A call is a very precious gift from God. All of us are called to holiness and to help bring about the Reign of God. Some of us are called to do this through the consecrated (religious) life. As Sisters of the Order of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament, we carry out the request of Jesus to our foundress, Venerable Jeanne de Matel, to carry His Name to the ends of the earth and make Him known and loved. Who knows? He may be calling you to join us in this mission!
How Do I Know if God is Calling Me to Be a Sister?
Some signs that God might be calling you to become a Sister of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament are the possession of the following requirements:
-a single Catholic woman, between the ages of 18 and 40, with-
*sound judgment,
*reasonable health and emotional maturity,
*moral integrity and strength of character,
*a true religious spirit that indicates the desire to grow through a life of prayer,
*faithfulness to one's life commitment and apostolic generosity,
*a family spirit which promises growth in love and esteem of our Institute and dedication to its apostolate;
*a high school diploma or higher education
Annual events:
-Mother Daughter Tea (5th thru 8th graders) in February
-High School Come and See (9th thru 12th graders) in March
-Adult Women Come and See (18 to 40 years of age) in August
-5th Grade Vocation Days in November
Individual visits can be scheduled. Let us know when you would want to come and see us.
Email us at iwbsvoc@yahoo.com
PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS
God our Father, we thank you for calling men and women to serve in your Son's Kingdom as priests, deacons, religious, and consecrated persons. Send your Holy Spirit to help us respond generously and courageously to your call. May our community of faith support vocations of sacrificial love in our youth. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen
Formation
“It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you; and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain…” John 15:16
There are two stages of formation: initial and ongoing.
Initial formation consists of pre-novitiate, novitiate, and temporary profession.
Ongoing formation continues the life-long formative process of perpetually professed Sisters.
The pre-novitiate includes aspirancy and postulancy. As an aspirant, you will have periodic meetings with a Sister discerning your call and your call to our Order. As a postulant, you will increase your knowledge of the life and ministries of our Sisters. These two stages seek to help the candidate in the process of discerning her vocation.
The novitiate is the period of formation that begins life in the Institute. Its purpose is to bring the novice to a concrete knowledge and deepening of the vocation she has received from God; to immerse her in the spiritual heritage of Jeanne Chézard de Matel; to give her an experience of our life of chastity, poverty, and obedience; and to help her to conform her mind and heart to that of our Institute, so that the Word of God may become incarnate in her heart.
Temporary profession begins with the first profession of vows and ends with perpetual profession. The purpose of this decisive stage of formation is to give the temporary professed Sister time and opportunities to deepen and integrate our contemplative, communitarian, and apostolic way of life, so that her life can become more and more configured to the life of the Incarnate Word.