Sarah Mitchell
If you're considering becoming a Catholic sister, you're not alone—women are still entering religious congregations today, and several resources are available to help you discern your vocation. The process of becoming a Catholic sister involves prayer, reflection, gathering information, and consultation with others you trust. You can visit religious communities' websites, sign up for online discernment opportunities, and participate in community gatherings. You can also contact a Vocation Director, who can offer you materials for prayer and reflection and answer any questions. Once you've decided to pursue this path, you'll undergo an initiation period where you'll learn about the community's history, life, and mission while continuing to live and work in your current career. This is followed by a two-year novitiate period where you'll deepen your faith and knowledge and develop habits of prayer and spirituality. After completing the novitiate, you'll make a written request for admission to initial profession, professing vows of celibacy, poverty, and obedience.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Age | Single women between the ages of 20 and 45 can become Catholic sisters. However, many women enter during middle adulthood instead of right out of school. |
| Time | It takes a minimum of seven years to become a Catholic sister. |
| Vocation Director | A Vocation Director can help you with materials for prayer and reflection and answer any questions. |
| Community | You will live in community with other sisters and will have to give up some financial independence. |
| Prayer | You will learn about prayer and develop habits of prayer. |
| Ministry | You will engage in ministries that take the Gospel to others. |
| Theology | You will study theology. |
| Reflection | You will reflect on God's call and respond to God's grace through ongoing reflection. |
| Vows | You will profess vows of consecrated celibacy, gospel poverty, and apostolic obedience. |
| Commitment | You will make a lifelong commitment to God and the members of your congregation. |
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What You'll Learn
The difference between a nun and a Catholic sister
While many Catholics do not distinguish between nuns and sisters, there are some differences between the two terms according to canon law. Nuns are typically members of an Institute of Consecrated Life, while sisters are usually members of a Society of Apostolic Life. The key difference between these two types of communities is that members of Institutes of Consecrated Life must take religious vows, whereas members of Societies of Apostolic Life may choose to take them.
Nuns typically live and work within their convent or monastery, spending their lives in prayer. They may live entirely enclosed in the cloister of a monastery, where they pray and work for their entire lives. They are sometimes referred to as "brides of Christ", dedicating their lives to God and living in the spirit of the person who founded their religious order.
On the other hand, sisters are more active in the world and engage in various types of work, often serving those in need. They may live in community or independently, and they may or may not wear habits, depending on the rules of their community. Sisters take simple perpetual vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience, and they renounce ownership of all property except inheritances and trusts. They may retain these assets but cannot use the income they generate. Like nuns, sisters are also considered Brides of Christ, and they may be found working in classrooms, hospitals, counselling centres, homeless shelters, and more.
The process of becoming a sister typically involves a period of discernment, where a woman explores her call to religious life with the guidance of a vocation minister or director. This is followed by a candidacy phase, which includes a transition to religious life, ministry work, and study in theology. After this, the woman enters the novitiate, a period of intense reflection. It can take at least seven years to complete this process and become a fully professed sister.
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The process of becoming a Catholic sister
Initial Inquiry
This is a time for deep exploration and reflection. If you feel called to religious life, you should pray and continue to seek guidance from God. Contact a Vocation Director, who can provide materials for prayer and reflection and answer any questions you may have. You can also reach out to a nun you may know, who can accompany you on this journey and introduce you to the Vocation Director and other sisters.
Application Phase
Once you and the Vocation Minister agree that you are being called to religious life, you will enter the application phase. During this time, you will meet regularly with a spiritual director and continue to experience the life of a sister through retreats, live-in experiences, meetings, and ministry visits.
Pre-Candidacy
After your application is complete and affirmed by the Institute President, you become a pre-candidate. In this phase, you will meet the community with whom you will live and begin to build relationships with them. This marks the beginning of your journey as a candidate.
Candidacy
The candidacy phase lasts for two years. The first year focuses on the transition to religious life, while the second year focuses on ministry, theology studies, and preparation for the novitiate. As a candidate, you will live in community with other sisters, have regular meetings with incorporation ministers, and engage in prayer and ministry.
Novitiate
After candidacy, you will transition into the novitiate, which is an intensive year of "becoming." During this year, you will explore what it means to be a sister through dedicated time in prayer and discernment of the vowed life. You will study Scripture, Congregation, and Church history, and develop a deeper connection to God, your community, and the world.
Temporary Profession
In your final year of temporary profession, you will prepare to profess perpetual vows. You will continue your ministry and engage with other sisters for prayer, reading, reflection, and sharing on topics related to vows, community living, and religious life. You will also participate in a special time of service and a retreat.
Perpetual Profession
After completing the time of temporary vows, you will profess perpetual vows, sealing your lifelong commitment to God and the religious community. This is a public, permanent commitment to a life of consecrated celibacy, gospel poverty, and apostolic obedience.
It is important to note that the process may vary slightly depending on the specific religious community and order you are joining. Additionally, if you are not already Catholic, you will need to become Catholic before beginning the process of becoming a Catholic sister.
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The role of a vocation director
A Vocation Director is a sister designated by her community to guide, support, and provide resources to women exploring religious life. She is there to listen and help women determine if they are called to religious life and, if so, which community is the best fit. A Vocation Director can be compared to a recruiter or an HR representative, but without the pressure to recruit. Instead, her role is to accompany women on their journey towards understanding their relationship with God and responding to God's call. She provides insight on ways to pray, answers difficult questions, and helps women work through their feelings and experiences.
Vocation Directors offer materials for prayer and reflection and can visit and discuss any questions or concerns. They can also provide opportunities to visit and pray with sisters, participate in community gatherings, and gain live-in and ministry experiences. They may also invite women to community events such as Mass, meetings, or workshops.
Vocation Directors are typically the first point of contact for women interested in religious life. They are often the first person encountered and can be a great help in navigating the initial stages of the journey. They are a valuable resource for women to turn to as they explore their vocation and deepen their relationship with God and their understanding of religious life.
Women interested in becoming Catholic sisters can contact a Vocation Director directly through the community's website or by reaching out to the Vocations Office in their diocese. They can also utilize resources like the VISION Vocation Network, which offers a directory of Catholic religious communities and a Vocation Match feature to help find the right community.
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The initiation period
The process of becoming a Catholic sister is a lengthy one, taking a minimum of seven years. During this initiation period, a woman will learn about prayer, live in community, study theology, and minister alongside sisters. This time is marked by deep reflection, growth, grace, and joy as one explores God's call to religious life.
The first step is to contact a religious community. If you know a nun in the community, she can introduce you to the Vocation Director and other sisters. If not, you can find the Vocation Director's contact information on the community's website or reach out to the Vocations Office in your diocese. They will provide resources and help you find a community that aligns with your interests and values. It is recommended that you also connect with trusted mentors, such as family or friends, who can support you during this exploratory phase.
Once you have established contact with a community, you will enter a period of mutual discernment. As an affiliate or postulant, you will get to know the sisters and they will get to know you. You will participate in community gatherings, live-in experiences, and ministry opportunities. This is a time to deepen your relationship with God, strengthen your Catholic faith, and understand the religious life through prayer, reading, discussion, and study.
After this initial inquiry phase, if both you and the community agree that there is a strong call to become a sister, you will begin the formal application process. With the guidance of a spiritual director, you will continue to experience the life of a sister through retreat weekends, live-in experiences, meetings, and ministry visits.
Upon completion of your application and acceptance, you will become a pre-candidate. During this stage, you will meet the community with whom you will live and begin to transition to religious life. This marks the beginning of a two-year candidacy phase. The first year focuses on spiritual growth, self-knowledge, and awareness of social issues, while the second year emphasizes ministry, theological study, and preparation for the novitiate.
After the candidacy phase, you will enter the novitiate, a canonical year of intense reflection. During this time, you will integrate prayer, study, and reflection with active apostolic ministry, applying your gifts, talents, and skills. Upon completion of the novitiate, you will make a written request to the president for admission to initial profession.
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The vows
The process of becoming a Catholic sister involves taking vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. These vows are taken as a public, permanent commitment to God and the Catholic Church. The specific nature of these vows varies depending on the congregation, but they generally involve a commitment to a life of simplicity, celibacy, and service.
For example, the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) take vows of "consecrated celibacy, gospel poverty, and apostolic obedience". This means that they commit to a life of celibacy, giving up any personal wealth or possessions, and obeying the rules and mission of the SSND.
The Sisters of Mercy also take vows, but the specifics are not mentioned. It takes at least seven years to become a Sister of Mercy, during which time the candidate learns about prayer, lives in community, studies theology, and ministers alongside other sisters.
The Loretto Community has a two-year novitiate period during which candidates live together and participate in classes and activities that promote spiritual growth, social awareness, and the development of habits of prayer and apostolic spirituality. At the end of this period, the candidate makes a written request to the president for admission to the initial profession.
The Racine Dominicans also require their sisters to take vows, but the specifics are not mentioned. They emphasize the importance of obedience, which they compare to the willingness to listen and dialogue within a marriage.
Overall, the vow-taking process is a significant step in becoming a Catholic sister, and it involves a commitment to a life of service, simplicity, and dedication to God and the Church.
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Frequently asked questions
A Catholic nun lives a contemplative life in a monastery, while a Catholic sister lives, ministers, and prays within the world. Both nuns and sisters are addressed as "Sister" and belong to the church life form of Religious Life.
The requirements to become a Catholic sister vary depending on the community. Some communities require you to be single, a Catholic woman, and between the ages of 20 and 45. Others recommend having some post-high school experience, whether through work or college.
It typically takes a minimum of seven years to become a Catholic sister. During this time, a woman learns about prayer, lives in community, and studies theology.
The process of becoming a Catholic sister involves contacting a religious community and working with a vocation director. This includes participating in community events, meetings, and workshops. After completing the application process and being accepted, a woman begins a novitiate period, which can last for two years. During this time, she focuses on transitioning to religious life, studying theology, and preparing for her vows.
Catholic sisters are expected to live a life of celibacy, poverty, and obedience. They are not required to earn a specific amount of money, but they are encouraged to work and support the community. Sisters have the freedom to live at the convent or in their own community, depending on their ministry. They are also expected to attend mass and participate in prayer and ministry work.
