Little Sisters of St.Therese of the child Jesus - Kenya
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Aspirants -
Postulants -
Novices -
Temporary Profession
Our Formation
In order to become a Little Sister of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, one has to undergo formation. We have both initial and ongoing formation. Initial formation is aimed at the interaction of the candidate with our fraternal life and it consists of Aspirancy, Postulancy, Novitiate, and Juniorate. Ongoing formation follows perpetual profession and helps us to give an authentic response to our vocation and continuously deepen the charism of our founders.
Steps involved
Stage 1: Pre-Aspirancy
This is the time where our congregation provides seminars for the candidate who is interested to join our way of life. During this stage, the candidate will be given opportunities to come and see our way of life. After if the candidate is intrested to our way of life she makes application to the congreagation in order to be allowed to join the congregation if she qualifies.
Stage 2: Aspirancy
In the Aspirancy period, the candidate is gradually introduced to our congregation where She will be given opportunities to learn our way of life, how to pray and how to do things according to way of Little sisters of St.Therese of the child jesus. She is introduced to various apostolates carried out by our congregation. The Aspirant is gradually ushered into a new ‘culture’ where she will learn to integrate herself into and develop the disposition and the ability to live with others in sharing and generosity, develop her capacity and human qualities for uprightness, affective equilibrium, aptitude for self-giving and dedication, a disposition for service to the poor and the attraction towards the Congregation and its apostolate and a certain maturity to be able to commit herself to follow Christ and to persevere in the chosen path.
Stage 3: Postulancy
The Postulancy is the start of the formal religious formation of any candidate aspiring to become a Sister of St. Therese. The aim of the Postulancy is to initiate the candidate into the lifestyle and work of the Congregation, to examine her aptitudes and motivations, and to prepare her for the next stage of formation, the Novitiate. This lasts at least six months and at most one year, she will be given fundamentals of Christian Doctrine so as to help her deepen her prayer life. Study of the history of the Congregation initiates her into the life of the Sisters. Here, a progressive formation to separation from the world is to be undertaken. An integral human formation is indispensable for a well-balanced religious life. Uprightness, integrity, loyalty, work and a well-ordered life are values that will be developed.
Stage 4: Novitiate
The life of the Little Sister of St.Therese begins in the novitiate. This is the foundation stone of the formation programme. Canonically, novitiate lasts 12 months and reaches its peak at the first profession of religious vows. The second year of novitiate the novices move to different communities for experience. In the course of novitiate, novices practice fully the lifestyle proper to our charism and learn how to harmoniously combine contemplation with apostolic activity. Formation focuses on the in-depth studies of theology of religious vows: chastity, poverty and obedience.
Temporary Profession
Having professed the first vows, Sisters begin formation called juniorate. this may last 6 years although it may be shortened to only 3 years or extended up to 9. The purpose of the juniorate formation is so the Sisters may deepen a sense of consecrated identity as Little sister of st. therese while engaging in the active apostolate of the Congregation, further education and full practice of religious vows.
