"Come and See" Weekend at
Jesuit Novitiate in Montreal
The opportunity to visit the novitiate is an important help to the discernment process for men considering the Jesuit vocation. The bilingual Jesuit novitiate in Montreal provides such an opportunity each year, inviting discerners to spend the weekend at the novitiate to get a sense of the place, the people, the program, and the ethos of this important first stage in Jesuit formation.
This year's visit took place on the weekend of November 20 - 22, with one candidate for the French Canada Province (a second took ill just before the weekend and could not attend) and six candidates for the English Canada Province, plus the vocation promoters for each province, Fr. Wim Dombret, S.J., and Fr. Len Altilia, S.J. The guests were generously accommodated at Le Centre Vimont, a residence of the French Canada Province located one block from the novitiate.
During the weekend, the novices, the novitiate staff, and the vocation promoters provided for the visitors several different types of input to support and assist their discernment. Novices guided the guests through evening and morning prayer, "manualia" (house-cleaning jobs), recreation periods. In addition, the novices shared their stories of vocation and discernment with the guests and answered their questions about the experience of living in the novitiate.
Fr. Erik Oland, S.J., the Novice Master, took the guests through the novitiate program, detailed various aspects of the two-year experience, and responded to their many questions.
Frs. Dombret and Altilia provided guidance and instruction in methods of prayer and the process of discernment, and were available to meet privately with their respective candidates if there was need.
Meals were an important aspect of the weekend, allowing for more casual conversation between the visitors and the members of the novitiate community. These were lively affairs, marked by energetic conversation and much laughter.
The weekend culminated with the celebration of the Sunday liturgy at Le Gésu, the Jesuit church in downtown Montreal, which serves as a centre for the exploration of art and spirituality. Fr. Marc Rizzetto, S.J., Assistant Novice Master, was the principal celebrant and homilist, inviting the congregation and especially the novices and visitors to commit themselves to the service of Christ the King.
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