Vocation Letters: Preparing to Receive the Habit

Are you wondering how our fictional postulant, Sister Melanie, is doing?  She won’t be a postulant much longer!  Below is the latest update in our Vocation Letters series.

Ave + Maria

Dear Mom, Dad, Zach, Josh, and Tessa,

Praised be Jesus Christ—now and forever! I have such good news for you: I have been accepted to receive the habit and begin my novitiate on August 22, the feast of the Queenship of Our Lady!

The past month or so has been a time of evaluation. How have I been doing in the monastery, and do I want to go ahead to the next step? My answer to this: Yes! What I have learned and experienced here in the monastery since my entrance last August only makes me want to enter more deeply into this life of total giving to Jesus through Mary for the salvation of souls. After I answered some questions for Sister Mary Magistra, the monastery Council and Chapter voted to accept me to begin the novitiate. I am so excited as I look forward to this next step in formation as a Dominican nun.

I know you are wondering, “So what happens now?” Well, the Sister in charge of sewing came and took my measurements for the habit. We Sisters in the Novitiate will be helping her sew the new habits and alter a few old ones—“preparing the trousseau” as the Sisters say. Sister Mary Magistra likes to tell us that the habit is our wedding dress that we get to wear every day of our lives. The habit marks us as belonging to Jesus and Mary, although timing-wise Solemn Profession is a better parallel with the commitment of wedding vows. (As a novice I will wear a white veil to show that I am still “in training” and have not yet made vows.)

Also, Vestition is the time when we receive our new religious name. I will have to tell you about that in my next letter! I hope you are all doing well, I keep you in my prayers, and I can’t wait to see you all again when you come in August!

Love and prayers in Our Lady,
Sister Melanie

Learn more about Vocations, Vocation Visits (Retreat), or Stages in Formation; or Contact the Vocations Directress.