The answers to frequently asked questions are provided below:
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is your community prayer life like?
Each day, our Sisters pray Lauds, Vespers, and Compline (Morning, Evening, and Night Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours) in common, along with our community rosary each evening. We also attend daily Mass and make time for personal prayer, spiritual reading, and an annual retreat. As Dominicans, we have a special love for Our Lady and we value our traditional Marian devotions.
2. What are the different works of your congregation?
Our primary apostolate is education, and many of our Sisters work in Catholic schools. Sisters are also involved in parish religious education and parish visiting, as well as, training diocesan seminarians. In our community our goal is for each Sister to participate in the Dominican mission of preaching the Gospel in a way that allows her to make the best use of her individual gifts and talents.
3. Do you live in community?
Yes, and community life is very important to us. Barring exceptional circumstances, we are only sent on mission to places where we can live a shared daily common life with our Sisters.
4. Do you wear a habit?
Yes. According to our constitutions, when engaged in public apostolic or liturgical functions, our Sisters wear a simple dress or suit in the Dominican colors of solid white or black, along with our Dominican cross. Depending on the specific needs of a particular apostolate or cultural environment, a Sister may also choose to wear a more traditional Dominican habit including a scapular and veil. In our community, all discernment regarding religious attire is carried out in an atmosphere of sisterly love and mutual respect.
5. Do you have an age limit?
In general, we are open to discerning with single Catholic women between the ages of 20 – 40. Still, we consider each case individually and exceptions may be possible in some circumstances.
6. What if I have debts?
In general, a person must be debt-free before he or she can enter religious life. However, in some circumstances we are open to assisting applicants with the resolution of student loans.
7. What is the admission process?
Women who feel called to discern a vocation to our community should contact Sister Gail (gmorgan@saintvincentferrer.com) and complete the inquiry contact form posted on the website.
After a time us of getting to know you and you becoming familiar with the Bridgeport Dominicans, a formal process of application will begin following these initial steps:
- Pre-Candidate – a flexible period, generally around six months to one year;
- Candidate (Postulant) – between six months and one year;
- Novice – two years, including one canonical year devoted to prayer and study, and one apostolic year when the novice gains experience in the apostolic activities of our congregation;
- Temporary Professed – after two years as a novice, the Sister in formation makes temporary vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience lasting for three years. After this, she renews her temporary professor for two more years.
- Final Profession – after five years in temporary vows, a Sister professes her final vows for life. Yet because we never stop learning and growing, our on-going formations is a life-long task.