Accompaniment
Prior to entering a candidate will usually undertake an accompaniment program of guidance in prayer and reflection for one year.

Postulancy
If the candidate wishes to pursue his desire to join the Marist way of life he will have a preparatory year in community and combine work experience with religious and human development activity. This year is called a Postulancy. Each candidate will prepare according as their situation may require.

Novitiate
Novitiate follows. This is a special time of spiritual training after which a person takes vows, initially only for a limited time. Eventually vows are taken for life.

Study
Meanwhile the student Marist will be studying those subjects required for priesthood. He will receive the spiritual guidance he needs and have opportunities for pastoral experiences. At some point, as part of his training, everyone gets a chance to further his education and skills in accordance with his abilities, e.g. taking a university degree, doing courses in counselling, chaplaincy etc.

A young man reading something like the above is often anxious as to whether he could face the training or the studies and worry about the kind of life he might have to lead etc. There is only one way to deal with that anxiety - make contact with any of the Marist communities mentioned on this site and make arrangements to visit that community and talk about the life with the Marists there.

Once a person enters a Marist community he lives as a Marist, depending on the community. There are no fees or financial obligations of entry.