of the Presentation in particular.
- She will
be provided with a customized program in order to have the information
and experience she will need to move to the next stage of discernment.
- She will
have a maximum of six months to complete the inquiry stage after which
the woman with either leave the program or request to move on to the
pre-candidate stage.
Stage
Two: Pre-Candidate Stage
The pre-candidate
is given opportunities:
- To become
acquainted with the community, vowed life, ministry, and prayer as they
are lived out by the Sisters of the Presentation;
- To complete
a plan of study, prayer and community involvement designed by the Vocation
Director in collaboration with the pre-candidate herself.
- To have
structured opportunities for study and experience of prayer, community,
and ministry.
- To be
involved in some ministry to the poor.
- To have
a Spiritual Director.
The period
of Pre-Candidacy extends from a minimum for six months to a maximum time
of two years. It ends when the Pre-Candidate is invited to initiate the
formal Admissions Process. If she is invited to make application and chooses
to do so, she then:
- Makes a formal application to enter the pre-novitiate stage.
- Prepares an autobiography.
- Undergoes a psychological assessment.
- Provides necessary records for the Congregation: Baptismal and Confirmation
certificates; transcripts, citizenship verification or status, a health
report, three references from persons who have known her for a period
of time.
- Has an interview with the Congregational President.
If the
President, with the consent of her Council, accepts the Pre-Candidate to
the next stage, she is invited to enter the Pre-Novitiate or Candidacy
Stage, which begins the Formation Program.
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