Formation
Postulancy
Postulancy in the Order of Saint Clare today is at least a year of preparation for that kind of total giving which will be climaxed in solemn Profession.
During Postulancy, a young woman learns the tenor of the Poor Clare life, which demands an honest openness to personal change through prayer and penance, the flexibility necessary to be formed and grow spiritually, and the willingness to die to self for the sake of others, for love of Jesus.
A year or more after entering the monastery, the postulant may be received for her investiture in the holy habit. Her Clothing ceremony takes place after the manner of Saint Clare’s own example. A festive white gown is replaced by the simple religious garb of a Poor Clare nun, down to her feet which will be bare from this day on. The crowning glory of her hair is laid at the feet of her King as the beginning of her oblation.