“I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 1:6

Membership in community is a vocation grounded in grace and the call of God, nurtured through the process of formation, and confirmed by the mutual discernment of both the individual and the community. Like any healthy relationship, it is an experience of belonging that unfolds and develops over time.

The path that brings women to connect with community is as unique as the different personalities of her members. Our stages of membership are designed to allow women to explore a potential call to Women Youth Apostles, be formed in accordance with our charism, discern the Lord’s call to various levels of commitment, and continue growing in holiness through a generous, sacrificial love of God and neighbor.

In order to become a member of Women Youth Apostles, you must be a woman at least 18 years old that has received the Sacrament of Confirmation and is in good standing with the Catholic Church. Membership is open to single and married women.

All of our meetings are open for guests to attend, so if you think the Lord may be calling you to Women Youth Apostles or are just wanting to learn more, we encourage you to come to a meeting. To take the next step in joining, ask any member for a Prospective Candidate Packet or email us to request! After turning in the Biographical Profile from the Prospective Candidate Packet, you are considered a Prospective Candidate.

Prospective Candidate

• Reads the Prospective Candidate Packet and our Statutes
• Begins actively participating in formation and sharing meetings
• Learns and prays our community prayer daily
• Within one month of becoming a Prospective Candidate, meets with a Full Member to discuss the packet, statutes & ask any questions.
• After 2-3 weeks, schedules a second meeting to further discuss the Prospective Candidate’s knowledge and agreement with Catholic doctrine and any new questions she may have.

Upon completing these steps, a woman interested in pursuing candidacy schedules a Candidate Interview. During this meeting with a Full Member there is a discussion of personal moral standards and spiritual life, and review of the Candidate Promise. The Formation Committee discusses the request and a recommendation is made to the General Council. There must be at least 3 months spent as a Prospective Candidate before entering candidacy.

Candidate Member

• Admission as a Candidate Member occurs when the commitment is made and the Candidate Promise is read in the presence of the community
• Candidate Members receive the community medal which is worn by all members
• Candidacy is a one-year commitment and may be renewed yearly with the approval of the General Council
• The Candidate Coordinator oversees Candidate Formation and along with the Candidate’s sponsor exercises a particular care for sisters in candidacy
• Topics covered throughout Candidate Formation provide a foundational understanding of our spiritual, communal, and apostolic life
• After 6 months there is an intermediate evaluation with the sponsor to discuss progress toward full membership

Toward the end of the candidate year, a sister who desires to become a Full Member undergoes two interviews. One interview is a discussion of the Internal Guidelines and may be with any Full Member. The other is a discussion of topics from candidate formation and is with a member of the Formation Committee. Assessments from these interviews, along with one from the sponsor, are submitted to the General Council.

Full Member

• Incorporation into the Association occurs when the commitment is made and the Full Member Promise is read in the presence of the community
• Full Members receive the community ring which is worn by all Full Members along with the community medal
• Candidates who are married must have the consent of their spouse prior to becoming a Full Member and it must be clarified that her commitment to marriage and family takes precedence of her Full Member Promise, should there ever be a conflict between the two
• Full Membership is a call to deepened participation in community life
  • Ongoing formation challenges sisters to continue growing in their relationship with Christ and ability to effectively minister to young people
  • Sharing continues to be a place to receive and offer care as she walks alongside other sisters in community
  • Full Members take on particular responsibilities of leadership

All Full Members first make a one-year promise (if enrolled full-time in college or under the age of 21, they continue making one-year renewable promises). At this point, single sisters may discern a call to consecrated life and their subsequent commitments would follow the first pattern detailed below. If discerning a call to continue in community as a single sister their commitments follow the second pattern detailed below.