By Fr. Ray Douziech, C.Ss.R.
On Friday May 15th the Novitiate Community in Toronto had a simple clothing ceremony for our seven novices. This ceremony came after 10 months of novitiate and followed a week of evaluations with each of the novices. All seven novices received positive evaluations and recommendations to take vows. These were sent to their respective provincial superiors and their councils. Each novice will now write a letter requesting admission to their first vows in the Congregation. The vow ceremony “profession” will take place at various times in August and September.
The clothing “investiture” ceremony (receiving the Redemptorist habit) is another step on the way to taking on more deeply what it means to be a Redemptorist. As pointed out in his homily, Fr Ray noted, what is more important are the habits of the heart that we continually attempt to deepen and live out of. The external habit is both symbol and reminder of these habits of the heart.
