A religious vocation is the work of the Holy Spirit. To be accepted as an aspirant to our Poor Clare community, a young woman must be in good mental, emotional, and physical health. Normally she should be between the ages of eighteen (18) and thirty (30), of a maturity befitting her age, amd with the intelligence and sound judgment that will make it possibe for her to embrace the Poor Clare vocation with joy. These qualities will help her to truly understand and fruitfully live the contemplative life within a small community of dedicated women.
Young women wishing to begin the aspirancy program must complete the application process and be accepted into the program. The aspirancy is a time of discernment that lasts one year and may be extended for another year. During this time, the aspirant has increased contact with the community, times during which she can have direct experience of the monastic life and both she and the community can judge her fitness and readiness for it.