The Aspirancy Year

A Time of Mutual Discernment

"Come and See."

At its heart, the contemplative life is the lifelong search for the Face of God. Through a series of visits that provide an aspirant with firsthand experience of our way of life, the Aspirancy Year invites her to listen more attentively to the voice of Christ and discern whether He may be calling her to follow Him as a Poor Clare of Perpetual Adoration.

The Aspirancy Year is a time of prayerful discernment during which a woman comes to know our Community, our life of Eucharistic Adoration, and the beauty of the contemplative vocation. In the spirit of Cor Orans, this period of mutual discernment allows both the aspirant and the Community to seek God's will together with freedom, trust, and openness. Throughout this journey, she is introduced to the Franciscan spirit of simplicity, fraternity, and joyful poverty, as well as the Eucharistic heart of our vocation.

The first visit, spanning 3 days, offers an initial experience of our Monastery and its contemplative atmosphere. Through prayer, silence, and time before the Blessed Sacrament, an aspirant is given the opportunity to step away from the demands of daily life and devote these days to prayerful reflection and discernment.

She will meet with the Vocation Director, be welcomed by the Sisters, participate in a self-guided personal retreat prepared by the Community, and experience the peace and solitude of the Sonoran Desert.

Note: For the first three visits, aspirants reside in our guest cottage located on the Monastery grounds.

The second visit, spanning 5 days, invites an aspirant to participate more fully in the daily rhythm of the Monastery. Building upon her initial visit, she begins to share in the balance of prayer, work, silence, and community that characterizes the life of a Poor Clare of Perpetual Adoration. Through her continued conversations with the Vocation Director, she receives guidance and support as she seeks to discern God's call.

The third visit, spanning 8 days, offers a more immersive experience of Community life. Accompanied by an assigned Sister, the aspirant spends most of each day within the cloister, sharing in Adoration, the Divine Office, work, recreation, and the daily life of the Community.

This visit invites the aspirant to draw nearer to the hidden life of a Poor Clare of Perpetual Adoration while prayerfully discerning whether Christ may be calling her to follow Him in this vocation.

Aspirants who discern a possible call to our Community may be invited to complete a comprehensive vocational application and proceed to the next and final phase of the Aspirancy Year.

Following completion of the vocational application process, candidacy is a month-long live-in experience in which the candidate resides within the cloister.

Building upon the foundation laid during the previous visits, she now experiences the ordinary rhythm of contemplative life from within the Community itself. The purpose of candidacy is to provide both the candidate and the Community with an extended period of mutual discernment. Sharing in our daily life allows the candidate to grow in clarity regarding God's call, as the Community prayerfully discerns her readiness to enter.

At the conclusion of candidacy, Reverend Mother and the Community may invite the candidate to petition for admission to postulancy and entrance into the Community.

Aspirants are encouraged to maintain a faithful sacramental life, cultivate daily prayer, spend time before the Blessed Sacrament, engage in spiritual reading, and continue listening attentively to the voice of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Many women also find it beneficial to simplify their use of social media, digital entertainment, and other distractions to foster greater recollection and interior freedom. Creating space for silence often makes it easier to recognize the gentle promptings of the Holy Spirit. Throughout the Aspirancy Year, the Sisters accompany each aspirant with their prayers as together we seek God's will in a spirit of trust, freedom, and hope.