Novitiate

Novitiate

Novitiate, alt. noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a novice (or prospective) monastic or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether they are called to the religious life.

A novice is free to quit the novitiate at any time, and the Superior is free to dismiss him or her with or without cause. During the novitiate, the novice often wears clothing that is distinct from secular dress but is not the full habit worn by professed members of the community. The novice's day normally encompasses participation in the full canonical hours, manual labor, and classes designed to instruct novices in the religious life they are preparing to embrace. Spiritual exercises and tests of humility are common features of a novitiate. Many Roman Catholic communities encourage frequent confession and reception of Holy Communion by their novices.

A Superior will often appoint an experienced member of the community to oversee the training of novices. This may be a single novice master or mistress who is responsible for the training of all novices; or an individual elder may be appointed for each novice.

Different religious communities will have varying requirements for the duration of the novitiate. Often one must complete a postulancy before officially entering the novitiate. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the novitiate is officially set at three years before one may be tonsured a monk or nun, though this requirement may be waived.

The term "novitiate" also refers to the building or complex within a monastery or convent that is devoted exclusively to the needs of novices (sleeping, training, etc.).

See also

References

  •  



Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР
Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Novitiate — No*vi ti*ate, n. [LL. novitiatus: cf. F. noviciat.] [1913 Webster] 1. The state of being a novice; time of initiation or instruction in rudiments. [1913 Webster] 2. Hence: The time of probation in a religious house before taking the vows. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • novitiate — index apprentice, preparation, probationer (one being tested) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • novitiate — (n.) also noviciate, state of being a novice, c.1600, from M.Fr. noviciat or directly from M.L. novitiatus, from L.L. novitius novice, from Latin adjective novicius (see NOVICE (Cf. novice)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • novitiate — *novice, apprentice, probationer, postulant, neophyte …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • novitiate — (also noviciate) ► NOUN 1) the period or state of being a novice. 2) a religious novice. 3) a place housing religious novices …   English terms dictionary

  • novitiate — [nō vish′it; ] also, and chiefly Brit [, nōvish′ē it, nō vish′ēāt΄] n. [Fr noviciat < ML novitiatus] 1. a) the period or state of being a novice b) NOVICE 2. the quarters assigned to religious novices: Also Chiefly Brit. noviciate …   English World dictionary

  • novitiate — UK [nəʊˈvɪʃɪət] / US [noʊˈvɪʃət] / US [noʊˈvɪʃɪət] noun [countable] Word forms novitiate : singular novitiate plural novitiates the period of time that someone spends as a novice in a religious community …   English dictionary

  • novitiate — noun 1) his novitiate lasts a year Syn: probationary period, probation, trial period, test period, apprenticeship, training period, traineeship, training, initiation 2) two young novitiates Syn: novice, neophyte …   Thesaurus of popular words

  • novitiate — noun Etymology: French noviciat, from Medieval Latin noviciatus, from novicius Date: 1600 1. the period or state of being a novice 2. a house where novices are trained 3. novice …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • novitiate — /noh vish ee it, ayt /, n. 1. the state or period of being a novice of a religious order or congregation. 2. the quarters occupied by religious novices during probation. 3. the state or period of being a beginner in anything. 4. a novice. Also,… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”