Discerning the call

As a group of vowed women, we have gained experience over many years in discerning a possible call to “an uncommon attention to the things of God” and to a life of prayer and action that seeks to make a difference. This experience has been shaped both by our own individual searches and by walking alongside others as they discern God’s will for their lives.

While recognising the need to be flexible in our approach in response to the individual Enquirer, we have found that the following steps are helpful in giving structure and momentum to the discernment process

First principles

· Any call to the Religious Life is discerned through information-seeking, prayer and discussion. It is a two-way process between the potential new Sister and the members of the Community.

· We recognise and affirm the important nature of conversations with partner and family, pastor or priest about a potential exploration with the Gabriel Sisters. We also know that it is crucial that the Enquirer also stands alone before God in prayer so that she can come to decision for herself as to whether she wishes to enquire further and become an Explorer.

Initial Enquiry:

Contact is made via our website or through personal conversation. We will send you an enquirers’ handbook to give you more information about the Gabriel Sisters.

Step One:

We request a brief description of who you are and how you came to faith, whether you are formally linked with a church at the present time and what it is that has drawn you to enquire about joining us. Any information you share will be kept in strictest confidence and only shared between the four vowed Sisters. Please note: in line with GDPR, we keep paper copies of to the personal details of everyone involved with the Sisterhood in any way: Enquirers, Explorers, Sisters, Fellowship Sisters, Prayer Friends: we do not keep any records of personal details on computer.

Step Two:

Depending on where an Enquirer lives, we will try to set up a face to face meeting in a public place with one of the Sisters. If a face to face meeting is not possible, one can be arranged over Zoom. It is very helpful to meet in person to enable us to get a sense of how to tailor the discernment process for the individual.

If after the meeting you confirm your request to enquire with us and the Sisters are happy to proceed, you will then be assigned a ‘link’ Sister who will be alongside you throughout the discernment process.

Step Three:

The discernment process will generally include the following activities:

· Praying with our Psalm Lectionary which we will provide. You will be invited to share any pertinent insights with your link Sister.

· Using the Lectio Divina practice of reading scripture prayerfully. Suitable passages will be suggested by the link Sister. You will be invited to note any insights that emerge and discuss them with her.

· Reading a book suggested by the link Sister, sharing the fruit of your study with her.

Step Four:

If you continue to feel drawn to the Gabriel Sisters, we will request a reference from a person of standing in your church context.

Step Five:

You will then be invited to meet with all the Sisters in person and a decision will be made by everyone involved as to whether you will ‘live’ with us for a provisional year to see if you are indeed called to this way of life.

The Sisters will seek to listen and learn from the Explorer’s experience of life and prayer and we look for a similar attitude in the Explorer.