Call to be a Religious Sister, Priest or Brother

The call to be a religious sister or brother is a personal call and response to make God one’s lifelong, primary Relationship. When that response is lived out with others in shared daily life, those individuals constitute a religious community – of women, or men – sisters or brothers.

Sometimes a religious community of men includes some members who are priests; these are called religious priests, to distinguish them from diocesan priests. In this diocese there are five religious priests, from four congregations:

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: You can find out more about the Capuchins on this page.
Order of Friars Minor: You can find out more about the Friars on this page.
Missionary Society of St. Thomas: Fr. Thomas Kakkaniyil (email). You can find out more about the MST order on this page.
Oblates of Mary Immaculate: You can find out more about the Oblates on this page.
Carmelites of Mary Immaculate: You can find out more about the Carmelites on this page.

But there are two different religious communities of women. They are the:

Congregation of Notre Dame (CND) – Sister Norma Gallant (Email). You can find out more about the "CND's" on this page.
Sisters of Charity of Halifax (SC) – Phyllis Giroux (Email), and Elaine Biollo (Email) You can find out more about the "Charities" on this page.

Each of these congregations has been entrusted with a special gift or purpose (charism). They believe that they can better make God their lifelong, primary Relationship by doing it together, instead of as individuals, and to cherish that relationship through prayer in the midst of work.

They believe that they are to use all that God gives them – things, money, time, energy – for the purpose and mission God has given them. They believe they need to constantly seek to discern what God is asking of them, the way God is directing them. They do this individually, but especially together.

They embody these beliefs in the commitments of the vows.

In Nelson Diocese, they work to bring about the kingdom of God - organizing, educating, encouraging, directing in their ministries in parishes and across parishes, within and beyond prayer houses and retreat centres.

If bringing God’s love, or care, or mercy to the world of tomorrow gives your heart joy and energy…
If joining others – struggling human beings like yourself – to do this seems good to you…
If making God your primary lifelong relationship seems attractive to you…
If seeking God’s daily direction through discerning minds and hearts - your own and your community's – bring you joy and peace…
If you could you live in a way that means sharing what you have and using material things for the mission…
If you want to bring God to the world of 2020…and 2050….
Then talk to one of them….

Jesus stood still and said, ‘Call him here.’ And they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take heart; get up, he is calling you.’
(Mark 10.49)

"The state of life which is constituted by the profession of the evangelical counsels, while not entering into the hierarchical structure of the Church, belongs undeniably to her life and holiness."

(Lumen Gentium, Vatican II)