by Sister Maria Grace, l.s.p.
For the past 4 ½ months, our three postulants Angela, Andrea and Courtney, were involved in a period of initial introduction to the life of a Little Sister of the Poor. They fully shared in our daily life of prayer, community, and apostolate among the beautiful Residents of St. Martin’s Home!
On March 15, the postulants departed for our novitiate in Queens, NY to continue the formation process. While remaining postulants for an additional four months, they will be engaged in a more immediate preparation for their time as novices – a two year program of prayer, study, and profound reflection on the charism of St. Jeanne Jugan and what it means to be her daughter as a Little Sister.
Just as Jesus called His disciples to Himself before sending them to preach to all nations, the Church asks that the novitiate be a special time apart from the immediate works of the apostolate in order that the novice grow more deeply in her relationship with Christ and in an understanding of the Congregational charism in order to live her vocation more authentically and deeply as the years progress. This period of novitiate is punctuated by two periods of apostolic experience in a Home of the Little Sisters, so the novice may “live out” what she learns.
We pray that Angela, Andrea and Courtney continue to find much peace and joy along their journey!
A Journey Ends, A Journey Begins!