Entrance Requirement
1. Age: 21-35
2. Must be a practicing Catholic
3. Must be single
Stages of Formation
The Carmelite’s journey is not for herself alone. Her life of prayer and friendship with God effects the lives of countless others, for a life of prayer goes everywhere. Prayer is not limited by time and space.
Aspirancy (for ONE year)
New legislation from the Sacred Congregation now requires a year aspirancy. It is a time to get to know each other by a series of contacts, visits and times of community experience, even prolonged. It is a time to assess one’s real abilities: natural and psychological gifts, normal openness to others, psychic balance, a spirit of faith and a firm intention to make a personal verification of the authenticity of their call to the contemplative monastic life.
Postulancy (For ONE year)
The postulancy offers a more direct and concrete experience of community life. Upon entrance, a woman is introduced to life in Carmel and learns, through experience and classes, more about the vocation of a Carmelite Nun.
Novitiate (For TWO years)
The novice is clothed in the holy habit of Our Lady and receives a new religious name. The novice continues her vocational discernment of God’s will in her life and a deepening of her own decision to follow Jesus Christ. It is a time to deepen her understanding of the Carmelite vocation in the Church. It is a time to perfect the gifts of nature and education, and develop her own personality, feeling truly responsible for her own human, Christian and charismatic growth.
Temporary Profession (For three years and then renewed annually for two years to a completion of FIVE years, until a minimum of nine years of initial formation is completed)
In this stage, insertion into the life of the community is full, so the goal is to experience the capacity of the temporary professed to find a proper balance between the various dimensions of contemplative monastic life (prayer, work, fraternal relationships, study…) succeeding in creating their own personal synthesis of the charism and incarnating it in the various situations of daily life.
Solemn Profession (Definitive)
At the end of the period of temporary vows, the Sister makes her Solemn Profession and receives the black veil, a sign of her total and permanent consecration to God. She becomes an active member of the community Chapter.
