Third Stage: Novitiate Period

Description of the stage:
Novitiate is a stage in which the novice knows and experiences the life of the Franciscan sisters of the Immaculate especially the powerful experience of God, fraternal life as well as initiation into the mission, to discern their vocation and decide to follow Jesus, committed to "Do good always" and option for the poor.

General Objective:
To build up integral process through the vocational discernment by discovering the demands of the following of Jesus poor, obedient and virgin, living in fraternity and opting for good.

Specific Objective:
To grow in the knowledge and acceptance of oneself and others, assuming the formation as continuous attitude of search and to develop the capacity for personal and fraternal discernment, in the light of the Gospel, the signs of the times and our charism.

Important requirement of the Novitiate period
She should achieve the objectives, capacities and attitudes required during this period in order to go for further steps She should solicit freely to the Major superior permission letter for the temporal vows. She should make a free and responsible choice with regard to her vocation.

Duration:
The duration is for two years, which can be prolonged only for 6 months. One year is canonical and has to be fully spent in the Novitiate.