From the picture, guess which of my college friends decided to become a nun? Find out later at the end of the article.
As I’ve written in a previous post, the path leading to a religious life is not so different from a regular job search. At the outset, your quest will start with the consideration of several convents through what’s called a “search in.”
1. Attend several convent “search ins.” Here in the Philippines, there are more than 300 convents to choose from.
A “search in” is usually in two stages, with the first stage eerily sounding like one of those introductory seminars where they show a video and then a couple of people share their personal experiences. The main difference is the subject—“How do you know you’re being called to a religious life?”
The objective of a “search in” is to find a convent whose congregation suits your needs and character. There are basically two kinds of congregation—the contemplative and the apostolic.
The contemplative is the kind that everybody’s more familiar with, the kind wherein the nuns pray and work within the confines of the convent, oftentimes shunning contact with the outside world.
The apostolic congregation is the kind that chooses community work as the basis of their vocation. For example, the congregation can be involved with health and education projects within the communities that they adopt.
2. Make a shortlist of the congregations that you’re interested in. After you’ve gone to several convents, determine the ones you’re really interested in. These are the only ones that you will actually consider for a second “search in.”
The second “search in” involves going to the convents in your shortlist at least once a month, and spending the day there so that you can get a taste of the kind of life you will have with that specific congregation.
Most likely, a vocation animator, who’s somewhat like a buddy, will be assigned to you, so that you will have the opportunity to discuss your concerns, and she will also help you discern your thoughts through meditation and prayer.
The second “search in” period will usually last for about 6 months to a year.
3. Choose a congregation. After keeping your options open, choose the congregation that you feel would suit you the best.
The next stage is called the aspirancy stage, the stage when you actually live with the congregation. Don’t worry, you will still be expected to continue working, and you will still retain ownership of your worldly possessions like your clothes and money.
However, you are expected to devote your weekends for the congregation’s activities like recollections, tasks, prayers and recreational activities. This is an excellent time to discover if you are truly suited for a religious life, because you will be immersed, in a limited way, in the congregation’s world.
Just like the second “search in,” this period can be for a period from 6 months to a year, after which you have to make a decision whether to proceed to the next stage.
Below are the contact numbers of the two kinds of congregation. I’m sure they would be more than happy to assist you in finding other congregations aside from theirs.
Contemplative Congregation
Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration 722.8828
Apostolic Congregation
Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 721.7316(Look for Sister Emma Villanueva)
And my friend who became a nun is the lady who’s seated second from the right. If you guessed correctly, do let me know, so that I can tease her about having an invisible halo.
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