Mission:
The Bessette House of Discernment is sponsored by the Brothers of Holy Cross to assist men considering the dedication of their lives to the People of God as religious brothers in the Congregation of Holy Cross.
Goals:
•		To provide a prayerful environment for residents discerning a call to apostolic religious brotherhood
•		To provide the spiritual, personal, communal and intellectual tools necessary to help a resident discern a call to brotherhood.
•		To build a community that fosters a supportive environment, deepens its member’s sense of personal and communal prayer through faith sharing, and provides an opportunity to live in Christian brotherhood.
•		To experience an appreciation for the vows, values, and constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross, and for the members of the Midwest Province
•		To assist in a smooth transition from secular life to religious formation
Eligible Candidates:
Bessette House assists men typically between the ages of 20 —45 in the discernment and development of a vocation as a religious brother by providing the foundation for subsequent entry into the candidacy program through a shared community life of prayer and worship; spiritual, personal and intellectual development. Candidates for residency in the house may either be student who are currently enrolled in college, or men who already posses undergraduate/graduate degrees and are working in the local area.
Length of Residency:
The standard length of discernment at Bessette House is one academic year. Once selected, residents would normally enter the program in mid-August and remain until May of the following year. In special circumstances, residents may be accepted at other times during the year, and residency could be extended for a second year. Near the conclusion of the year, a resident would decide if he intends to apply for candidacy to the Brothers of Holy Cross.
Program Specifics:
Members of Bessette House are discerning an invitation to more deeply respond to God and the Church. They are exploring privately, and as a group, that “call” as it might relate to the consecrated religious life of a Brother in Holy Cross. To facilitate this discernment process the following house structures are in place:
•		The community gathers for daily mass, morning and evening prayer
•		Members eat in common whenever possible
•		One evening a week is a community night where all members of the Bessette community pray and eat together. fo]lowed by....
•		Weekly house gatherings that involves discussion about discernment, religious life, the vows, private and community prayer and information about the Congregation of Holy Cross and its various worldwide ministries.
•		At least monthly, spiritual Direction is provided each discerner
•		Individual monthly conferences are conducted by the Vocation Director with each discerner