Becoming a Sister
 Every religious community is comprised of courageous, unique,
and generous women. There is no one pattern of life from which monastic
women come or into which they are molded. Each person brings her
personality, humor, desires, fears, and gifts to the community. Every
community needs the thinkers, the workers, the planners, the visionaries,
the runners, the walkers, and the dreamers. The variety of personalities
enhances the richness of the community.
There are several steps required to become a Benedictine Sister.
An interested woman usually makes contact with the Vocation Director,
who invites her to become acquainted with the community through correspondence
and visits. Through prayer and discernment with the vocation director,
she decides if she wishes to become an affiliate of the monastery.
Affiliation (1-3 years)
Through frequent visits to the monastery
and a guided reading program, a woman becomes acquainted with the
Benedictine way of life. If she wishes to continue, she comes to
live in the community and begins the next step of postulancy.
Postulancy (6 months-2 years)
Living in the community, she continues
to discern her call to religious life. With the guidance of a Formation
Director, she deepens her relationship with God and with the members
of the community.
Novitiate (1-2 years)
The novice, responding to the grace of
God, enters into a deeper level of discernment. This is a sacred
time set aside in which the novice experiences an immersion into
monastic spirituality and community life. If she wishes to continue,
she makes a temporary profession.
Temporary Profession (3-5 years)
 The temporary professed Sister
lives the monastic life and discerns whether her commitment to
God with this monastic community can be confirmed and celebrated
by perpetual profession. She usually enters into some form of ministry
during this time.
Perpetual Profession
The Sister makes a life commitment by professing
the monastic promises of obedience, stability, and fidelity to
the monastic way of life. At this time, the Sister receives the cuculla,
the traditional monastic choir robe, which she will wear for special
occasions. She will also receive the traditional Benedictine ring,
engraved with the three letters IHS representing the name of Jesus
in Greek--an ancient Christian symbol.
Benedictine life is distinguished by three
monastic promises (vows) of obedience, stability, and fidelity
to the monastic life. They
are:
Obedience is a promise to surrender our lives to God. With the ear
of the heart we listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures,
the prioress, the community, the call of the Church, and the cry
of the poor. Then we work together to respond with generosity and
courage.
Stability is a promise to be faithful to our community of Sisters
as a way of faithfulness to God. We agree to search for God together,
is this particular monastery, making our journey as honest and loving
as humanly possible.
 Fidelity to the monastic way of life (Conversatio) is a promise
to seek God by embracing the monastic way of life according to the
Rule of Benedict, as it is lived in this unique community. We are
in the process of a lifelong conversion to Christ, growing in faith,
hope and love as we seek God together.
“Uphold me, O God, according to Your word,
and
I shall live;
and do not disappoint me in my hope.” (Psalm
119:116)
At the ritual of final monastic profession, the Sister sings this
verse, which has been sung by every Benedictine nun and monk around
the world for 1500 years on their profession day.
If you would like more information, please contact the Vocation
Director at: vocations@sacredheartmonastery.com
Phone: 701-974-2121
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