Apostolic Stage
This is the period that young lay women live out when they take upon the task of full-time evangelization after six months of spiritual preparation, study and work. They promise to render this service according to the method established by the Missionaries Sisters Servants of the Word during a two-year period.
Novitiate
The novitiate period is a time of special formation for the consecration to God professed through public vows. Thus, much importance is given to prayer during this time in order to understand the requirements of Christ’s call: “If any of you want to come with me, you must forget yourself, carry your cross, and follow me” (Mt 16, 24).
The Constitutions and the spirituality of the Institute state that the MSP novitiate lasts a year. It is dedicated to deepening in communion with Christ and the demands of charity and community life. An emphasis is placed in all major aspects of the spirituality of the MSP, as are the spirit of generosity and sacrifice that will fortify the will and experiential knowledge of the Word of God. Much importance is also given to the study of the institute’s Constitutions, a foreign language, liturgy and music.
Manual work should not be dismissed in the novice’s daily activities since it plays an important role in shaping sound character that will not hesitate when faced with life’s difficulties.
Postulancy
The postulancy serves as a time period to prepare immediately for the novitiate. It is an intense time of prayer and study centered on vocation requested by the lay faithful who, during his apostolic period, has experienced the desire of consecrating his entire life to God.
The duration of the postulancy is four months for those who have completed high school and one year for those who have not yet finished. The young postulant prepares to enter the novitiate during this period by studying among other things, Latin, urbanity, religious music and deepening in the study of several documents of the Church. To be admitted as a postulant, the lay faithful must have completed six months of preparation for the apostolic promise and at least one year of apostolate.
Temporary Vows
The religious consecrates himself to God by professing the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, imitating in a special way, Christ who is poor, chaste and obedient, and therefore becoming “a true sign of Christ in the world.”
The temporary vows are renewed every year for a period of five years. Once this time is completed, the MSP religious may be admitted to perpetual vows.
The period of temporal vows prepares the religious for a definite and most generous submission to the Lord. Required studies continue during this period. In addition, the religious continues to carry out his apostolate of evangelization and a particular service may be provided to the community, if applicable.
Those religious who have made temporal vows and who are also candidates for the priesthood, study Philosophy and Theology, according to the rules established by the Church. This period also requires that the religious delve deeper in Biblical studies.
It is necessary that all religious MSP have a thorough, intellectual and religious preparation in order to better serve the cause for evangelization.
Perpetual Vows
After five years of temporary vows the religious MSP may request to be admitted to profess perpetual religious vows so as to be incorporated into the Institute permanently.