While most religious communities have age restrictions or restrictions for candidates with certain disabilities, many consider candidates on a case by case basis. There are also other options for community, fellowship, or support for candidates faced with impediments who feel called to religious life.
From ancient desert monasticism to contemporary forms of religious life, a small band of Christian men and women in every generation choose to consecrate their lives to God with unique vows of love and service that give radical witness to the gospel.
Please make use of this prayer for vocations by Pope Francis in your homes, classrooms, youth ministry gatherings, and parish liturgies.
During my 35 years as a vocation counselor, I've discovered nine steps to help people find what they want--and what God wants for them.
Out of a long and sometimes challenging journey to religious life come these ten suggestions for others still in discernment.
The Catholic worldview adds incredible richness to our lives—making room for mystery, mercy, and much more.
It’s as simple as ask, trust, stop, listen, and respond.
Don’t see yourself becoming a religious sister? Think again.
It seems hard to dampen the excitement Juan Ruiz has for religious life. This new Jesuit says that entering a community “has already brought 100 times the fruitfulness I had ever expected.” And he isn’t exactly working in a cushy job: He ministers with Hopeworks ’N Camden, an agency in inner-city Camden, New Jersey dedicated to job-readiness and education of poor youth. Juan blogs at jesuitnovice.blogspot.com about his experiences as a Jesuit novice, a two-year part of the process of entering the Society of Jesus.
Insightful quotes and reflections on consecrated life for use in parish bulletins or on the parish website for every week of the Year of Consecrated Life and beyond.
Jesuit Ignatian tradition sees God as actively and personally involved in each of our lives. . . . God is engaged in a lifelong dialog with us. Our role in the dialog is to pay attention, listen, and try to respond.
Charism is the inspirational purpose that starts communities and keeps them going. It is community mission and spirit. It gives communities distinctive personalities and imbues their daily practice with meaning.
Praying with scripture can help you hear the voice of the Spirit stirring inside your heart and inviting you to break open the Bible and come to know God more personally.
Carmelite spirituality enables God-seekers to discover new heights and depths in their own hearts and in the God who calls and loves them.
In exploring a call to religious life, certain attitudes are crucial for success: openness, trust, expectation, and inner freedom.
Here are some quick tips and sample homilies on vocation-related themes.
Meet with someone in religious life--a Catholic brother, sister, or priest--and ask these suggested questions.
Members of secular institutes work in the heart of the world while dedicating themselves to God and taking vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience.
"Religious life ought to promote growth in the Church by way of attraction. The Church must be attractive. Wake up the world! Be witnesses of a different way of doing things, of acting, of living! It is possible to live differently in this world.” -- Pope Francis