Eight candidates of the Salvatorians in India entered into a beautiful period of their formation called ‘Novitiate’ on Tuesday evening (15/06/2021) during the ‘vespers’ (Evening prayer) at the Salvatorian community, Bangalore, India. Members of the community gathered for this joyful occasion chanting and singing the hymn to the Holy Spirit and psalms. During the ceremony, Fr. Peter Kordor Nengnong, the Novice Master, led eight novices to be to the alter, where they made their petition.

The ritual of Entrance to the novitiate included giving the assurance by the congregation to the novices to guide and teach them to follow Christ crucified and to live in poverty, obedience and chastity. Teach them to persevere in prayer and penance, in the service of the Church and of humankind. Guiding them to live the gospel every day of their lives and teach the rule of the congregation and teach them to love our brethren as Christ commanded us.

The novices are given also a Holy Bible and a Cross of Jesus Christ to live a way of life which they are entering.

The purpose of the Novitiate, by which life in an institute begins, is to give the novices a greater understanding of their divine vocation, and of their vocation to that institute. During the novitiate, the novices are to experience the manner of life of the institute and form their minds and hearts in its spirit. At the same time, their resolution and stability are to be tested (Can.646).