The novitiate introduces the novice to the religious life. The purpose of this year is two-fold. First, it enables the novice to embrace the following of Jesus Christ through living the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience according to the particular spirit of our charism. Second, it prepares the novice to make a decision in faith about the future direction of his life. At the completion of the novitiate year, novices profess temporary vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and mission.