2. Pre-Novitiate
When a contact, in dialogue with the sisters, prayerfully decides that she is ready for the next phase of discernment, she begins the pre-novitiate. A pre-novice lives in community and fully participates in community life. During the pre-novitiate, the young woman has a pre-novitiate director – a sister with whom she walks in discernment.

​There is no “formal” program of study, however, in living in community and meeting with the director, the pre-novice begins to understand what it means to live the life of a sister. It serves as a sort of “orientation” to the life of a Marianist Sister. Typically, the pre-novice also has a ministry with which she is involved. The time of pre-novitiate can be anywhere from six months to two years.