If you are at this website you are probably hearing a “divine call” of some kind and are now pondering the idea of a religious vocation within the Roman Catholic Church.  It truly is a blessing that the Catholic Church promotes three religious vocations: priesthood, brother and sister/nun.  When a person chooses one of these three vocations, they choose to serve the Church and to serve God in a very unique way. The person will consecrate themselves with the vows of poverty, chasity and obedience.  (If a man is considering the priesthood he will receive the sacrament of Holy Orders.)  Their life revolves around prayer, community life and ministry and service to others.

How Do I Know If I Am Called to Be a Sister?

Many sisters will tell you that when they first felt called to becoming a sister, they felt God was leading them into this direction.  It may have been through the suggestions of others, through a series of “coincidences”, through prayer that would not take them away from this thought or through a combination of all of these.  Below are some questions that pertain to someone who is being called to be a sister.

• Does the idea of becoming a sister keep coming back to you? Do you have a hard time letting go of the idea?
• Do you find yourself attracted to sisters and/or wanting to know more about who sisters are and what they do?
• Do you have a desire to give more of yourself to others?
• Do you have a desire to be a part of something bigger?
• Does the idea of following what God is calling you to do over what society tells you should do more appealing?
• Do you desire to have a deeper relationship with God that will sustain and energize you?
• Do you feel called to spread the Good News and to preach the Gospel Message?
• Does the idea of becoming a sister excite you even if it is a scary thought for you?

If you have answered “yes” to even one of these questions, you may want to consider discerning whether or not God is calling you to religious life.

What is Discernment?

Discernment is a prayerful way to enter into a decision making process. The difference between a decision and discernment is in discernment we invite God into the process.

How Does One Discern a Religious Vocation?

The first thing when questioning whether you are called to religious life is to pray and invite God into the process.  After all, since God is the one that puts the idea in the heart so shouldn’t God be the one with whom you consult?

The next steps will include finding someone to talk to about this process.  A friend is not always the best person. You may want to talk to a priest, a sister or a spiritual director.  If you aren’t sure where to go for help, contact your diocesan vocation office.  Their information can be found on websites or your parish rectory may have the information.

You will also want to make visits to some of the religious orders.  There are several hundred religious orders in the world. Each has their own charism or “spiritual personality”.  There will be some that will be a “fit” and others that won’t be.  The quickest way to find out if God is calling you to religious life is to simply contact the vocation director of the religious order and make a visit.  A visit in no way commits you to anything, however, you will find out sooner rather than later if you are being called to be a sister or not.  This visit is the best way to gather information.

What Do I Look for When I Visit a Religious Order?

When visiting a religious order, be aware of your comfort level and what attracts you about their way of life and what doesn’t.  Be mindful too that if the first visit doesn’t meet your expectations, it doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have a religious vocation, you may be simply called to look at another order.  Some women have an answer about their discernment on the first visit and others may take a number of visits to a variety of religious orders before they know where they are being led.

There are some things to look for and ask yourself when you do make a visit.

The first thing when questioning whether you are called to religious life is to pray and invite God into the process.  After all, since God is the one that puts the idea in the heart so shouldn’t God be the one with whom you consult?

• Am I attracted to their prayer life? Can I see myself being enriched by their prayer life?
• Are their vocation stories similar to mine?  Can I relate to the sisters?
• Do the areas of ministry that I am attracted to fit with this community?
• Can I laugh with these sisters?
• Do I have the health needed to live in this religious order (or in religious life)?
• Do I desire to come back and be with them again?