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

Need for more Vocation

April 2008 News

Need For More Vocations

KUALA LUMPUR:
During his homily on World Day of Prayer for Vocations, Fr Christopher Wilvaraj Soosaipillai emphasised the urgent need for more vocations to the priesthood. Fr Christopher, the parish priest of the Church of the Sacred Heart urged young men to take up the challenge of life and not to run from their difficulties.

"The world has its own set of values which are different from Christ's values - unconditional love, mercy, peace etc," said Fr Christopher. "Which is more valuable?," he asked them.Earlier he shared with his parishioners his own journey as a priest, the joys and struggles he endured without giving up.

During his Final Year, he spent 30 days in silent retreat. From there he asked himself if he was worthy after he read the book "The Art of Choosing" Fr Christopher noted the question that touched his heart - "I have chosen you, will you come and choose me?" Fr Christopher who is also the Vocation Director of the Archdiocesan Vocation Promotion Team (AVPT) said that in his eleven years as a priest, in his own weaknesses, he continues to bring the love of God to others.- Posted by Herald

Source:
http://www.archway.org.my/news.asp?Year=2008&Month=4

Step by step

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.

Source:

http://www.thebachelorgirl.com/2005/46/the-first-3-steps-to-becoming-a-nun/

Contact Us

Contact us @

Sr. Santha Rajoo
MIRIAM CONVENT
JALAN TENGKU MIRIAM
86000 KLUANG
TEL: 07 - 7737587

Sr. Lucia Choo
CANOSSIAN CONVENT
JALAN BULOH KASAP
85000 SEGAMAT
TEL: 07 - 9317034

VILLA MADDALENA
JALAN TENGKU MIRIAM
86000 KLUANG
TEL: 07 - 7717587

Sr. Yvonne Francis
Sr. Theresa Chew
CANOSSA CONVENT
7645, JALAN SEKOLAH
JINJANG UTARA
52000 Kuala Lumpur
TEL: 03 - 62514706

Sr. Shanti Arokiamary Mariadass
MONTFORT GIRLS' CENTRE
c/o MONTFORT BOYS TOWN
Jalan Montfort
Batu Tiga
40150 Shah Alam
Selangor
TEL: 03 - 55106428

Sr. Lucy Eng
SACRED HEART COVENT
7, JALAN PARAMESARA
75000 MELAKA
TEL: 06 - 2831255

Sr. Henrietta Ho
CANOSSIAN CONVENT
207A, TAMAN ORKID
31100 SUNGAI SIPUT (U)
PERAK
TEL: 05 - 5983051