Novitiate Blog
Trusting in your goodness and infinite mercy and moved by a desire to serve you, I vow before the most Holy Virgin Mary, and the whole court of heaven, to your Divine Majesty, perpetual poverty, chastity and obedience...
The Jesuit Vows
The novices take their vows before the raised host
The Jesuit Novices as they make their vows
Fr. David Smolira SJ, Regional Superior of South Africa
The bidding prayers read by members of the families
Bidding Prayers
Together at the post vow celebrations
6 Jesuit novices take 1st Vows in Birmingham
On the 5th September the six second year novices from 3 Jesuit Provinces (British - with 2 from the South African Region and two from the UK, Irish and Lithuanian) took their first Vows.
Kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament before the 'Lord I am not worthy to receive you' each novice in turn prounced these words:
'Almighty ever living God, I [name] altough most unworthy to kneel before you, yet trusting in our goodness and infinite mercy and moved with a desire to serve you, vow before the most Holy Virgin Mary, and the whole court of heaven, to your Divine Majesty, perpetual poverty, chastity and obedience in the Society of Jesus.
I promise to enter the same Society, understanding all things according to its Constitutions, to lead my life in it forever.
Therefore I humbly ask that through your infinite goodness and mercy and through the blood of Jesus Christ, that you may be pleased to accept and bless this sacrifice, and that as you have already given me the grace to desire and offer it, so you will bestow plentiful grace on me to fulfil it. Amen. At Birmingham, England, on 5th September in the year of our Lord, 2009.'
The six now go on to study their philosophy.
