The woman lives, works and prays with the community as she discerns her monastic vocation.
Immersed in the daily life of the community, she moves through all the phases of initial monastic formation in mutual discernment with the community and under the direction of the monastic formation team and a mentor.
She participates in a program of studies with other women at various stages of their monastic journey and as well as in the ongoing formation programs of the community.
The initial monastic formation process begins when the woman becomes an OBSERVER. An observer is a woman who has completed the application process. The formation team welcomes her to the monastery so that together we can explore whether she has a vocation with the Erie Benedictine community. The observer lives as a guest at the monastery for a period of not less than six weeks and no more than three months. She immerses herself in the daily prayer life and is introduced to the ministries of the community in order to become better acquainted with the monastic way of life.
After the successful completion of the observer period, the individual is invited to become a postulant.