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 Texas region (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:

• Mission and Religious Life in the 21st Century
• Communion and Community
• Spirituality for Apostolic Religious Life
• 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 Contact Person with whom s/he connects regularly to address whatever needs may arise during the two-year process.  The Contact Person 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 June 7, 2025 is $14,050; this sum includes a $500 non-refundable deposit paid upon application to the program. Four installments are made of $3,388 over two years.
Deposit and application due date: April 11, 2025 

Non-Members: The total cost of the 2-year program starting June 7, 2025 is $16,533; this sum includes a $500 non-refundable deposit paid upon application to the program. 
Deposit and application due date: April 11, 2025

ForMission Withdrawal Policy

The RFC is bound by various contractual agreements, including financial commitments, necessary to secure appropriate venues and accommodations and qualified presenters for each residential session. Early withdrawal does not automatically curtail responsibility of the sending congregation/province for payment of remaining quarterly tuition fees.  

Participants who need to withdraw from the ForMission program are obligated to pay for the program portion of the sessions they are not able to attend. The program portion is equivalent to 50% of each session fee. Withdrawal notification must be provided at least 30 days before the next session(s) or the community is responsible for the full amount of the program. For serious reasons, participants may take a leave of absence for one session. However, if the participant does not return to the ForMission program, the congregation/province remains financially responsible for the full amount of the remaining sessions.