SONS OF OUR MOTHER OF PEACE

Mary, Cause of Our Joy Solitude, Ujiogba, P. O. Box 929, Ekpoma, Edo State

A Call to Be Free for God

GETTING-TO-KNOW-YOU QUESTIONNAIRE

PART I: PERSONAL DATA

Instruction: Please answer the questions below (use extra sheet of paper where needed).
(Please print clearly)

1. Your Name __________________________________________________________________

(First Name) (Middle Name) (Last Name)
2. Other Name (s): ______________________ 13. Nationality _____________________________
3. Date of Birth: _____________________ 14. Phone # (Home) _(____)_________________
4. Place of Birth: _____________________ 15. Cell # _(_____)_________________________
5. Country of Birth: ___________________ 16. E-mail: _______________________________
6. Religion __________________________ 17. Catholic? _____________________________
7. Date of Baptism ___________________ 18. Date of Confirmation: ___________________
8. Parish of Baptism: _________________ 19. Parish of Confirmation: __________________
Street: _____________________________ Street: __________________________________
City: _______________________________ City: ____________________________________
State: ____________ Zip Code: _________ State: ______________Zip Code: _____________
Country: ___________________________ Country: ________________________________
9. Baptismal Name same as # 1 above?___ 20. Communicant? ________________________
If no, write: _______________________ 21. Date of First Holy Communion: ___________
10. Present Parish: ___________________ 22. Residential Address (if different from # 11)
Street: _____________________________ Street: __________________________________
City: ______________________________ City: ____________________________________
State: ____________ Zip Code: _________ State: ______________Zip Code: _____________
Country: ___________________________ Country: ________________________________
11. Permanent Address:
Street _____________________________
City _______________________________
State _____________Zip Code _________
Country ____________________________ Please attach a
12. Are you in debt? __________________ 2”x3” photograph of
If yes, how much? ____________________ yourself here

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PART II: PARENTS’ DATA

1. Father’s Name: ______________________________________________________________

(First Name) (Middle Name) (Last Name)
Residential Address:
Street: _______________________________ City: ____________________________________
State: ___________________________ Zip Code: ____________ Country: _________________
Religion: _____________________ Church (if Christian): _______________________________
Occupation: ___________________________________________________________________
Does he support your choice of vocation? ___________________________________________

2. Mother’s Name: ______________________________________________________________

(First Name) (Middle Name) (Last Name)
Residential Address:
Street: _______________________________ City: ____________________________________
State: ___________________________ Zip Code: ____________ Country: _________________
Religion: _____________________ Church (if Christian): _______________________________
Occupation: ___________________________________________________________________
Does she support your choice of vocation? ___________________________________________

PART III: IN RELATION TO VOCATION

1. How did you hear about our Community? __________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

2. Have you ever lived in a Religious community before, even as an aspirant? _______________

If yes:
a. How many communities? _________________________________________________
b. Length of time and approximate dates for each: ______________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
c. Reason (s) for leaving each Community: _____________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
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(Please attach separate sheet of paper and continue if needed)

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3. In general, what do you think is the purpose of Religious life? _________________________
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4. What interests you in our Community? ___________________________________________

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5. Ours is a contemplative Community with an outside apostolate of direct evangelization and

helping people deepen in their spiritual life, primarily through spiritual direction, our retreat
program, conferences or talks on the spiritual life and our Lay Associate program. Which part of
these descriptions appeals to you and why?
_____________________________________________________________________________
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6. Do you think of Religious life more as a GIFT or as a SACRIFICE? Why? ___________________

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7. Why do you think you have a vocation to Religious life? ______________________________

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8. For how long have you felt a call to Religious life and /or felt a strong attraction toward it?
______________________________________________________________________________
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9. During that time, have you contacted other Religious communities for information about
their lifestyle and other related factors? _____________________________________________

10. Have you consulted a priest or Religious about your vocation? ________________________

11. What leads you to believe that you would be happy (basically content) as a Religious?
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12. What do you feel (believe) you would bring to Religious life? _________________________
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13. What indication(s) do you have that you would be happy living a life of evangelical poverty
and material simplicity? __________________________________________________________
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14. Can you see yourself living a way of life under obedience? Explain: ____________________
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15. Have you thought out whether or not you could live out the vow of consecrated chastity
and how this would affect the way you relate to others, both in the Religious Community and
outside that Community? Explain: __________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________________________
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16. Are you single? _____ Married? _____ Widowed? _____ Separated? ______ Divorced? ____

17. Have you had an annulled union? _______________________________________________

18. Do you have a spouse living? ___________________________________________________

19. Do you have children living? _____________ If yes, give number and ages: ______________
______________________________________________________________________________
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20. If single, have you ever thought seriously about marriage? _______ Does it appeal to you?
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21. Have you dated much in the last two years? _______________________________________
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22. Were you ever engaged to be married? __________________________________________
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23. List in order of importance what you value most in life: ______________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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PART IV: FAMILY LIFE, HEALTH, PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS, RELATIONSHIPS

1. Are both your parents still living? _______ If not, how old were you when they died or were
otherwise separated from you? ____________________________________________________

2. Did you have a happy childhood? ________________________________________________

3. How many brothers and sisters do you have? _______________________________________

Are you still in contact with them? _________________________________________________

4. Are all the members of your immediate family Catholic? ______________________________

Are they all practicing their Faith? __________________________________________________

5. Do you have many close friends? _________________________________________________

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6. Have you always been a Catholic? ________________________________________________

7. Were you at any time not practicing your Faith? ______ If yes, for how long? _____________

8. If you were not practicing your Faith at any time, can you remember why you stopped
practicing and what brought you back to the Faith? ____________________________________
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9. Have you ever belonged to the Charismatic Movement? ______ What are your thoughts
about this movement? ___________________________________________________________
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10. Do you prefer changes in your daily routine, or do you prefer a more stable one? _________
______________________________________________________________________________

11. Are you holding a job currently? _____ If yes, what is it and how do you relate to it on a
daily basis? ____________________________________________________________________
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12. Is your current job one that you have held in the last two years? ______________________

13. Have you had many job changes? ______ If so, what would be the average amount of time
you have stayed with one job? ___________________________________________________

14. If you did not have to consider money, and you had the qualifications, what is the thing you
would like to do more than anything in the world? ____________________________________
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15. Do you like being involved in projects? ______ Do you like a challenge? ________________

16. Do you like organizing things? ________ Do you like making decisions? _________________

17. Do you have any regular crafts or hobbies? ________ What are they? __________________
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18. Do you belong to any club or other organizations? ________ If yes, what are they? _______
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19. Do you like reading? ______ What is your favorite type of book? ______________________
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Which books have you read in the last one year? ______________________________________
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20. Do you like music? ______ What kind of music do you prefer? ________________________
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21. Do you have any diet problems? ______ If yes, what are they? ________________________
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22. Do you have a good appetite? __________________________________________________

23. Do you sleep well, as a rule? _____ If not, what is the cause? _________________________
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24. Normally, how many hours of sleep do you need in order to function effectively the next
day? _________________________________________________________________________
25. Do you have any chronic allergies, physical handicaps? _____ If yes, what are they? _______
______________________________________________________________________________
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26. Have you ever had any serious illnesses? _____ Which? _____________________________
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27. Have you ever worked outdoors in extreme heat or cold? ____ If yes, what was your
reaction? _____________________________________________________________________
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28. Are you considered to be a leader by others? ______________________________________

29. In relationship with others, what do you dislike most in people? ______________________
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30. What do you like to find most in people? _________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

31. Are you quick-tempered? ______________________________________________________

32. Are you easily hurt? __________________________________________________________

33. Do you show these feelings, or are you able to keep their outward manifestations under
control?_______________________________________________________________________
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34. Do you often become depressed? _______________________________________________

35. Do you brood over things, or do your feelings come and go pretty quickly? ______________
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36. Have you ever had a nervous breakdown? ______ If yes, how long did it take you to get
over it? _______________________________________________________________________
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37. Have you ever had psychotherapy or psychiatric treatment? __________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
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38. Have you ever had counseling on a fairly regular basis? ______________________________
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39. Do you experience much difficulty in conversation with people? _____ Do you find it easy,
or is it a “drag?” ________________________________________________________________
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40. Would you find it relatively easy to address yourself to a small group on a friendly basis? __
Have you ever done so discussing a spiritual topic, or would you find this difficult? ___________
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41. Do you spend much time on the Internet? _______ How much (approximately if not
exactly)? ______________________________________________________________________

PART V: PRAYER AND LIFE IN A RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY

1. How much time do you spend regularly each day in personal prayer? ___________________

2. How often do you attend Holy Mass at present? ____________________________________

3. How much time do you read the Bible or other spiritual books? _______________________

4. Do you make regular use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession)? _______________

How often? ___________________________________________________________________

5. Do you receive any regular spiritual direction? _____________ If yes, how long have you
been receiving it? _______________________________________________________________

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6. Describe how you would spend a one-hour prayer period: ____________________________
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7. What type of prayer do you find yourself most at home with? _________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

8. Have you ever gone on a retreat? ______ If yes, how often have you done this and how
helpful has it been for you? _______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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9. Are any of the following words familiar to you? If they are, describe what they mean to you:
a. Recollection ___________________________________________________________
b. Union with God ________________________________________________________
c. Meditation ____________________________________________________________
d. Contemplation _________________________________________________________
e. Solitude _______________________________________________________________
f. Apostolate _____________________________________________________________
g. For God alone __________________________________________________________

10. Do you like being alone? ________ Do you have much time alone? ____________________

11. How do you like the Liturgy of the Eucharist in your home parish? _____________________
______________________________________________________________________________

12. As a member of the Community, what type of relationship would you expect to have with
relatives, friends, and other lay persons? ____________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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13. Does living alone in a hermitage appeal to you, or would you prefer living in a house-type
building within our Religious Community? ___________________________________________
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14. What do you think is involved in Religious Poverty? _________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
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15. What do you think is the purpose of Religious Obedience? ___________________________
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16. What do you think is the reason for consecrated chastity in Religious Life? ______________
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17. What do you see as the usefulness of a Religious habit? _____________________________

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18. Does our particular Religious habit appeal to you? __________________________________

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19. Have you ever thought much about penance and mortification? ______________________
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Have you ever consciously set out to practice them to any degree? _______________________
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20. What do you think is meant and included in the terms “giving up self” or “self-surrender?”
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21. What do you know about the nature of our apostolate? _____________________________
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22. Do you prefer working with people, or to work alone? _______________________________

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23. If you have read the works of St. John of the Cross, what do you think is his basic message?
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24. Would you be prepared to enter fully into the distinct spirit and spirituality of this Religious
Community, even if this meant setting aside your own ideas and opinions if these came into
conflict with the Community’s viewpoint? ___________________________________________
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_____________________________________________________________________________

25. Would you be prepared to have all your reading material selected for you for years, despite
your previous experience? _________________________________________________
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26. PLEASE LIST the main spiritual books you have read over the last two years, with the author,
if you know him/her. State what other books have inspired you:
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Your Name: ___________________________________________________________________

Your Signature: ______________________________ Date: _________________________

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