How do you become a Jesuit?
Jesuit training traditionally takes a long time. Nowadays, every
person's education and background is taken into account to ensure that
they receive as good a preparation for Jesuit life as is possible. The
description that follows is simply an outline of what can still be
called the ‘normal’ pattern of initial formation for a Jesuit student
in the Australian Province, though there is much room for variation.
The application process
to join the Jesuits
The overall purpose of the application process is to discover the
suitability of a man for the novitiate and his capacity to live a
fruitful and happy life as a Jesuit.
The Thirty-Second General Congregation of the Society of Jesus said:
What is it to be a Jesuit? It is to know that one is a sinner, yet
called to be a companion of Jesus as Ignatius was: Ignatius who begged
the Blessed Virgin to “place him with her Son” and who then saw the
Father himself ask Jesus, carrying his Cross, to take this pilgrim into
his company.
And so, the man we seek is one who is aware of his humanity and
weakness but has the self-knowledge and the openness to grow that would
enable him to follow Jesus as one of us now and in the future.
Applications to the novitiate usually happen between September and
November of each year. Applications are usually completed by the first
week in December. The process involves:
- interviews with four Jesuits
- letters of reference
- psychological testing
- a medical examination
- Certificates of Baptism and Confirmation
All of the material is presented to the Provincial of the Australian
Province who, in consultation with his consultors, makes the final
decision regarding admission of a candidate to the Jesuit novitiate.
For more information
please email the
Coordinator of the
Jesuit Vocations Ministry,
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,
or visit our
vocations website.
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