The Novitiate

Lean deeper into our way of life and formation.

 

Following the six-month exploration period known as postulancy, the novitiate takes you through three successive movements to engage deeper formation and help you discern the invitation to take vows with the Order:

  1. The Spiritual Exercises retreat of St. Ignatius

  2. The novitiate study

  3. Our Discernment of Vows course

The novitiate typically takes 36 months but can take as long as you need to discern God’s next invitation for you. Afterward, you may be invited to make initial vows with the Order for one year.

 

Novitiate Rhythms

 

In the midst of the three “movements” of the novitiate, a larger formation process is taking place. During the novitiate, we’re inviting you to really begin leaning into our shared rule in your everyday life.

To help support you in this, each month, the entire Order turns their attention to one commitment from our rule of life together as a shared focus, which we then explore in monthly formation groups, where you’ll practice spiritual friendship.

Throughout your novitiate, then, you can expect a rhythm of:

  • Daily engagement with our rule of life

  • Monthly spiritual direction

  • Monthly formation group meetings

  • Quarterly chapter meetings with the entire Order

 
 

The Spiritual Exercises

 

Most novices begin their novitiate in October with an individually directed eight-month “retreat in everyday life” known as the 19th Annotation of St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises,  the purpose of which is to:

  • Deepen intimacy with Jesus

  • Develop deeper rhythms of prayer and reflection

  • Bring greater clarity to one’s unique sense of mission and vocation

During the Spiritual Exercises, novices maintain a rhythm of prayer and journaling for 45-60 minutes each day and weekly meetings with a spiritual director.

 

Novitiate Study

 

Novices may alternatively begin with a directed course of study or else start their novitiate study the fall after completing the Spiritual Exercises retreat. Novices:

  • Explore the spirit of the monastic tradition through its development

  • Engage accessible readings and video lessons

  • Join monthly cohort meetings for discussion and personal reflection

The novitiate study lasts nine months, during which novices continue meeting with their spiritual director monthly and exploring the invitations of our rule of life.

 

Discernment of Vows

 

Finally, all novices conclude their formation with a five-month course, structured around weekly video content, reflection and journaling, designed to explore:

  • A theology of vocation

  • The nature of a monastic vocation

  • A finalized personal expression of our rule of life (a “customary”)

  • An invitation to take initial one-year vows with OCL

The novitiate then culminates in two meetings. First, they gather a discerning community to help clarify and confirm a desire to take vows. Second, the novice meets one last time with their formation guide to discuss and submit their decision. The novice may make vows for one initial year, opt to remain an unvowed member of the community or part ways with our blessing.

 

FAQs

 

  • Novices contribute $50/month as members of the Order and pay for the cost of their own spiritual direction, as they do through postulancy. The only other significant expense for participating in the novitiate is the cost of the Spiritual Exercises retreat, which we offer at $1,800 in order to cover the approximate cost of weekly spiritual direction over around 32 weeks. A novice may choose to purchase books or other materials for their course of study at their discretion.

    Some scholarships may be available to help with the cost of the Spiritual Exercises for those with prohibitive financial constraints.

  • As a novice, you’re invited to discern a vocation of deep commitment within the Order—but also, in the meantime, to be building something together with us as we develop the teams, systems and funds that enable us to offer our paths of formation.

    Like your contribution to your local church, your contribution as a novice (alongside the those of our vowed members and donors) helps cover necessary operating expenses as well as our Shared Economy Fund, which makes postulancy, the novitiate and spiritual direction accessible to those with limited means to make a financial contribution.

    Please reach out to us directly about any concerns.

  • After completing the Common Commitments and Discernment of Formation, postulants meet with a formation guide sometime during the summer and choose whether to continue into the novitiate for the following autumn.

  • After postulancy cohorts conclude, novices continue into monthly formation groups of five to 10 novices and vowed members. When possible, we keep together people from the same postulancy cohort and geographic area to help support the development of spiritual friendship and physical community. These groups track with one another's lives, reflect on monthly themes from our rule of life, and pray for one another in the invitations each person is experiencing.

    Novices are also invited alongside vowed members to quarterly chapter meetings, where we share vision, prayer and stories.

  • We ask that you be guided through the Spiritual Exercises retreat by director specially trained for what's universally known as the 19th Annotation. This typically means they've undergone an additional year or two of training beyond their initial certification.

    The Order has a number of spiritual directors trained in the 19th Annotation If your spiritual director isn't, we also offer this training to experienced spiritual directors in an apprenticeship model that could allow you to continue with them while they're trained. Alternatively, you'll be welcome to resume meeting with your regular spiritual director once your retreat concludes.

  • We want our novices to engage the Spiritual Exercises as an individually directed retreat, as in the tradition first developed by St. Ignatius, rather than in a group format. Most novices will begin the Spiritual Exercises around the same time, but individuals may find themselves slightly ahead and some spending more time at different points, according to each person's need and God's unique gifts for them in the experience.

  • In most cases, we'll invite you to undertake the Spiritual Exercises retreat again, just as many Jesuits do in their lifetime; however, if you've completed the Spiritual Exercises very recently before beginning your novitiate, we may arrange an alternative formational experience with you, such as "Emotionally Focused: Formation."