DECIDE

Making the decision to enter religious life is a very important step.  Remember it is a first step.  When a person decides to become a Brother, Priest of Sister they enter into a process that allows them to grow into the decision. 

Deciding to become a Sister, Brother or Priest started when you began to think about your life and your future: when you began to ask yourself, ”What do I want to be when I grow up”, or more recently “What do I want to do with my life?”  This may have started many years ago as a child or this may have begun just a while ago.

Now you have come to a point in your search where you know you need to talk to someone who can help you directly.  Here is how you go about it.

1 Get in touch with a vocation director.  Every religious community has one as does every diocese.  The Vocation Director will lead you through a discernment process that will guide you through the process to making application to enter a formation program.  If during that process you discover that this is not right for you or that this is not the time, you are free to set the process aside and go on with your search.  If this process and the conversations with the vocation director bring you to the decision to go ahead then you will make application to enter the formation program.

2 The application is accepted.  The vocation director will bring your application to his or her community and the members of the community will review the application and interview you.  If they accept your application you will be invited to enter the formation program.  Again here is a point in the process where you can say, “Yes, this is what I want to do.”  OR you may decide “no not now or not yet.”

3 The formation program begins. You have made application, the community accepted you into the formation program, now you begin a formal program of study, spiritual direction and a continuing discernment program.  You will live with the religious community or in the diocesan seminary.  This length of the program will vary from religious community to community.  It may last one, two or more years.  At any time during this time you and the Community may decide that this is not for you, and you may leave the program.  When you finish this program you will enter the next phase of the formation.  For candidates for the diocesan priesthood this means entering the major seminary.  For religious it means entering the Novitiate.

4 The novitiate is a one or two year program of study, prayer and spiritual direction.  It is very focused and is meant to prepare the religious for taking the vows as an official member of the community.  At the end of the novitiate you will be given the opportunity to apply to the community for formal entry as a vowed member of the community.  The vows of poverty, chastity and obedience form the foundation of the commitment of a religious to the community. Again at any time during the novitiate year you decide that this call is not for you, you may leave the program.  If you continue with you decision to enter the community you will make profession of the vows in the community.  These are temporary vows.  After a period of temporary vows you will be invited to make your vows for life.  This is called perpetual vows. 

5 It is time to make perpetual vows.  When a man or women pronounces his or her perpetual vows he or she is solemnly promising God and the Community that they will live as a member of that community, sharing in their life and ministry for the rest of their lives.  From this point on the religious Brother, Priest or Sister may not leave the Community.  The final decision has been made.  For the diocesan priest the final decision comes after major seminary and is fulfilled with ordination and the promise of life long celibacy and obedience to the Bishop of the place where he ministers.

So the decision is not made all at once.  It is a decision that is made progressively over a number of years: usually from 2 to 6 years.


What do I do now? 

Contact a vocation director.  Here are a couple of web sites you can use.

To contact the Salesians Click here.