Notion of Vocation

The notion of vocation is interesting and rich. It suggests that there is a special form of life that one is called to. A vocation does not clear before you a smooth path through difficulties; however, being true to one’s vocation requires great generosity and risk; it opens new territories within the heart, which in turn, deepens the calling itself.

What do I do if I have questions about becoming a Sister of St. Joseph of Sault Ste. Marie?

To discern your vocation means to sort through the movements of your heart and unfold the truth of who you most deeply are.

Discernment is a spiritual foundation for all decisions. A discernment process involving specific stages is designed to assist us in discovering God’s invitation and plan. A woman who engages in a journey toward committing her life as a Sister of St. Joseph is invited to participate in the following stages:

1. Inquiry Stage (three to six months):
   • Maintain informal regular contact through correspondence, usually by phone, letter or email.
   • Invited to attend vocation programs or community events.
   • Invited to visit with the Vocation Director
2. Candidacy Stage (usually twelve months):
   • Be formally welcomed in a letter from the General Superior and the Vocation Director.
   • She will have monthly meetings with the Vocation Director.
   • The candidate strives for greater personal growth and insight through spiritual direction, personal prayer, spiritual reading, and other workshops and classes that further the ‘God-quest’.
   • May have a three to six month “live-in” experience
3. The Pre-Novitiate Stage (six to twelve months):
   The Pre-Novitiate Stage, the third step in discernment, is for women who through the inquiry stage and the candidacy stage, through prayer, discernment and association with the Congregation are called to continue to grow in discernment of the call to religious life as a Sister of St. Joseph of Sault Ste. Marie. After having completed all terms of the Pre-Novitate Stage and having been accepted by the General Superior, she enters the Formation process as a Novice.