A woman who desires to share our way of life will go through various
stages in becoming a member of the Congregation. Throughout each of these stages of
formation, there are Sisters to guide you and to gradually introduce you to the life,
spirit and traditions of the Congregation. A readiness to move to the next stage is
always something determined by you together with the Sisters who have served as your
guides.
1. Initial Contact
During this time, a woman discerning religious life as a Joliet Franciscan
Sister gets to know the Congregation and the Congregation gets to know her. She is invited to
get to know the Congregation and learn about life as a Franciscan Sister by sharing prayer
with the sisters, attending Congregation celebrations and gatherings, participating in volunteer
experiences, reading articles/books about discernment, religious life, Francis and Clare, and
being in contact with the Vocation Minister.
2. Candidate
A candidate is a woman who, after seriously discerning the call to religious
life, has made the decision to apply for admission into the Congregation. The candidate is a
single woman, ordinarily between the ages of 20 and 50, who has a desire to serve the people
of God and to live the spirit and life of the Joliet Franciscans. She must have at least 2
years of college, professional training or work experience and been a Roman Catholic for at
least 3 years. She continues to get to know the Congregation as she did during her period of
initial contact.
3. Affiliate
When a candidate applies to enter the Congregation and has been accepted,
she becomes an affiliate. An affiliate lives with us and shares life with us while together
we determine if religious life is a good fit. Affiliates are financially independent and
continue to work at their jobs. The period of affiliation can be 1 or 2 years.
4. Novice
The Novitiate stage lasts for 2 years. The first year of the novitiate
is a year spent in prayer, study and reflection on religious life. During this year, the
novice lives with novices from other Franciscan Congregations of women in the Common
Franciscan Novitiate. The second year of the novitiate is more active with the novice
exploring different ministerial and community living options. During the second year of
the novitiate, the novice together with the community, determine if this is the life choice
God is calling her to make.
5. Temporary Profession
Temporary profession means that the novice enters into initial membership
in the Congregation by professing vows of poverty, chastity and obedience as a sister. The
vow of poverty means that members of the Congregation hold all material goods in common and
try to live simply, using all God's gifts responsibly. Chastity means that the Sister promises
not to get married or have sexual relations, instead committing herself to God and remaining
free to respond to the needs of God's people. The vow of obedience means that the Sister seeks
to do the will of God as it is revealed in scripture, the teachings of the Church, through the
community and through the Sister's own life experiences. The period of time for Temporary
profession lasts 3-6 years.
6. Perpetual Profession
At perpetual profession, a Sister makes a permanent commitment to God and
to religious life by professing the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience for life.
