What is a Sister? What is a vocation? What is an Aspirancy? What stage of formation follows Aspirancy? What does your Novitiate entail? Are you a contemplative or an active order? What is your charism? Where are your different missions? What color is your habit? Why do you wear a habit? What language does your community commonly speak?

What is a Sister? A Sister is a Bride of Christ. She is a woman called by God to give herself entirely to Him and to the service of His people. From her relationship with Jesus flows all of the work she undertakes. Back to Top

What is a vocation? A vocation is a call from God. We have existed in the mind of God from all eternity and God has chosen this time in history to place us on this earth. He has a particular mission for each one of us and it is up to us to discover this wonderful plan. Some people are called to the single lay life, some people are called to the vocation of marriage and others are called to religious life. When we find our vocation, we find our mission and we find the fullness of happiness. What is God calling you to? Don't be afraid to find out. Ask God for the grace to hear His voice and to fulfill His plan in your life. He has an amazing work for you as His child. He loves you and desires to see you living the life you were created to live. If you think that God may be calling you to a life of espousal to His Son, Jesus Christ, "come and see"! Back to Top

What is an Aspirancy? This is a period of discernment. The structure and length of time varies according to country and culture but the goal is to discern whether there is a call to consecrate oneself as spouse of Christ in religious life, and whether she is called to do this as a member of the family of Our Lady. The Aspirancy Program in North America is an option for women seriously discerning a call to religious life. We provide a prayerful, structured environment to introduce women to the realities of religious life within the SOLT charism of Ecclesial Teams. It is during this time that we help women answer three basic, yet key questions: 1. Do I have a call to religious life? 2. Is my call to be lived out with SOLT? 3. Am I ready to move on to Postulancy with the Sisters? Our daily schedule introduces the women to our life of prayer and includes Morning Prayer and Spiritual Exercises, Mid-day Prayer and Rosary, Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament, Holy Mass, Evening Prayer, Night Prayer and Liturgy Preparation. This prayer is what we draw from to go out and serve in various apostolates including: serving at our Native American Mission School, visiting the home-bound, visiting our local nursing home, catechetical work and various parish ministries. Back to Top

What stage of formation follows Aspirancy? This second step in formation is Postulancy: a year long time of prayer, teachings, work and small apostolate. The woman grows deeper in her knowledge of the Trinity and community life of SOLT. She makes her total consecration to Our Blessed Mother. Back to Top

What does your Novitiate entail? Our Novitiate is a two year program. One year is a Spiritual Formation Year, in which the novice makes an informed and determined decision as to whether the Society of Our Lady is the family to which she is called by our Triune God for time and eternity. This period is a time of contemplative prayer and deeper study of the spiritual life and the covenant espousal to Christ, and in Him, to the Most Holy Trinity. It is followed by the Apostolic Formation Year. The grace of living Mary's relationship with Jesus in His work of salvation during this time flows from training in the first year in the ways of imitating Mary's knowledge, love and union with Jesus in His life, death and resurrection. At the end of the second year of novitiate, the novice renews her definitive decision regarding her choice of membership in the family of Our Lady's Society, sealing it by her profession of the evangelical vows. Back to Top

Are you a contemplative or an active order? Actually, we are contemplative/active community. We believe that all of our apostolic work flows from our deep life of prayer. Back to Top

What is your charism? Our charism (gift that our community gives to the world) is ecclesial or family teams. When we serve at a mission, we strive to serve with our SOLT priests and SOLT laity, thereby witnessing how the Trinity lives, as three persons in One God. We live as three vocations in one family. Back to Top

Where are your different missions? We have missions in: Philippines, Thailand, Italy, England, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Papue New Guinea and the U.S. Back to Top

What color is your habit? Our habit and veil are gray. Novices wear a white veil. Back to Top

Why do you wear a habit? We wear a habit as a sign to the world of who we are the brides of Christ. Our habit represents our vow of poverty and that we set apart from the world. Our veils remind the world that we are brides of Christ and consecrated, belonging to Jesus. Just as a married woman wears a wedding ring as a sign of her love and fidelity, so our habits reflect the same. Back to Top

What language does your community commonly speak? Our common language is English, however, we strive to learn the native language of the country in which we are serving. Back to Top