Formation & Inquiry
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Formation stages
Formation in our Congregation is a time to grow into the love of God and to identify with the incredible mission that God shares with each one of us. It is guided by our belief that when God calls a woman to dedicate herself to be a sister, He calls us to an intimate relationship with Jesus, the Incarnate Word.
Affiliate Stage – is the first formal step of relationship with our Congregation. It is a time for prayer, dialogue, and discernment; a time for becoming familiar with our mission, spirituality, story and ministries.
Pre-Novitiate – During this time you enter into a more formal relationship with the Congregation. You will live and participate in community and ministry for two years.
Novitiate – This is a time in which you deepen your relationship with Jesus through personal and communal prayer. You will begin to live as a Sister of Charity of the Incarnate Word. Some of the time will be spent in quiet, solitude, prayer and study. You will learn about religious vows and grow in your understanding of Consecrated Life and the spirit of our congregation. Through study; you will become familiar with the lives of our Founder, our charism and mission. During the second year you will participate in our ministries.
Annual Profession – (5 years) Upon completion of the Novitiate, you profess vows of chastity, poverty and obedience. These vows are renewed on an annual basis for at least 5 years. During this stage of initial formation, you continue to integrate prayer, community life and ministry as a CCVI.
Perpetual Profession – This is the time you proclaim your commitment and vow chastity, poverty and obedience to live as a Sister of Charity of the Incarnate Word for the rest of your life.
Ongoing Formation – Throughout her life, a Sister of Charity of the Incarnate Word seeks to deepen her relationship with Jesus, the Incarnate Word. She continues her spiritual, personal and professional development towards the fullness of her person, thus becoming ever more fully the person that God calls her to be.
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The time of inquiry is flexible and tailored to the needs of each individual. It is a time to come and meet the Sisters, spend time with the community in prayer, celebrations and other occasions. This time includes opportunity for retreats, meetings with other young ladies seeking their vocation. One of our vocation directors will help you with prayer, answer questions and help you with decisions related to your vocation.
Stages of formation in our Congregation include, affiliate, pre-novice, annual professed, and perpetually professed. These stages help you grow in your relationship with God, yourself and others and to become more familiar with the spirit and charism of our particular Congregation.
The time for getting to know our Congregation is usually a year or two before beginning the formal process of initial formation.
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Vows
Chastity: Through the vow of chastity we belong totally to God. We bind ourselves out of love for Jesus Christ to a chaste, unmarried love. We promise to grow in celibate love through complete dedication to God for the sake of the Kingdom. As we come together in community, we support one another in deepening our intimacy with the Lord, in incarnating his love, and in dedicating ourselves wholeheartedly to his mission. (CCVI Constitutions 13—14)
Poverty: Through our vow of poverty we seek to attain more fully the spirit of poverty counseled by Jesus Christ. By our way of living we show that our riches lie more in God’s love for us than in the possession of material things. We live simply, sharing all that we have and are. Our voluntary poverty is related to our desire to recognize the preeminence of persons over material things, and to promote a more just distribution of the world’s goods. (CCVI Constitutions 16)
Obedience: Our vow of obedience has its roots in the total surrender of Jesus to the will of the Father. Through our vow of obedience we live in community, in the service of the Church. In union with the Incarnate Word, we help one another to listen for the Will of the Father in daily circumstances and events, and in the persons among whom we find ourselves. We obey in particular those who speak to us with the authority they have received through the Church and the Holy Spirit acting within it. (CCVI Constitutions 21)
ARE YOU INTERESTED?
Take the next step by contacting our Vocation office.
Learn more about vocations in the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, Houston, Texas, by filling out our online questionnaire found here. You can also email any of the Sisters below if you have any specific questions.
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