Life as a Novice:

“Since it is a time of formation and testing, the novitiate is meant to afford a profound and transforming experience of God, with the Spiritual Exercises as the central element. The Spiritual Exercises should lead the novices to identification with Christ, a desire to suffer, like Him and for love of Him, “all injuries and affronts” (Sp Ex 98). One could say that the novitiate consists in preparing and making the Exercises and in testing the results thereof.”
The Formation of Jesuits -  Fr. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, SJ (Superior General)

The first two years of Jesuit formation (when a young Jesuit is called a “novice”) offers a series of “experiments” or experiences in which formal incorporation into the body of the Society of Jesus begins.  Novices live and study in community, go on pilgrimages (see story on Novice pilgrimage) , work among the poor, teach catechism, study the life and writings of St Ignatius of Loyola and other foundational documents.  These experiences introduce him Jesuit life. Key to this time is the 30-day silent retreat, based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, which leads a novice into an encounter with God who calls him. After two years, a novice applies for his first vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.  After pronouncing these vows, he becomes a Jesuit scholastic (continuing to prepare for ministerial priesthood) or a Jesuit brother.

The classroom where the Jesuit Novices take classes with other novices from other religious communities.

Jesuit Novices display their homemade pizza... yum!

From Novice to Scholastic – the new Jesuit scholastics following their vow ceremony on August 11 at St. Luke’s Church in St Paul, Minnesota.  They represent the Jesuit Provinces of Missouri, Wisconsin and Upper Canada.

Click here to read the story of Jesuit Novice pilgrims

Joe Simmons, Brad Held, and Steven Wolfe