The Novitiate Year

Overview of novitiate programme

Novices begin the novitiate in the first week of September each year with a week of orientation called ‘First Probation’. This week comprises sharing of faith histories, introduction to various forms of prayer and generally getting used to the Jesuit way of life.

September – mid-December

All novices follow the daily life in the novitiate programme. (see below for further details)

Late December

After Christmas the novices visit their families

January- early February

Novices in their first year make the thirty-day retreat of the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius Loyola.

Novices in their second year begin their three-month long experiment.

Mid-February- early April

First-years missioned to the first six-week experiment and second-years on long experiment.

Easter
Novices are sent on Holy Week experiment; that has tended to be either working on a retreat programme or a parish
First week of Easter

All attend a conference or gathering of Jesuits in the British province

May – June

All novices follow the daily life in the novitiate programme. During this time there is also a visit of the major superiors for each of the provinces and regions represented in the novitiate and a trip to another province to survey the work that Jesuits do in their respective localities.

September – mid-December

All novices follow the daily life in the novitiate programme. (see below for further details)

Late December

After Christmas the novices visit their families

January- early February

Novices in their first year make the thirty-day retreat of the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius Loyola.

Novices in their second year begin their three-month long experiment.

Mid-February- early April

First-years missioned to the first six-week experiment and second-years on long experiment.

Easter
Novices are sent on Holy Week experiment; that has tended to be either working on a retreat programme or a parish
First week of Easter

All attend a conference or gathering of Jesuits in the British province

May – June

All novices follow the daily life in the novitiate programme. During this time there is also a visit of the major superiors for each of the provinces and regions represented in the novitiate and a trip to another province to survey the work that Jesuits do in their respective localities.

June-July


First and second year novices are missioned on a six-week experiment for the summer. One of the highlights and challenges for some novices is the pilgrimage where they are sent in pairs with merely basic necessities and need to find food and shelter for three weeks on a minimal allowance.

End of July

The second-year novices go an eight-day retreat before deciding to take vows in September of that year. The first-year novices have a one-week work experiment.

August

All novices embark on a study week with novices from the Western European novitiates. This is followed by villa; a two-week holiday where the novices are able to recharge. The first-years for the second-year of the novitiate and for the second-years, the period where they will be entering into formal studies.

 

Daily Life in the Novitiate

7.30 – 7.45am    Morning Prayer in Chapel    
Preceded or followed by breakfast and personal prayer

9.00 – 9.30        Indoor works

9.45                  Conference (see possible conference courses below)
Followed by study of conference topic until Examen

11.00 – 11.20     Coffee

12.45pm            Examen

1.00                   Lunch
2.00 – 3.30        Outdoor works            

Work in the house may occasionally be substituted


3.45                    Tea

4.10 – 6.10          Quiet time (i.e study, reflection and working on personal projects)

6.15                     Community Mass

7.00                      Dinner

8.00 – 9.30           Spiritual reading and personal prayer    
Half-hour of each between these times

9.00 onwards        Recreation

10.45                    Examen and retire

Daily Personal Prayer


Morning meditation    45 minutes, before or after the Morning Prayer which is said in common

Mid-day examen        15 minutes at 12.45pm

Evening meditation    Half-hour each of spiritual reading and prayer between 8.00 and 9.30pm

Night examen            15 minutes at 10.45pm

Weekly variations to the Timetable

Sundays 


Novices go to parishes or chaplaincies to help out. Sunday Mass is not usually celebrated in the house. Lunch begins between 1.00 and 1.30pm. Between 6.15 and 7.00pm we have a short service led by a novice, exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, and silent prayer for vocations to the Society in the chapel.

Mondays


Music practice between 5.30 and 6.00pm in the chapel.

Wednesdays 


During the time scheduled for Outdoor Works is given over instead to sport. All novices should usually undertake some sporting activity at this time.

Thursdays

The day is given over to apostolic work.  This replaces everything between breakfast and Mass.  

Saturday

“Villa Day” and the novices are encouraged to go out for the day, usually in groups. Community Mass is celebrated at 9.00am, and Evening Prayer from the Divine Office is celebrated at 6.40pm.

Examples of courses for novitiate studies

  • Longer courses (most done seminar-style, some with guest presenters)
  • Documents of General Congregations 31-35
  • Constitutions of the Society of Jesus
  • Vows of Poverty, chastity and obedience
  • Sacraments
  • Ecclesiology
  • Inter-church and Inter-faith relations
  • Jesuit history
  • Catechism of the Catholic Church
  • Jesus in scripture
  • The second Vatican Council


Shorter courses

  • Social justice ministry
  • Introduction to Islam
  • Introductions to different Provinces and their work
  • Ignatian writings
  • Liturgical literacy
  • Presentation skills


plus encouragement to learn to drive, computer literacy, language study