NOVITIATE

Third Stage of Formation

Religious life begins with Novitiate which lasts for two years. In fact, for each candidate the novitiate should come at the moment when, aware of God’s call, she has reached that degree of human and spiritual maturity which will allow her to decide to respond to this call with sufficient and proper responsibility and freedom. No one should enter religious life without this choice being freely, made and without the separation from men and things which this entails being accepted. Nevertheless, this first decision does not necessarily demand that the candidate be then able to measure up immediately to all the demands of the religious and apostolic life of the Institute, but she must be judged capable of reaching this goal in stages. Most of the difficulties encountered today in the formation of novices are usually due to the fact that when we’re admitted they do not have the required maturity.

The length of the Novitiate is two years. The first twelve months, being the canonical year, are spent in the Novitiate Community in an atmosphere of prayer and recollection with a program designed to allow the novices to open themselves more and more to the Spirit and be led by Him. During the other year of the Novitiate, the novices may be given one or more periods of formative apostolic experience in another community of the Congregation.

The purpose of the novitiate is to give the novices a greater understanding of their divine vocation, and of their vocation to the Congregation. During the novitiate, the novices are to experience the manner of life of the Congregation and form their minds and hearts in its spirit. A the same time their resolution and suitibility are to be tested.

The Novices are to be led to cultivating Human and Christian virtues, they are to be introduced to a fuller way of perfection by prayer and self-denial, they are to be instructed to contemplate the mystery of salvation, and to read and meditate on the Sacred Scriptures, to be prepared to cultivate the worship of God in the Sacred Liturgy, to be trained in a way of life consecrated by the evangelical counsels to God and humankind on Christ, to be educated about the character and spirit, purpose and discipline, history and life od their institute or Congregation, and to be imbued with life for the Church and its Sacred Pastors.

VISION

Solid and authentic women Religious witinessing by their life and service as Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception

MISSION

The Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (FSIC), with the accompeniment of Mother General and her Team,commit themselves to:

• Continue the process of personal, human Christian and Franciscan growth.

• Lead a life of geniune live in fraternity and minority.

• Grow in intimancy with Christ

• Participate in the life and mission of the Congregation and the Church

GOAL

To grow continously towards greater integration for an authentic witnessing of the FSIC identity, spirit and mission in the Congregation and the Church.

Second Year Novices
From left:

Novice Anna Andrew, Novice Venessa Julian, Sr. Juanah Saliun (Novice Diretress), Novice Lea Mannel, and Novice Jessica James

First Year Novices
From left:

Novice Mernah Mellania Timun, Novice Ernna James and Novice Cabrinie Martin

Community and Prayer LIFE are our strength

Novitiate Community 2020