Stages of Discernment of a Call to Dominican Life

Anyone who wants to become a Dominican is opening herself to an exciting adventure of self-knowledge, new relationships, challenging ministry and supportive community life.

Pre-Admission For a period of time, opportunities for you to get to know us and we to get to know you will be provded under the direction of the Vocation Director or a contact sister.

Pre-Novitiate Candidacy Stage I - begins the formal process of entrance. It aims to help you deepen your life of prayer, encourage reflection on your vocation and foster mutual discernment. Ordinarily this period lasts six months to a year.

Stage II - gives you the opportunity to experience community living and prayer and a supervised ministry. Educational programs help to prepare you for the novitiate year. Ordinarily this time lasts one year.

Novitiate A canonical year of intense study of the essentials of Dominican life helps to deepen your religious development to prepare you for profession in our congregation. We participate in the Collaborative Dominican Novitiate in St. Louis, MO. The apostolic year is a time to integrate your canonical experience with ministry and community life. This is a two-year stage.

Temporary Profession This is a time of integrating your experience of prayer, the vows and Dominican spirituality with your experience of community and ministry until you are ready to profess your vows for life.