Our application process -
The Making of a MSpS
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A man may apply for the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit between the ages of 18-35. Due to the lengthy formation training and inherent challenges of making changes when we are older, our age limit is 35.
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It is required that a candidate has a strong, sound intellect. A minimum of a high school diploma is necessary, although a GED may be accepted if the candidate possesses proven intellectual capacity for the philosophical and theological studies required.
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Because the religious life and the priesthood demand life-long physical stamina and emotional stability, good physical and mental health are required. Before entering the Postulancy, the candidate must be certified as healthy by health care professionals. If the candidate is aware of any addictions such as alcohol or substance abuse, sexual compulsions, eating disorders, etc., he should disclose them during the discernment process in order that the community may assist him. If the candidate has experienced a strong addiction, it is required that he maintain sobriety for three years prior to beginning the admission process.
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It is required that the candidate be a U.S. Citizen, a naturalized Citizen, or a Permanent Resident of the United States. Should the status change whereby the candidate is no longer legally in the United States, our Province will no longer be responsible for the formation of the candidate and will find ways to redirect his discernment process in another Province.
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- The Universal Law of the Church requires that every candidate to religious life and the priesthood should:
- have a suitable character
- have sufficient qualities of maturity to embrace the life of the Congregation
- be free from being in a valid marriage
- be free from incorporation in another religious institute or diocese and from concealing his previous incorporation in one
- be petitioning without force, grave fear, or malice
- not be impeded by any other item established by the proper law of the Congregation
- be free from serious indebtedness (cf. CIC. 642-643)
The right to admit candidates to the Novitiate belongs to the Provincial Superior according to our Constitutions (cf. 641).
- The Universal Law of the Church requires that every candidate to religious life and the priesthood should:
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Ideally a candidate for the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit should be fluent in English and Spanish. However, though fluency in both languages is not a requirement for admission, the candidate should be aware that he will eventually need to be bilingual in order to better serve God’s priestly people in the United States and have full access to the totality of the spiritual writings of our founders.
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The candidate to our Congregation must have a deep, personal love for Jesus Christ, an ardent desire for God and the things of God, a healthy habit of prayer which develops into action, a solid sacramental life and a thorough knowledge of the Word of God. To make a good discernment, the candidate must be sufficiently familiar with and attracted to the Spirituality of the Cross, the life of our founders, our charism and our mission.
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Conversion is a constant process in the life of a Christian. Because conversion is ongoing, it must lead the candidate to mature and progress gradually in all areas of life; psychological, social, relational, spiritual. The Missionaries require that the candidate to our community be transparent and honest with God, himself and his vocation director. We ask that he be able to acknowledge his gifts and flaws as well as possess a proven capacity to change, thus enabling him to mature as a true practitioner of the Gospel.
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The candidate should have sufficient self-knowledge. He should be able to recognize his personal reality and the reality of his surroundings even though it might be difficult or painful. He must be able to express his true and deepest motivations, including why he ascribes to certain values. Making use of the God-given gift of his intellect, while simultaneously being instructed by the guidance of the Spirit of God, the candidate should be able to encounter the authenticity of his vocation in the discernment process. Transparency to God, his formation directors and his community are indispensable for the discernment process.
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It is not enough for the candidate to understand the Gospel. It is necessary that the candidate be able to make the True, the Good, the Beautiful his own in the concrete context of his life. Discipleship must be perceived as a good which is freely chosen. It is a calling which draws the candidate to actualize the values of Christ, our merciful high Priest, by living a lifestyle that is modeled after Him. Orthopraxy (correct practice) is the necessary parallel to mere verbal Orthodoxy (correct teaching) in the Church. If the candidate truly believes the Good News we proclaim, then rather than having his time wasted in trying to prove others wrong or evil, he will instead witness the Good News he proclaims.
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The vocation of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit is an invitation to step outside of oneself in order to make Christ the Priest the center of one's existence and to desire the good of others before his own good. The candidate must demonstrate a proven ability to love God and others. He must give freely of himself.
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- Religious life lies at the heart of the vocation of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit. Thus, the candidate must find joy in living a life steeped in love for and practice of the evangelical counsels:
- Poverty is a concrete way of depending solely on God. It is a way to live in freedom from material possessions and in solidarity with those less fortunate. The candidate should have the ability to live with inner freedom from people, places and things in order to make God and God’s Kingdom his only treasure.
- Chastity means giving yourself completely to Christ and His priestly people – body, mind and soul. Chastity gives us a great freedom to love and serve all of God’s people. We do not renounce loving and being loved. Conversely, we receive love through a deep relationship with Jesus, through the love and support of our brothers in the community and through the joy we experience in being available to serve others. We have an ardent desire for strong friendship with Jesus and for living in community. We share life and faith with others and exercise the capacity to have healthy, mature friendships. We maintain a sense of sociability and availability. These qualities are those which make the gift of chastity flourish in the candidate.
- Obedience to God is part of the spiritual heritage that the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit received from our founder, Venerable Fr. Felix of Jesus Rougier. The candidate must be docile, open to listening and receiving feedback and must demonstrate signs of his desire to want to do God’s will. He will display these aptitudes in and through the mediations he offers to the community on religious life, including: Scripture, the MSpS Constitution, the community itself, our superiors, the signs of the times, etc. He will need to be open to personal, communal, and pastoral discernment.
- Religious life lies at the heart of the vocation of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit. Thus, the candidate must find joy in living a life steeped in love for and practice of the evangelical counsels:
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We require that prior to entering the Postulancy, all candidates actively participate in ministry for at least one year. The candidate must also have a history and passion for service, demonstrating concern for the poor and most vulnerable. Sensitivity to the pastoral priorities of our congregation is necessary. These priorities include: Formation of God’s priestly people, creation of opportunities for personal and communal spiritual growth and a strong commitment to brotherly solidarity.
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The potential candidate prepares to enter the Postulancy by completing circa one year of discernment. He will do this together with one of the community’s vocation directors and through participating in regular spiritual direction. During this time the candidate lives and works on his own. He will need to gradually adopt a lifestyle that allows him the freedom to discern if he is being called to a life of chastity, poverty and obedience with the intention of joining the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit.
Note for those who have had Children: Any candidate who has a child and whose child is a minor at the moment of their inquiry cannot be admitted to the Congregation.
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