Novitiates

[PianoPaul]

I’m a professional, produced playwright who has written for most mediums including stage, TV, film. Right now I’m working on a theatrical piece having to do with a novitiate who teaches children in a country like Puerto Rico (not unlike Sister Bertrille, the Flying Nun). I’ll need help researching areas like my character’s rituals, her superiors, her superior’s superiors and so forth. It’s important that I don’t make mistakes like confusing convents with abbeys, priorys, cloisters and cenobys. Even novitiate and novice is either the same or subtly different. The play will probe character and in no way intends to disrespect religion in general or the Catholic Church in particular. It does not touch on recent scandals. I’d be willing to give a brief two or three-line outline of the premise if required. The important thing is not to make obvious embarrassing mistakes. When completed, if desired, the finished product may be presented to your counterpart of “program practices” - and any offensive material will be instantly deleted without question. In the interest of complete truthfulness: I’m not a Catholic, or a follower of any religious practice. But I do have the utmost respect for those who have a great incitement to follow their hearts in whatever direction their spiritual journeys will take them.

 

[Sister_Rose]

Well, for one thing, the term Novitiate is usually used to indicate that stage in formation, or the house where the novices live. When you refer to the person though, they are called a novice.

 

[christ4ever]

Paul: As a devote Catholic who has dedicated her life to serving our Lord through hands on religious missions worldwide, I am now in a state of discernment to become a nun. Praised be Jesus! After a recent trip to Africa and living with the Novices (for confidentiality purposes, convent not named), I am intrigued with your blog inquiry. Depending on your location, exact details and time frame for this project, I may be able to assist in your questions. Please provide more information and bless you in all you do. May His holy will be glorified! “Christ 4 Ever”

 

[PianoPaul]

Dear Christ4Ever (Sorry about the first mistaken salutation)

Thanks so much. That’s just the kind of answer I’d hoped to get. The difference between novitiate and novice would appear niggling to some but in the context of my play would ring a bell that would sound out that I have not properly researched my subject. Any piece of writing be it fictional or whatever must adhere strictly to precepts and truths of the real world if it to be of any value.

Here is the basic story: I’d like my novice to be a teacher of small children, say in the second and third grades in a convent in a place like Pago Pago in American Samoa or San Jaun, Puerto Rico. A proprietor of a grocery store, a single man in his early forties, on a vacation on the mainland, meets a woman his age who seems to respond to him romantically. Back on his island he receives a letter from her which he presents to the novice. Why? It seems that because he was born into poverty he had to work hard for years and years until he became a successful businessman…and because he was so preoccupied he never learned to read and write. A very religious man, he has attended mass quite faithfully and has gotten to know the novice quite well and therefore trusts her to read the letter for him. She says she has a better idea. He should learn to read and write. It’s easy. She should know. She teaches school and her students learn with in a matter of days, weeks. Any child can do it. The next day, the grocer appears in her classroom amidst all the little children.

As you can see, a number of questions can arise. And as I said before, I’d like to be absolutely dead on accurate with regard to Catholic protocol.

My first questions: How long does a novice generally remain one until she takes the final vows? Does she have to pass a written test? Oral? Both? (That is besides the ritual procedures.) If she makes errors is she allowed to retake the tests? What, in general, is the routine?

Very best,

P-paul

 

[GilChrist77]

Dear Christ4Ever (Sorry about the first mistaken salutation)

Thanks so much. That’s just the kind of answer I’d hoped to get. The difference between novitiate and novice would appear niggling to some but in the context of my play would ring a bell that would sound out that I have not properly researched my subject. Any piece of writing be it fictional or whatever must adhere strictly to precepts and truths of the real world if it to be of any value.

Here is the basic story: I’d like my novice to be a teacher of small children, say in the second and third grades in a convent in a place like Pago Pago in American Samoa or San Jaun, Puerto Rico. A proprietor of a grocery store, a single man in his early forties, on a vacation on the mainland, meets a woman his age who seems to respond to him romantically. Back on his island he receives a letter from her which he presents to the novice. Why? It seems that because he was born into poverty he had to work hard for years and years until he became a successful businessman…and because he was so preoccupied he never learned to read and write. A very religious man, he has attended mass quite faithfully and has gotten to know the novice quite well and therefore trusts her to read the letter for him. She says she has a better idea. He should learn to read and write. It’s easy. She should know. She teaches school and her students learn with in a matter of days, weeks. Any child can do it. The next day, the grocer appears in her classroom amidst all the little children.

As you can see, a number of questions can arise. And as I said before, I’d like to be absolutely dead on accurate with regard to Catholic protocol.

My first questions: How long does a novice generally remain one until she takes the final vows? Does she have to pass a written test? Oral? Both? (That is besides the ritual procedures.) If she makes errors is she allowed to retake the tests? What, in general, is the routine?

Very best,

P-paul

Paul
First of all I must say that I greatly admire the thought and research you are putting into this. In regards to how long one is a novice it is (I think this is universal, please correct me if I am wrong) two years. One canonical and One apostolic year. This is taken from the Sisters of Life website. The canonical year is a time of further separation from the world for the sake of deeper prayer and greater integration of religious identity. The apostolic year provides for extern periods at professed houses. Through the whole of novitiate, Sisters take classes and meet with a novice director in preparation for the vowed life and apostolate.

JMJ+
~Betsy

Totus tuus Maria!

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Paul
First of all I must say that I greatly admire the thought and research you are putting into this. In regards to how long one is a novice it is (I think this is universal, please correct me if I am wrong) two years. One canonical and One apostolic year. This is taken from the Sisters of Life website. The canonical year is a time of further separation from the world for the sake of deeper prayer and greater integration of religious identity. The apostolic year provides for extern periods at professed houses. Through the whole of novitiate, Sisters take classes and meet with a novice director in preparation for the vowed life and apostolate.

JMJ+
~Betsy

Totus tuus Maria!

Betsy,
Great post.

I must add that I highly doubt that a novice even in her apostolic year would be allowed much contact with a male to whom she is not related to. Even contact with relatives is still constrained during this time.

 

[PianoPaul]

Thank you so much for your help, Betsy. The more answers I get the more questions I have. Why on earth would a religious, expected to do good for humanity, be expected to separate herself from humanity and its problems for such a length of time? Wouldn’t, at the risk of multi-tasking, a great infusion of human circumstances, both its woes and permutations, be simple to study, together with being immersed in religious observance? Not that immersion in religious experience is too self-serving to be able to become a Mother Teresa. But wouldn’t it help to know a bit about the political shifting sands, the social patterns, the variety of religious conflicts and so on? Wouldn’t both immersions be considered of supreme importance in serving God? I’m stuck there. Can you point to a biblical reference that summons your stated reasoning of “separation”?

As to the brother’s tag:

“I must add that I highly doubt that a novice even in her apostolic year would be allowed much contact with a male to whom she is not related to. Even contact with relatives is still constrained during this time.”

This, in keeping with my observation above, seems unreasonably constricting. (I’m not saying this only because if I followed the advice I’d have to throw out my entire premise.) Where is the guidance for this law, that the novice not be permitted association with someone of the opposite gender? In what is this biblically rooted? Does this mean a man of any age? Or just an age in which a novice may undergo earthly temptation? Does it mean she can’t communicate with a man of the cloth? Of any denomination? Suppose the Messiah returns. You see my problem? Is there a possibility, and I ask respectfully, of a matter of sexism here?

I’m not by any means trying to split hairs, or trying to catch you up on thorny questions of possible biblical contradiction. My wish is to use your ancient and tried and true knowledge to work my way out of my own confusions.

Thank you again for your interest.

Please keep this up. Your continuation of probing into things and peeling away all the arcane, murky layers until we arrive at facts is extremely important to an author who wishes to speak only the truth.

I’m just a civilian, but bless you anyway.

Paul

 

[GilChrist77]

Thank you so much for your help, Betsy. The more answers I get the more questions I have. Why on earth would a religious, expected to do good for humanity, be expected to separate herself from humanity and its problems for such a length of time? Wouldn’t, at the risk of multi-tasking, a great infusion of human circumstances, both its woes and permutations, be simple to study, together with being immersed in religious observance? Not that immersion in religious experience is too self-serving to be able to become a Mother Teresa. But wouldn’t it help to know a bit about the political shifting sands, the social patterns, the variety of religious conflicts and so on? Wouldn’t both immersions be considered of supreme importance in serving God? I’m stuck there. Can you point to a biblical reference that summons your stated reasoning of “separation”?

As to the brother’s tag:

“I must add that I highly doubt that a novice even in her apostolic year would be allowed much contact with a male to whom she is not related to. Even contact with relatives is still constrained during this time.”

This, in keeping with my observation above, seems unreasonably constricting. (I’m not saying this only because if I followed the advice I’d have to throw out my entire premise.) Where is the guidance for this law, that the novice not be permitted association with someone of the opposite gender? In what is this biblically rooted? Does this mean a man of any age? Or just an age in which a novice may undergo earthly temptation? Does it mean she can’t communicate with a man of the cloth? Of any denomination? Suppose the Messiah returns. You see my problem? Is there a possibility, and I ask respectfully, of a matter of sexism here?

I’m not by any means trying to split hairs, or trying to catch you up on thorny questions of possible biblical contradiction. My wish is to use your ancient and tried and true knowledge to work my way out of my own confusions.

Thank you again for your interest.

Please keep this up. Your continuation of probing into things and peeling away all the arcane, murky layers until we arrive at facts is extremely important to an author who wishes to speak only the truth.

I’m just a civilian, but bless you anyway.

Paul

That just went way out of my league so I’m mostly going to leave this to someone else to answer. Religious life is really hard and because of that they want you to be totally there with no distractions during those first three years of formation. The first three years are primarily used as a longer more in depth time of discernment and you can’t discern that deeply if you are distracted by the world. It’s the same thing in regards to the communicating. I know that it’s going to be really hard when I leave my family for the convent and if I was allowed to visit with them all the time or call them all the time it wouldn’t help me at all it would only hinder me from focusing on growing in relationships with my sisters and finding out who I am in the community and find out what the Lord is trying to say to me. In regards to the men of the cloth, sisters have regular confessors and spiritual directors.
I don’t see it as a matter of sexism because it’s not just that she is limited in her speaking to men, she is limited in her speaking to anyone out side of her sisters because as I said above those relationships are what she really needs to focus on.

I hope this helps.

JMJ+
~Betsy

Totus tuus Maria!

 

[PianoPaul]

Dear Betsy,

I truly appreciate your reply and your effort to help. If I’m still a bit befogged, it’s not your fault, believe me. You write eloquently and I hang on every precious word. I know writing takes time. I’m a writer. And you are doing this out of the goodness of your heart. I want you to understand that this is not going unrecognized and as before stated, unappreciated.

I am not a baptized Christian. Or a firm believer of religions. However I try to live a life wherein I may do good unto others. And that is primarily because I have studied the teachings of Jesus more than most and have found them to be exemplary. He was in every way deserving of respect, philosophically, morally and as an icon of the good life. He believed what He thought. And what He thought He preached. His ideas were quite new for His time and place. It was a simple “Do unto others as ye would have done unto you” and this was what He wished and what He wished He put into words and these words He spread amongst His acolytes and His fellow citizens as far as His voice could reach. They were not “safe” words. They were extreme, liberal, rebellious, dangerous, enemy-engendering. He knew He would have to forfeit His life for the necessity of heralding these words. But there was a higher purpose. And to Him the price was small. There was no electrical power of communication, no Internet for Him. He had to travel, barefoot, in extreme poverty, hungry, but sustained by His higher good of reaching as many souls as His God had put before Him. Although He sacrificed many mortal things, things of the flesh, His “higher purpose” urged Him on to put the word out to as many yearning creatures of the Father of All Men as were willing to listen. He didn’t shun society. He embraced it, lectured, taught, needled, loved with a passion not seen in two thousand years that followed. It was a form of social intercourse that had not been witnessed before or since. Jesus did not, to my knowledge, ask His disciples to bury themselves in caves for years away from their brethren to focus on themselves - to blot out humanity - He would, it seems to me, have been shocked and revolted by the idea. Jesus was a Man of the People, and would have insisted, demanded, “Go Thou and do Likewise.” In this way, I too am a Christian. And I’m proud to say, so are many of my irreligious friends.

This is what stumps me, and again, I say this out of pure honest, respectful questioning passion to know…what is it that turned everyone away from this philosophy? Where was it written that novices must spend two, three years in contemplation, not of the trials and horrors or what is going on outside in the real, trammeled world - the Jesus world - but turn inward and pull the curtain and cast a dark cloud, a shadow on a forged, a soi-disant reality, as if its very essence, its knowledge, would pollute the soul rather, than as it did with the Savior, enrich it?

I ask the question humbly. I hope you will find the grace in yourself and in your superiors to respond to this worrisome conundrum. It is important, not only to find grist for questioning within the characters in my work (if there’s no conflict in story, the viewer will be put to sleep - that’s an essential rule in playwriting), but for my own sense of curiosity, purpose, well-being - and truth-telling!

Thank you for your interest and your responses. I know your life is not simple and corresponding with a writer who has his feet on the ground is probably not your favorite way to pass the time. I apologize if any of my words give offense. They are certainly not intended.

Yours in a mutual love in Christ’s love,

Paul

 

[FK04US]

Hi Paul,

I just wanted to chime in a little bit here. Thank you for your interest in this aspect of Catholic religious life.

Regarding the “getting out of the world” practice during religious formation, I will have to tell you that there is no uniform criteria across the different religious orders. Some are more cloistered than others, and I would say that most of them DO incorporate service apostolate during this period. BUT, even when they do that, service and “helping the world” is not the focus of the Novitiate. Religious formation is a long period, it can take from 8 to 12 years, and is a combination of contemplation, studies, social apostolate, missions, evangelization, community life, and of course a lot of silent prayer.

That is why different aspects are emphasized during different parts of the formation process of a religious. The Novitiate is not the time to go out and help the needy. It is the time to learn the spirituality of the founder of the Order, to learn how to live in community, to deepen your prayer life, to appreciate your personal relationship with God in silence and looking into your heart if you are actually being called to this vocation and spirituality. And it is following Jesus teachings, as when He would usually take a moment out of his daily activities to be alone and pray to the Father. This is a crucial element of Christian life, silence, contemplation, prayer, and the Novitiate is the period of “training” when religious focus on this part so they can later go in the world fortified and trained on the practices of prayer and discernment.

It is not an either or, it is both, but with different emphasis. And I would say, that without an intense prayer life, without that personal connection with Him sought out in silence, there is no point for a Catholic to do social services and been out there by ourselves. We need Him, that is why we pray, and the more, the better for ourselves and for the world.

Hope this helps,

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

Is there some reason you want your character to be a novice – where it seems unrealistic that she would be sent to another country. Perhaps she could instead be a junior professed sister. The real religious would have to comment here, but it seems more realistic to me that someone in vows would be sent to another country to work rather than a novice who has yet to take vows.

 

[PianoPaul]

You have been of inestimable help. Why, anonymously, you have chosen to do so, for someone to whom you have no link - besides an anonymous one - validates your good heart.

There’s no reason my character has to be a novice. I had a momentary notion that if the plot twisted in a sudden direction and the character had to opt out of her vows, it might be more convenient. But I haven’t, as yet, fully fleshed out my characters. As you are probably aware a writer must work on his people like a psychiatrist, only from the opposite end. That is, I shudder to say it, but somewhat God-like, I have to invent fully dimensional human beings with backgrounds and desires and needs and drives. All that normal stuff. I have to constantly bear in mind that no one, not one human soul does anything without being properly motivated. People, whether they realize it consciously or not, react out of inner drives, inner motors. Often they carry secrets that even are clouded from their own psyches. The task of the playwright is to root out motive and bring to the surface all these lingering, boiling, latent impulses, both the dark and the light. It’s not as easy as it sounds. (Joke.) This is why we try so hard to research a subject so thoroughly before we start Act I, Scene I. We’re not all of us Shakespeares. (Thank God.) And if we ask questions about, say, what is it that makes a human being desire the life of a hermit, a cenobite, a novice, a priest - to give up all fleshly desires in order to serve whatever design that he feels his conscience, his religion, his Almighty Spirit has led him to - that also is fair game to be investigated and probed and given accurate psychological tribute. There are plays, true, in which characters who are not adequately examined are portrayed. They look like the two-dimensional, cardboard, stereotypes that are desultorily leaked out of the playwright’s head. I do not wish to demean my characters by short-changing them, and by extension, short-changing the the spirit, the philosophy, the theosophy and in the end, the church, by not sufficiently doing my homework.

I’m so inspired by your interest. I’m sure my finished product will reflect the investment of your time and patience and knowledge with which you have been kind enough to lend me. To imbue me.

And whether it works out for me or not, I shall forever bless your efforts.

Paul

 

[Tezza]

Hi Paul,

I just looked in on this thread, so forgive my late arrival. As someone discerning religious life, I thought I would try to clarify a few things.

If the novice is part of a teaching order (or any order for that matter), she would probably not be “working” yet, as others have clarified. The novitiate is a stage of formation in which a woman learns about living the life of the Ecumenical counsels (poverty, chastity, and obedience), learns more about herself (as well as the Order learning about her) and deepens her relationship with Christ.

A person called to religious life is called to be the spouse of Christ. The service one gives naturally flows from the love that one experiences in their union with Christ, i.e. the work is secondary. That is why you can have those who feel called to completely abandon the world and live as hermits or cloistered. It is the relationship with Christ that is at the center of abandonment. Of course for cloistered nuns, their love is reflected in prayer for others.

For one to join religious life just because they want to serve all the time and not be hindered by family demands, the novitiate is a time to work with God on the relationship part of the vocation. Some my find they don’t actually have a vocation, others learn to center themselves in Christ so they do have the strength to give completely. It would be like getting married only to have kids…wouldn’t be a very good marriage

If your character needed to be dispensed from her vows, then making her a novice would definitely be easier as she has not professed vows and is free to leave. A temporary professed can also leave at the end of the term of her profession…varies from different Orders. I believe first profession can range from one year to two years.

Here is the formation process of the School Sisters of St. Francis if you want to check them out.

panhandlefranciscans.org/index.cfm?load=page&page=161

Hope that helps!

In Christ,
Teri

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

If your character needed to be dispensed from her vows, then making her a novice would definitely be easier as she has not professed vows and is free to leave. A temporary professed can also leave at the end of the term of her profession…varies from different Orders. I believe first profession can range from one year to two years.

Canonically temporary vows are at a minimum of 3 years but can be extended in one year increments up to 9 years. Temporary vows can be released by the superior of an Order.

Permanent vows come after at least 3 years of temporary vows and are for life but can be released by Rome.

The novitiate (one or two year depending on the constitutions of the order, canonically one year plus a day is required) ends with the novice making their first temporary vows.

 

[GilChrist77]

Dear Betsy,

I truly appreciate your reply and your effort to help. If I’m still a bit befogged, it’s not your fault, believe me. You write eloquently and I hang on every precious word. I know writing takes time. I’m a writer. And you are doing this out of the goodness of your heart. I want you to understand that this is not going unrecognized and as before stated, unappreciated.

I am not a baptized Christian. Or a firm believer of religions. However I try to live a life wherein I may do good unto others. And that is primarily because I have studied the teachings of Jesus more than most and have found them to be exemplary. He was in every way deserving of respect, philosophically, morally and as an icon of the good life. He believed what He thought. And what He thought He preached. His ideas were quite new for His time and place. It was a simple “Do unto others as ye would have done unto you” and this was what He wished and what He wished He put into words and these words He spread amongst His acolytes and His fellow citizens as far as His voice could reach. They were not “safe” words. They were extreme, liberal, rebellious, dangerous, enemy-engendering. He knew He would have to forfeit His life for the necessity of heralding these words. But there was a higher purpose. And to Him the price was small. There was no electrical power of communication, no Internet for Him. He had to travel, barefoot, in extreme poverty, hungry, but sustained by His higher good of reaching as many souls as His God had put before Him. Although He sacrificed many mortal things, things of the flesh, His “higher purpose” urged Him on to put the word out to as many yearning creatures of the Father of All Men as were willing to listen. He didn’t shun society. He embraced it, lectured, taught, needled, loved with a passion not seen in two thousand years that followed. It was a form of social intercourse that had not been witnessed before or since. Jesus did not, to my knowledge, ask His disciples to bury themselves in caves for years away from their brethren to focus on themselves - to blot out humanity - He would, it seems to me, have been shocked and revolted by the idea. Jesus was a Man of the People, and would have insisted, demanded, “Go Thou and do Likewise.” In this way, I too am a Christian. And I’m proud to say, so are many of my irreligious friends.

This is what stumps me, and again, I say this out of pure honest, respectful questioning passion to know…what is it that turned everyone away from this philosophy? Where was it written that novices must spend two, three years in contemplation, not of the trials and horrors or what is going on outside in the real, trammeled world - the Jesus world - but turn inward and pull the curtain and cast a dark cloud, a shadow on a forged, a soi-disant reality, as if its very essence, its knowledge, would pollute the soul rather, than as it did with the Savior, enrich it?

I ask the question humbly. I hope you will find the grace in yourself and in your superiors to respond to this worrisome conundrum. It is important, not only to find grist for questioning within the characters in my work (if there’s no conflict in story, the viewer will be put to sleep - that’s an essential rule in playwriting), but for my own sense of curiosity, purpose, well-being - and truth-telling!

Thank you for your interest and your responses. I know your life is not simple and corresponding with a writer who has his feet on the ground is probably not your favorite way to pass the time. I apologize if any of my words give offense. They are certainly not intended.

Yours in a mutual love in Christ’s love,

Paul

Even Jesus had to spend time away from the world before He could embrace it with all it’s imperfections. He spent forty days fasting in the dessert, spending time alone with His Father before pursuing the Fathers will for Him which was to die on the cross. There are many other times when Scripture says that Jesus went away for a time or Jesus went up to the mountain alone to pray or something to that effect. If Jesus (the Son of God) needed time spent alone with His Father before embracing His will for Him then how much more do we. mere humans, need the same.

JMJ+
~Betsy

Totus tuus Maria!

 

[Spiritu]

Hi PianoPaul,

I’d suggest a look at the Code of Canon Law concerning the religious state; that will give you the technical details about various stages of religious life, and the rules that govern life in the convent.
ourladyswarriors.org/canon/
For your research, I’d suggest Part III, “Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.”

If you can find an out-of-print book called the Catechism of the Religious State by Louis (or Lodovico, depending on which version you use) Fanfani, O.P, it will give you the information from Canon Law in a much more user-friendly question-and-answer format.

Also, something that probably won’t provide much practical help, but may be a source of inspiration: have a look for a book called The Catholic Imagination by Andrew Greeley. It was published in the year 2000. At the end of the chapter on Salvation (page 172 in the copy in front of me) there’s a photograph of nuns in Puerto Rico escorting a group of girls to their First Communion, veils blown about by the wind.