Live joyfully as a servant among God’s
people; in harmony with the gift of all
creation; in spirit with the poor and
marginalized. That’s how St. Francis
of Assisi lived 800 years ago and how
Sylvania Franciscans live today.
To explore a more fulfilling life,
contact Sister Julie Myers at
419-824-3914 or jmyers@sistersosf.org
Sisters of St. Francis
of Sylvania Ohio
www.sistersosf.org
Enter #085 at VocationMatch.com
By our example, our work, our service to others .. . for the honor and glory of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
Contemplative
Members of contemplative religious communities focus on prayer,
especially the Mass, praying daily
together the Liturgy of the Hours,
and individual prayer such as lectio
divina, the prayerful reading of
scripture. They tend to live in greater
solitude than apostolic communities
so that they can better direct their
prayer and work toward contemplation, though some communities that
consider themselves contemplative
are also engaged in some active
apostolic ministries.
Cloistered
Contemplative religious communities are often cloistered or partially
cloistered—that is, they live separated from the rest of the world to be
more focused on prayer, including
prayer for the needs of the world. As
cloistered religious they rarely leave
their monasteries, and all or most of
their work is done within the monastery itself, depending on the degree
to which they are cloistered.
Discernment
Reflecting on and praying about how
to respond to God’s call to follow
Jesus Christ as his disciple in a par-
ticular way of life.
Formation
The process of education and spiritual development that takes place
during the early months or years of
joining a religious community. Those
entering the diocesan priesthood are
involved in formation while they
study at a seminary.
Missionary
Missionary communities focus their
lives on spreading the gospel to other
countries or areas of their own coun-
try in need of evangelization. These
communities serve in many different
places in a variety of ministries, like
preaching, teaching, service, and
other forms of witness among the
people with whom they live.
Monastic
Monastic communities fall somewhere between apostolic and
cloistered. Monastic men and women
place a high value on prayer and
living in community life, but many
are also engaged in active ministries.
Monasticism centers on community
life, work, and common and individual prayer.
Motherhouse
The principal home for a women’s
religious community. The leader
of the community lives there, and
usually the community’s administrative offices are located in or near the
same building.
Novice
A man or woman taking part in the
initial stage of entering a religious
community. The novice is typically
involved in discernment, preparation,
and formation activities, including
study of the order’s charism, history,
constitution, and way of life. This
period usually lasts from 12 to 24
months and is called the novitiate. At
its end, the novice can go on to take
temporary vows of poverty, chastity,
and obedience.
Postulant
A man or woman requesting and still
discerning membership in a religious
community before becoming a nov-
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Enter #133 at VocationMatch.com
VISION 2013
