Mission:			Brother Carlos, C.S.C.
The Bessette House at Notre Dame is sponsored by the Brothers of Holy Cross as a residence for young men wishing to live in an intentional Christian community or are considering their lives as religious Brothers in the Congregation of Holy Cross.
Goals:
•		To provide a prayerful environment for men wishing to live within an intentional Christian community and for those discerning a call to apostolic religious brotherhood.
•		To provide the spiritual, personal, communal and intellectual tools necessary to live within a Christian environment.
•		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 for those discerning a religious vocation.
Eligible Candidates:
Bessette House assists men typically between the ages of 20 - 45 living in an intentional Christian community. Bassette House also assists in the discernment and development for those young men considering 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 students who are currently enrolled in college, or men who already possess 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, followed by...
•		Weekly house gatherings that involve 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
Brother Carlos Parrilla E-Mail: cparrilla@brothersofholycross.com