How To Become A Nun - Catholic Diocese Of Arlington

As with everything else you are learning about here, every order is a little different in what is involved in actually entering the community. There are some general criteria and steps, but again, the best thing to do is to speak with the Vocation Director of the order directly.

As you get to know different communities and answer these questions about them, the most important question for anyone discerning a religious vocation is this: Who has God created me to be?

Spending time with God gives Him the chance to reveal this to you. You should also spend time with religious communities to check out the “fit” as noted above: visit them, experience their spirituality, their community life, and their apostolate. Learn more about some nearby religious orders, and contact them as a means of continuing the process.The Congregation of Major Superiors of Women Religious (CMSWR) has an online directory of religious orders for women that describes their charisms and provides contact information for a good number of orders, and can be a helpful resource.

General Qualifications for Religious Life

• Catholic
• Not married
• Normally between the ages of 18 and 35; some orders prefer the entrant be 21, others will accept older women on a case-by-case basis.
• High school graduate (minimum, some orders require at least some college)
• Good physical and psychological health
• Capacity for community life
• Desire to give herself totally to Christ
• Most orders have requirements that the applicant be debt-free

Applying to enter religious life

The order’s Vocation Director will normally work with each candidate or aspirant on an individual basis to determine whether that order is a good fit, and if she should begin the application process.

There is normally application paperwork, essays, academic transcripts, references, a medical history and often a psychological evaluation.

What's the difference between nuns and sisters?

Technically, nuns are cloistered (they never leave their convent or monastery) and religious sisters are active. They all live a life consecrated to God and profess the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience; some orders profess an additional vow or two that is specific to their order.

Steps to Formation

1. Aspirancy /Candidacy/Pre-Postulancy - Becoming an aspirant for means that you “aspire” to join an order. In this stage you would continue with your regular life, while growing in your knowledge of and experiences with the order. It is a time of mutual discernment: the order with you and you with the order.
2. Postulancy - Postulancy refers to “one who asks,” and marks your official entry to an order. As a postulant you would live and pray with the order, take classes to learn more about the order and religious life, and could participate in apostolic works of the order.
3. Novitiate - The purpose of the novitiate is to prepare you to live a vowed life. It's a time to deepen in knowledge of the order's charism and spirituality, as well as of the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience. At the end of novitiate, with the approval of the order, you would profess your temporary vows.
4. Temporary Vows - The mutual discernment process continues after the first profession of poverty, chastity and obedience. You would still be in formation, learning about the order as well as any particular skills you might need as a member (i.e., teaching or nursing). Participating more deeply in the life of the community, both the spiritual and apostolic dimensions, helps to solidify your relationship with God as well as to clarify your call. You may renew the temporary vows, and after a period of time (3-6 years) and confirmation of your call by both you and the order, you would profess perpetual or solemn vows.
5. Perpetual Vows/Solemn Profession - Solemn Profession is a public declaration of your commitment and intention to give yourself completely to God and to the service of others though the specific charism of your order. The perpetual vows of poverty, chastity and obedience constitute a radical commitment for life which predetermines all other choices.

Formation as a religious continues beyond solemn profession, in order to help you continue growing in your relationship with God, your knowledge of the faith and of the spirituality of the congregation.

Leaving an order At any time in this process, up until perpetual vows, it may become clear to you and/or the order that this life is not a good fit for you. It could be this particular charism or way of life, or it could be that you are called to a different vocation. Either way, God will not be outdone in generosity and will continue to lead you. Make sure to continue your prayer life and find a good group of friends outside the community who can support you in your journey.

These articles on stages of religious formation and on religious sisters and their habits can also explain a little more about religious life.

Convent Life

Every order is different, so the best way to learn about convent life is to experience it yourself by going for a visit. We’ve tried to give a general overview below.

When you join a religious community, you join a family.

Living in a religious community is much like living in a family: communities are of different sizes, and include people of varied ages, all pooling their gifts and talents and sharing responsibilities. They are united by a common love: Jesus Christ, and a common purpose: bringing to fruition the charism and mission of their order.

A day in the life

Like every family, every order is a little different, but these are some general characteristics of the horarium, or schedule of a convent:

• A common time for rising each morning
• Community prayer to begin each day, which might be meditation, Lauds (Morning prayer of the Divine Office), Mass or other prayers established by the Community
• Breakfast
• Time for apostolate, work or ministry to which each sister is missioned
• Community prayer in the late afternoon, which would often include Vespers (Evening prayer of the Divine Office)
• Evening meal
• Evenings activities vary greatly from Community to Community; they might be a time of study, continued apostolic works, recreation, meetings or prayer
• Compline (Night prayer in the Divine Office)
• Preparation for sleep and the next day’s activities

Want to learn more? The Congregation of Major Superiors of Women Religious (CMSWR) website provides more information about religious life, as well as vocation stories and events. Hear from women who've given everything to God in “For Love Alone,” a short film about religious life.