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Page 1: Becoming a Jesuit: The First Steps · 1 Becoming a Jesuit: The First Steps The first steps in considering life as a Jesuit are very informal and without obligation. A Jesuit vocation

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Becoming a Jesuit: The First Steps The first steps in considering life as a Jesuit are very informal and without obligation. A Jesuit vocation is ultimately a fraternal relationship, and so the best way to learn more about us is to meet a "live" Jesuit and to have a simple conversation with him. Fr. Chuck Frederico, SJ, the Director of Vocations for the USA Northeast province, would be more than happy to help arrange a meeting with a Jesuit Vocation Coordinator in the inquirer's local area. After a period of reflection and conversation, the local Jesuit contact may invite the man to join in a formal discernment program entitled, the Jesuit Candidates. Jesuit Candidates The USA Northeast province offers a series of experiences for men who are seriously considering a Jesuit vocation. This program, called the "Jesuit Candidates," provides its members with vocational material for reading and prayer; spiritual direction and retreats; opportunities to meet Jesuits and to experience a variety of Jesuit ministries and communities; and service opportunities – all in an attempt to strengthen the call. The program's main goal is to assist a serious discerner as he prayerfully examines how God is at work in his life's path and whether the Society of Jesus is right for him. During the time of discernment, the Vocation Director encourages the Candidate to incorporate a regular time of prayer into his daily life. Each Candidate is expected to have a Spiritual Director, ordinarily a Jesuit, arranged by the Vocation Team. With the assistance of the Area Vocation Coordinator and a Spiritual Director, the Candidate is introduced to Ignatian spirituality and the "Jesuit" way of praying, with an emphasis on helping the man carefully examine his desire to become a priest or brother in the Society of Jesus. The Candidate is encouraged to participate in the celebration of the Eucharist and Reconciliation on a regular basis, and may also be encouraged to engage in some local apostolic service, again to help reveal God's plan for him. Jesuit Candidate Events An important part of the Candidate's getting to know the Jesuits and vice versa is the Candidate's participation in Local Gatherings and "Come and See" Events. Local Gatherings The Area Vocation Coordinator provides opportunities for Candidates to gather and meet local Jesuit communities. These gatherings usually consist of the celebration of the Eucharist, dinner, and a post-dinner presentation on some aspect of Jesuit life. The experience of meeting active Jesuits provides the Candidate with a good sense of who the Jesuits are and what we do. "Come and See" Events A regular series of "Come and See" Events are offered to Candidates throughout the year, the purpose of which is to expose Candidates to different facets of Jesuit life and formation. The major "Come and See" Events are: Ciszek Hall Weekend The weekend offers a mix of Jesuit prayer, service and community. Candidates live among fully-formed Jesuits at the 83rd Street Jesuit Community, and visit Ciszek Hall, the Jesuit House of Studies in the Bronx, NY, where they will meet the men in formation. The

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weekend is an experience of Jesuit life, formation and apostolic service, all in the context of assisting men in their discernment journey. Ordination Weekend During the second weekend in June, Candidates attend the Liturgy of Priestly Ordination of our Jesuit deacons. Provided also are conferences on priesthood in the Society of Jesus and opportunities to meet other Jesuits who are preparing for priestly ministry. Three Weeks a Jesuit Martyr's Shrine, Midland, Ontario, Canada The participants will live with the Jesuit community that serves the Martyrs’ Shrine and will work alongside the Jesuits in the ministry of the Shrine. This is an opportunity to experience first- hand the lifestyle of a Jesuit, to live, work, pray, and share community with the Jesuits. In addition to the experience of community life and of apostolic service, the program offers participants time for personal prayer, private spiritual direction, input on the history and mission of the Jesuits in Canada and around the world, an introduction to Jesuit spirituality and input on the life of the vows. Over the course of the summer participants will assist in a variety of works focused on providing support and assistance to the people who come to the Shrine for prayer and spiritual refreshment and to learn more about the Jesuit martyrs of the 17th century who worked and died there. Participants require the recommendation of a Jesuit vocation director. First Vows Weekend Every August, the novices of the US East province profess first vows in the Society of Jesus in Syracuse, NY. The weekend provides Candidates with an opportunity to learn about Jesuit history and spirituality, the life of the vows, and the Jesuit way of life. Candidates attend the vow ceremony, meet Jesuits in formation and spend time together in prayer. Housing, meals, and participant gatherings take place at LeMoyne College and St. Andrew Hall in Syracuse, New York. Novitiate Weekend St. Andrew Hall, Syracuse, NY The Novitiate Weekend is an opportunity for those seriously contemplating application to the Society to learn more about the first two years of life as a Jesuit. During the weekend, the Jesuit staff outlines the two-year novitiate program, and the Candidates get to meet, pray and socialize with the current Novices. Saint Andrew's is one of four Jesuit novitiates in the United States. The explicit permission of the Vocation Director is required for attendance at this event. Applying to the Novitiate After an appropriate period of discernment, a man may be invited by the Vocation Director to apply for admission into the Novitiate of the Society of Jesus. The application process is meant to be an experience of discernment through which the Society of Jesus and an applicant enter freely and honestly into an intense time of reflection, assessment and discovery. Through this process, the two strive with the help of the Holy Spirit to discover the will of God, and they commit themselves to a faith-filled response to it. The entire Process takes approximately ten weeks. During that time, the applicant undergoes thorough psychological, physical and spiritual assessment and evaluation. He is interviewed by four Jesuits and one lay Ignatian partner. He meets with a psychologist, a medical doctor, a dentist, and an ophthalmologist or optometrist. He completes and submits the two Statements of Authorization and the Application for Admission. He

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submits academic transcripts, two photos, the results of the HIV testing; the Reports of Physical, Eye, and Dental Examinations; the Certificates of Baptism and Confirmation; all other necessary canonical documents; five letters of reference; and a criminal background history report. The reports of the five interviewers, the results of psychological testing, and any official documents or transcripts are submitted directly to the Vocation Director. A checklist of all these materials is included in this packet. The Process may not reach its final stages until all materials have been submitted to the Director of Vocations. In addition, the applicant should maintain personal diligence in each of the following areas: daily prayer, spiritual direction, the sacramental life of the Church, contact with a Jesuit community, service to the poor, and an intentional living of poverty, chastity, and obedience. The Spiritual Autobiography Before deciding whether to apply for admission to the Society of Jesus, a man does a good deal of reflecting, reading, praying, and questioning about the Society of Jesus. To that end, each applicant is asked to write a spiritual autobiography. It should be about 15 pages, typed, paginated, double spaced, clipped, not stapled. The spiritual autobiography may be constructed in any appropriate way, but it should ultimately give the reader a sense of the applicant and how his life and vocation have been shaped. It should convey the personal and faith history that has brought the applicant to seek admission to the Society of Jesus at this point in his life. Suggestions for topics to be covered include:

1. What are the significant turning points in the applicant's life? 2. Who have been, or are, the significant people in his life? 3. What was it like growing up in his family? 4. What has been his experience of school? Of work? 5. What are some significant decisions he has made? 6. What are some of the struggles and conflicts with which he has dealt? 7. What does he consider his principal strengths and weaknesses? 8. What has been his experience of prayer and the Sacraments? 9. How has his relationship with God developed over the years? 10. How does he understand the three vows? 11. How does he understand the mission of the Society? 12. Why does he want to be a Jesuit? How has he come to that decision?

The Resume/Curriculum Vitae A separate resume/curriculum vitae should be submitted at the same time as the spiritual autobiography. It should include the following:

1. Date of birth 2. All places & dates of residence 3. All places & dates of employment 4. All schools attended and degrees earned 5. All extra-curricular activities 6. All volunteer service and Church ministries

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The Decision After the Director receives the applicant's completed file, he distributes it along with the applicant's spiritual autobiography and resume/curriculum vitae, to a Jesuit Review Board. This Board reflects on the applicant's materials and meets to discuss each application. The board consists of the Director and three other Jesuits. After the Review Board meets, the Vocation Director gives the Provincial the applicant's entire dossier, a summary of the Director's discernment, and the proceedings and recommendations of the Review Board. The Provincial makes a final discernment about admission and informs the Vocation Director. The Vocation Director then informs the applicant of the decision, and the Provincial communicates his decision in a formal letter.