THE STEPS IN BECOMING A BROTHER

Discernment—from the Latin word discernere, meaning to distinguish, to sift out, to separate—is the first step in determining if God is calling you to become a Brother of the Christian Schools. The discernment period allows you time, provides you with experiences and offers support to determine if God is calling you to a life with the Brothers. The process involves several stages:

• Contact. If you wish to explore religious life as a Brother you will need to contact a Vocation Director with whom you will be in regular conversation for a time. Through development of your prayer life and by participation in short term experiences with the Brothers in community and educational settings, you will gain an understanding of how God might be calling you to deepen your relationship with the Brothers.
• Aspirancy. During this time you will be participating in activities designed to help enhance your knowledge and experience of the Brothers’ life of faith, service and community. Regular participation in prayer and Eucharist and visits to the formation community allows you to better discern whether or not God is calling you to request admission to the Postulancy.
• Postulancy. During this period you will reside in a formation community with the Brothers while learning to integrate faith, service and community. You will develop an active personal, communal and liturgical prayer life, study the Catholic faith, scripture, and the life and vision of St. John Baptist de La Salle, as well as participate in local Lasallian ministries. At the end of this time you will again discern your call to the Brothers’ life to determine if you are ready for the next stage of formation, the Novitiate.
• Novitiate. You will continue with the studies as in the Postulancy but with an in-depth initiation into the religious life of a Brother. In the communal context, you will grow in your personal relationship with God. Opportunities for input, discussion and reflection will help you to integrate an understanding and experience of the Brothers’ vowed life of poverty, chastity, obedience, stability in community and service of the poor through education. You will discern your call to profess your first annual vows at the end of the year, publicly acknowledging your readiness to enter more deeply into a relationship with God as expressed through service and community in a specific educational ministry.
• Temporary Profession. Throughout this period you will be living in a community while serving in an educational ministry. During the years of temporary profession, you will pronounce annual vows and experience at least two different communities and educational minis-tries of the Brothers. You might pursue additional studies in the evenings and/or during the summer. In support of one another the Brothers in temporary profession gather at least once a semester to share the successes and challenges of their lives as new Brothers. After at least three years in a community and apostolic minitsry, you may request perpetual vows if you are 25 years of age or older, have professed annual vows for five years and have attended a pre-profession retreat.
• Final Vows. Profession of Final Vows signals the end of initial formation. This public statement in the presence of God, the Bro-thers and the Church in general tells all who will listen of your desire to continue your participation in educational work and community life style of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. Emboldened by ongoing professional and religious studies, entrusted with responsi-bilities in community and ministry, and enabled through the support of annual retreats, you will strive to integrate the elements of faith, service, and community in your call as a Brother.