Aged between 21 – 45

Reasonably fit, both physically and psychologically

Single, with no dependent children

Free of debt apart from student loans

A member of a church in the Anglican Communion (e.g. Church of England; Scottish Episcopal Church; Church of Ireland; Church in Wales)

 

If this doesn’t sound like you, there are other ways of being Franciscan

 

The process of Discernment is a two-way process, at the heart of which is prayer – are the Franciscans right for you – and are you right for the Franciscans? It is a process that continues throughout the various stages of exploration and continues until Life Profession – anything between seven and eleven years later.

 

Visiting different religious houses is a good place to start, to begin to familiarise yourself with the people who are actually living out a religious vocation. As you feel drawn to a particular community you need to begin to talk to the person responsible for vocations within that community. For the Franciscan order that is the Novice Guardian for either the brothers or the sisters.

Read some of the current information about the Franciscan Community in our brochure: A Franciscan Way (opens a new window, PDF format).

Contact the Novice Guardian of the Brothers of Sisters, preferably either by letter or email.

 

For the Brothers: Novice Guardian, Hilfield Friary, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 7BE, Telephone: 01300 341345, email: noviceguardianssf@franciscans.org.uk

 

For the Sisters: Novice Guardian, Community of St Francis, Compton Durville, South Petherton, Somerset, TA13 5ES, Telephone: 01460 240473, email: noviceguardiancsf@franciscans.org.uk

 

Check the availability of the Novice Guardian and arrange to come and stay. Contact details as above.

 

The Novice Guardian will guide you through this process.