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Brother Bartholomew and
Brother Joshua started their Novitiate year on 11th
March, the Vigil of St Gregory. At clothing a novice
receives the monastic habit and begins a year of probation
and formation in the monastic life. As a postulant
a person is asking to be admitted to the monastery;
and his desire to lead the monastic life is tested
by sharing in the life of the Novitiate, so that he
(and the monastery) can see if the ‘spirits are from
God’.
According to the Rule of
St Benedict, the Novitiate year is the time during
which a person’s sense of vocation can develop so that
in the end they can consider whether they wish to commit
themselves to monastic life.
Brother Hugh Litwicki,
who began his Novitiate year in August 2008, also recently
was also recently given his second Perseverance. As
part of the Novititiate year, there are three points
of assessment, traditionally called Perseverances.
These are not as threatening as they sound! They are
times where a novice’s progress in monastic life are
considered by the Abbot and Council.
We congratulate
them all, and support them with our prayers.
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