O Queen Conceived Without Sin...

Mother questions the candidates concerning their intention

After a period of candidacy has been completed, the Candidate is received as a postulant and clothed in the distinctive garb of a postulant of the Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa. At this time, she is placed especially under the patronage of our Immaculate Queen through investiture in the Medal of the Immaculate Conception which each Sister wears over her heart as a sign of her consecration to Jesus through Mary.

The blessed Miraculous Medals waiting on the altar

The period of postulancy (derived from the Latin meaning "to ask") is a time for the postulant to become familiar with and to assimilate as her own the way of life and customs of our community. The young Sister is given the opportunity to learn the life and customs by sharing in the assignments and duties of the community. Under the guidance of those more experienced in the life, she is trained in the work of the sacristy and care of the chapel, the preparation and serving of community meals, the care and maintenance of the convent common spaces and grounds, and is lightly involved in the various external apostolates of the community, learning to do each for Jesus alone in the spirit of a Marian Sister.

 She also joins in the studies common to the house of formation - courses in philosophy, theology, various aspects of religious life and consecration, the spiritual life, prayer, the charism of the community, and St. Louis de Montfort's True Devotion, as well as courses in human formation. These studies combined with the living of the life allow the postulant to integrate the life practically as well as intellectually and to further discern God's will for her life.

Above all else, the postulant is formed in the spirituality of the community and aided to foster that relationship with God that is the foundation of the consecrated life. The period of postulancy allows the Sister to be more radically converted to Christ, Who is to be her Divine Bridegroom. This period lasts at least six months, at the end of which, if the postulant continues to hear God's call to our way of life, she may be invited to write a letter requesting the community to prayerfully consider receiving her as a novice, at which time she would receive her religious name and be clothed in the habit of a Marian Sister.

The postulants receive the medal of the Immaculate Conception from Mother and the Formation Mistress

We commend our postulant Sisters to the care of our Immaculate Mother, begging her to form in them a perfect image of her Divine Son and to obtain for them the grace of final perseverance in our way of life.

The Community renewing our Total Consecration

O Queen conceived without Original Sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!