Is God Calling You?

One of the things that Catholics believe is that God calls everyone to some vocation, some specific way of living out holiness. It could be as a married person, a single person, a priest or vowed religious (a nun).

So the answer to the question is that God IS calling you. The next question one needs to answer is this: to what way of life is God calling you.  Do you think God might be directing you to think about becoming a nun?

Here are some questions to think about if you sense that God is calling:

• Do you feel a yearning to serve others?
• Does your heart feel drawn to prayer?
• Do you desire to join with others in making a difference?
• Do you value Catholicism and its contribution to history?

If you answered yes to two or more of these questions, God might be calling you to vowed life.

Spend 2 1/2 minutes watching this video. If you want more information, write to us.

Self Survey:  Thinking about Becoming a Nun

Truth be told, thoughts about God and how to live God’s will have been in your head for a while.  You’ve tried to ignore it, you’ve tried distractions, you’ve tried to rationalize it to something else.  But it just won’t go away.

So maybe you need some help thinking about becoming a nun.  Though there are lots of things to keep in mind, two of the most important are prayer and service.  By prayer, we mean a regular pattern of being with God and communicating with God.  By service, we mean participating in charitable work that makes a difference in the lives of people, especially those most in need.

Here are a couple of questions to help you get started.

Prayer

1.     Do you have a sense that God is present in your life, drawing you closer?

2.     Do you pray?  When?  How Often?

3.     How do you pray?

• Do you use scripture?

• Do you do spiritual reading?
  

  Sisters Mary Ann and Betty reflect on Bishop Murry's homily

• Do you go to Mass?

• Do you pray the Rosary?

• Do you use other devotions?

4.   Is music part of your prayer?

5.   Where do you pray?

6.  Do you ever pray with others or do faith sharing?

7.  Have you ever talked with anyone about your spiritual life or deepest desires?

8.  Are you looking for a way to nurture the sense of God’s presence in your life?

Here is a prayer  as you think through these questions about becoming a nun:

Loving God,  you place in each person a longing for you. Nurture this yearning to serve you and your people as a vowed religious woman.  I ask this, knowing that you call women in each era to serve you.

Service

1.  Do you volunteer time in service to others?  How often?

2.  Do you know your motivation for serving?

3. Is your service to others at all connected to your faith/beliefs?

If these questions resonate with you, maybe it is time that you talk to someone about this feeling in your life.   Send us an email or contact a nun in your area.

Not sure where to find a nun?  Contact your local Catholic parish or school/university.  Even if there is no nun on staff, they will probably be able to give you a contact.  Or contact the diocesan office in your area.

One more thing:  know that we will be praying with you and for you as you continue to pursue these questions.  God bless you.

How do I become a Nun?

You’re wondering:  how do you become a nun?  The steps for entering a Religious Community are less familiar than the steps for getting married (even though no one calls it that).  We’ll describe the process for incorporation into a Religious Community by making some analogies between that and getting married.

Step One: “Getting to Know You“ You try to get to know the nuns and the nuns get to know you.

Step Two: Pre-Candidacy or Affiliation: As you spend time with the Sisters, you may discover the tug and pull for something more. This calls you to the next step in becoming a nun.

Step Three: Candidacy or Postulancy: The next step in becoming a nun is to make a formal application to join the community. This is sometimes called Postulancy.

Step Four: Entering the Novitiate: Once you enter the Novitiate, you are considered a member of the community. However there is no permanent commitment yet.

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