Steps to Becoming a Sister

The process of becoming a Sister of St. Joseph is a gradual one which gives you and the Congregation time and freedom to get to know each other. As an Inquirer, you will meet regularly with the Vocation Director and you will be invited to come to community celebrations, to share prayer, meals, and conversations with us, and to visit us in our places of ministry. After a time of getting to know each other, prayer and mutual discernment, you may say, “I found where I belong and where I am my best self” and request entrance to the congregation.

The Candidacy Phase is about trying on our way of life, to see if it fits. As a Candidate you will meet regularly with the Candidate Director and have an opportunity to discern God’s call to religious life by experiencing life in community with our Sisters. As part of a community, you will join in everything from prayer and meditation to planning meals and scrubbing kitchen floors! You will be encouraged to maintain active, healthy relationships with your friends and family, but dating is discouraged. During this time you will maintain your work or continue your studies.

The Novitiate is a time of study, reflection, and service. This is a time to increase your knowledge of theology and the meaning of the vowed life. You will also acquire a greater understanding of the mission, spirit, and history of our Congregation. As a Novice you will meet regularly with the Novice Director, live in community with a group of Sisters, and participate in the life of the Congregation. At this time you will be asked to begin living your life more fully as a Sister of Saint Joseph. At the end of your Novitiate, and with mutual discernment with the congregation, you may request to take your first vows, or determine that you are called to a different way of life.

As an Initially Professed Sister, you will enter fully into the life of being a Sister of Saint Joseph. The time for Initial Profession ranges from a minimum of three years to a maximum of six years. During this time you will meet regularly with the Initially Professed Director, live in community with a group of Sisters and engage in full time ministry. At the end of this period of mutual discernment with the congregation, you are invited to make final profession of vows as a permanent member in the Congregation, or determine that you are called to a different way of life.

Through your act of Perpetual Profession, you will publicly confirm your desire to love and serve God and others through you lifelong commitment as a Sister of St. Joseph.