A woman prepares for consecrated life and full membership in our congregation in an atmosphere of responsible freedom. With the leadership of formation directors, she completes the guided stages of formation.

This painting depicts St. Angela and her vision of the ladder to heaven.

Pre-Novitiate

Contact Program

Time: Six months to two years
Location:  The woman lives where she feels most comfortable discerning more deeply her desire, aptitude, and readiness for entering postulancy.
Commitment: There is no formal commitment on either part; this is a period of getting to know each other.  The application process takes place during this stage.
Expenses:  The woman usually is responsible for her own support and expenses.

Postulancy/Pre-Candidacy

Time: Six months to two years
Location: A formation community is designated for the postulant, providing the woman with the opportunity to experience community life as it is lived by the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph.
Commitment: This time provides for a realistic experience of community living within a local community, so that the postulant and the congregation can mutually ascertain her readiness for admission to the novitiate.
Expenses: The woman is responsible for her living expenses, personal expenses, medical expenses, and cost of upkeep of her car.

Novitiate

Time: Two years
Location: The novice lives in the novitiate house during the canonical and apostolic years.
Commitment: The aim of the novitiate is to initiate the woman into the basic requirements of vowed life as an Ursuline Sister of Mount Saint Joseph, and to help her integrate her religious vocation into the total mission of the church.  The novice prepares to live the Ursuline Way of Life guided by the director of novices.
Expenses: The congregation assumes all expenses of community living, but the Novice pays for the upkeep of her car, any taxes related to personal funds, and any property insurance.

Temporary Profession

Time: Five years
Location: The sister who makes temporary vows lives in a local community designated as her formative community.
Commitment: A novice enters into membership in the congregation at the time of temporary profession. She professes chastity, poverty, obedience and instruction.  The period of temporary profession provides the newly professed with the opportunity to live the vowed life according to the Constitutions for a definite period of time.
Expenses: The temporary professed sister shares the same privileges as the perpetually professed sisters regarding a personal budget, use of material goods, accepting and giving of gifts, and the responsibility of living a simple life.

Perpetual Profession

A sister is admitted to perpetual profession by the congregational leader after consultation with the director of temporary professed and the consent of the council. At the time of perpetual profession, a sister becomes a full member of the congregation.