Vocation Journey

Canossian sisters believe that every person is called by God to a specific Vocation. It is a life where one is led to a total, gratuitous and joyful experience of God's Love. Only the Spirit can reach the depths of our hearts such that a person can discern God's Will. Hence, the Canossian Vocational Accompaniment takes on the principles of graduality, personalization, growth from within, capacity for relationships and apostolicity.

Come and See Phase
We offer the Searcher times for prayer and silence, reflection and sharing on the Word of God. A Canossian Sister in a community journeys with the Searcher. It may be done individually (one-on-one) or with a group of Searchers.

Discernment
Participants are those who have expressed their desire and commitment to follow-through their discernment. They have the opportunity to spend more times of prayer and encounter with the community of Canossian sisters. Some stay within the premises of the convent while others only spend weekends.

Prenovitiate Formation
This is a vocational accompaniment which consists of complementary yet distinct stages:
Accompaniment in the place where she comes from. The Searcher, having experienced the love of God, expresses her longing to respond to His invitation through the Canossian Religious family. After manifesting her desires, she is now called an Aspirant. Opportunities are offered for her to deepen and share with fellow Aspirants and sisters in the apostolic communities. She becomes acquainted with the Canossian Family and allows herself to be known also to ensure a better discernment of her vocation.

Accompaniment in a Formative Community
This stage, called Postulancy, is a time for deeper personal growth and discernment, evaluating the compatibility of her gift with the Canossian charism. Attention is given to the human and Christian growth whereby she is gradually introduced to share life in common, experience the richness of prayer and involve herself in some ministries. Above all these, she deepens her personal relationship with the Lord.

With a better understanding of her vocation, clear and free expression of her choice in life, the Postulant is now ready for the next phase of formation.

Novitiate Formation
The novice enters into an Initiation to the Religious Life. She begins to center her existence and motives on the Lord Jesus, re-discovering her identity in harmony with the Canossian charism. The novice continues to attend to her integral growth, as in Postulancy. She is helped to interiorize more deeply the gift of her Canossian vocation, to experience the lifestyle of the Institute, to shape her person according to its spirit and evaluate her ability to live her consecration and communion in view of the mission. She is guided by a Novice Directress, lives with fellow novices and supported by a formative community. At the end of two years of Novitiate, she is ready to initially profess the Vows.

Temporary Profession
Also called the Juniorate stage, the Sister continues her personal formation and gradually involves herself in the life and mission of the community. The Junior deepens her experiential knowledge of the Canossian religious life, harmonizing what she learned in the Novitiate with her daily life. She integrates prayer and apostolate, life in common and personal needs through a sincere quest for authenticity and coherence in her commitments. She intensifies her sense of belonging to the Institute and acquires a better understanding and appreciation of the spirituality of Jesus Crucified.

Opportunities are offered for her to engage in theological-biblical-pastoral and charismatic studies and immersions. Inter-cultural exchanges enable her to experience the Internationality and Mission of the Institute. She lives in an Apostolic Formative Community and is guided by the Superior/Animator of the community. Regular encounters with fellow Juniors and Summer Intensive Formation ensure times of formative gatherings.

The Junior sister
At least after 5 years of Temporary Profession, who wish to offer oneself entirely forever to the Lord, may take the Final Profession.

On-Going Formation
By her Final Profession, the Sister's desire to belong to God forever in the Canossian Religious family is ratified publicly by the Church. She makes a solemn and decisive act to live in dynamic fidelity the Call to witness the Greatest Love, Jesus Christ.

Source:http://www.canossaphil.org/vocations.html