Order of Friars Minor Conventual

The Novitiate

Mishawaka, IN

The novitiate of St. Francis was the moment in time during which he fell in love with Jesus Christ and consequently embarked on a life-long journey of love and service following in the footsteps of his loving Lord. 

Through the ages countless men from every corner of our wonderful world have desired to love and serve Christ as the Poverello of Assisi by becoming members of the Brotherhood he founded.  They too took a first step in following Christ, beginning their own journey in “the year of probation” – their novitiate.

It is the purpose of the Conference Novitiate of the Conventual Franciscan Friars to help the novice develop a deeper love and commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ through formal instruction and a lived experience of prayer and fraternity. The novitiate provides an atmosphere wherein each novice can serenely explore the grace active in his life and endeavor to develop and embrace a way of life based on the ideals of Francis of Assisi as found in the “way of life” he wrote and the Constitutions of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual.

Having begun upon his journey of conversion during the postulancy each novice is called to deepen his response to Christ’s invitation according to the example of Francis of Assisi. 

Consequently, he must move towards:

· a deeper understanding of God’s call in his life

· a change of heart and mind according to the spirit of Francis

· a growth in his personal love and surrender to God

· an acceptance of a new way of living in fraternity

· an honest assessment of the stability of his desires

· an sincere appraisal of his own abilities and capacities

· a clarification and purification of his own motivations

· a clear understanding of the of the Franciscan Charism and its demands