Updated 2/25/23
Online registration/application is now open with a registration deadline of April 14, 2023. The next class for ForMission begins May 31, 2023 at the University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein, Illinois. Participants will check in the late afternoon of May 31st with departure the morning of June 8th.
Click here to view pictures from former ForMission sessions.
ForMission is a two-year program intended for women and men:
- formation ministers currently accompanying new members at any stage of initial formation;
- preparing to become a formation minister;
- in elected and informal leadership who actively support and oversee the effectiveness and quality of the congregation/province initial formation program.
ForMission Online Application Preparation Guide
ForMission Letter of Recommendation Guide
If you have any questions, please contact Brian Michalski, Program Manager at bmichalski@relforcon.org
The experience of the past 2 years has truly energized me for mission! The speakers, content and communion of members affirmed and strengthened my belief that religious life is God’s gift that is needed more than ever in the Church and the world of the 21st Century. I strongly encourage anyone who is open to a sense of renewal and hope to participate in the ForMission program.
The goal of the program is:
- Personal and communal transformation for the sake of communal life and mission in the context of religious life, the church, and world in the 21st century.
The two-year program is designed to:
- assist participants to strive toward personal and communal transformation;
- assist women and men responsible for any stage of initial or ongoing formation to be agents of personal and communal transformation;
- assist participants to develop and articulate the vision, aptitudes and skills necessary for the formation of persons for a prophetic way of religious life in the 21st century;
- assist participants to transfer learnings, skills and processes to the lived reality of their respective congregation/province and local communities
Activities and Content:
- Participants are admitted to the program annually during the May-June residential session. Over the course of the two (2) years, participants attend four (4), week-long, residential sessions – two (2) in January and two (2) in May-June. Generally, the venue for the sessions rotates between the Chicago area and the Oblate School of Theology, San Antonio, TX (unless scheduling requires an alternative site). Credentialed program presenters are drawn from theological schools, religious congregations and organizations that offer the expertise needed in the education and formation of formators, are first rate in their respective disciplines, and lecture nationally and internationally.
- Between residential sessions, participants engage in various program requirements at home. Some responsibilities call for personal reflection, prayer, reading and writing of reflection papers and assessments/progress reports. Other activities engage participants in study with members of their own communities or with religious from other congregations, and participation in a peer supervision group. A final project connected to one’s ministry and of relevance to one’s religious community is submitted at the conclusion of the program. Upon successful fulfillment of all ForMission requirements, a certificate of completion is issued.
The residential intensives focus on the themes of:
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Mission and Religious Life in the 21st Century
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Communion and Community
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Spirituality for Apostolic Religious Life
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Formation for Religious Life
Residential sessions utilize processes reflective of an adult learning model integrating both theory and skills practice/development. Daily Eucharist, prayer, community, networking, and peer support provide a framework for a rich learning environment. Each participant is assigned a mentor with whom s/he connects regularly to address whatever needs may arise during the two-year process. The mentor gives feedback and support regarding written and at-home requirements of the program.
Tuition/Fees:
RFC Member Congregation/Province; (2) Non-member Congregation/Province: RFC Members: The total cost of the 2-year program starting May 31, 2023 is $12,740; this sum includes the $500 non-refundable deposit paid upon application to the program.
Deposit and application due date: April 14, 2023
Non-Members: The total cost of the 2-year program starting May 31, 2023 is $14,740; this sum includes the $500 non-refundable deposit paid upon application to the program.
Deposit and Application due date: April 14, 2023
