Vocations

Monastic & Apostolic Life

In the spirit of humility and simplicity, our life of Prayer and Adoration is lived out in a semi-cloistered contemplative service. 

​The apostolic life, through which the sisters of the Order of Saint Bridget engage in the modern world, has diverse forms. Central to our apostolic charism is hospitality, traditional to all monasticism, which in its Bridgettine form translates into the provision of guest houses where individuals and groups from all Christian traditions or none are warmly welcomed and looked after. Our sisters in some countries also work with youth, evangelize, have nursery schools, to name but some of our other activities.

Inseparable from this apostolic life, and giving the apostolic life its source of power and energy, is the Bridgettine prayer life, which is deeply rooted in the Eucharist in daily Mass and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament; the singing of the Divine Office, and special devotion to the humanity of Christ, and an intense filial devotion to the Mother of God. Both of these devotions were centralized in a particular manner in the scene on Calvary, in Jesus Christ himself Crucified and his sorrowful Mother beneath the Cross. In this way we retain our motto “Amor meus crucifixus est”, “My love is crucified” as the most concentrated and most authentic expression of the spirituality of our Order.

​The happy synthesis of monastic and apostolic life characterizes the Order of Saint Bridget, constantly attracts new postulants and novices, and reminds all of the need to live their Christian lives in the constant presence and remembrance of God our Saviour. 

Our main intentions for our prayer include the unity of all Christians and cessation of the deplorable division among Christians and conversion of all nations to the One True Faith and One True Fold for the personal and ministerial success of the sovereign pontiff; and promotion and consolidation of the priesthood and the consecrated life in the Catholic Church. 

Stages of Formation

Aspirancy

When a young woman first enters the community, she will spend her first months as an aspirant. It is a time for her to continue to get to know the community and the charism and for the community to get to know her and see if it will be a good fit. It usually lasts anywhere from a few months to a year, depending on the needs of the candidate. It should not last more than 2 years.

Postulancy

Postulancy is the period of formation that has as its purpose to help the candidates mature in their free and supernatural decision to begin the novitiate by means of a direct knowledge of the life and spirit of the Order and an examination of their own fitness. The religious initiation of the postulants comprises mainly a suitable doctrinal formation with the principles of the spiritual life in the light of the Word of God; formation as to the liturgy and personal prayer; and acquaintance with the spirit of the Order through proper instructions and readings, practical inclusion in the life of the community and a certain degree of participation in the activities of the professed sisters. Postulancy lasts at least 6 months but can be prolonged if Mother Abbess General sees it necessary, but not longer than 2 years.

Novitiate

Religious life begins with the novitiate. The young woman receives the habit with a white veil and a new religious name at this time and is called Sister. The principal purpose of the novitiate is to initiate the candidates into the understanding and practice of the evangelical counsels as a total offering of themselves to God according to the spirit of our Order. The novitiate includes the canonical year where the young sisters are together in the Novitiate house under the direction of the Novice Mistress. It is a year dedicated to prayer and study and the novices are not permitted to participate in the external apostolates of the Order. After the canonical year is finished the Mother Abbess General can have the novices take a time of apostolic experience, usually no more than 6 months.

Juniorate

At the end of the novitiate, the novice professes the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience for one year. The newly professed sisters receives the black veil and crown, which daily reminds her of the Passion of Our Lord and the spirituality of our Order. The Juniorate is the formative stage in which the newly professed sisters undergo the first experience of fidelity to the religious consecration and prepares herself for definitive profession in the Order. It will be spent in houses suited to the purpose and under the guidance of the religious entrusted with the formation. During the Juniorate, the religious devote themselves to tasks that are proper to the Order. The Juniorate lasts at least 5 years but the time of temporary vows can be extended provided that the total number of years does not exceed 9 years.

Daily Schedule 

A typical day in the life of a Bridgettine Sister 

5:40 am: Rise 

6:00 am: Office of Readings and Morning Prayer 

7:00 am: Meditation 

7:30 am: Holy Mass 

8:00 am: Breakfast in silence, then time to get ready for the day 

9 – 11:45 am: Work of the day with sisters taking turns for Eucharistic Adoration 

11:45 am: Midday Prayer 

12 -12:45 pm: Lunch with first 15 minutes in silence listening to spiritual reading

1 – 2:30 pm: Work 

2:30 – 4 pm: Rest time / Spiritual Reading / Study 

4 – 5:15 pm: Rosary + Vespers with Adoration 

5:30 – 6:45 pm: Work or Study 

6:45 -7:30 pm: Dinner 

7:30 – 8:45 pm: Work / Community Activities 

8:45 pm: Night Prayer (Nocturnal Silence starts after prayer) 

10:30 pm: Lights Out

Contact us at bridgettinevocations@gmail.com if you are interested in Religious Life, are considering a vocation to our community, would like more information, or would like to schedule a visit.