OND FORMATION

The heart of formation is discipleship that consists of depth-choices of the heart. Religious life is an exclusive commitment to God-quest. Our vocation to Religious life is a paradigm of search, a mark of human soul, not merely a labor force but a searing presence.

“I have called you by name: you are Mine.” (Isaiah 43: 1)

OND Stages of Formation

1. COME AND SEE PERIOD: To seek denotes a goal determined dynamism of a person’s life. What one seeks reveals one’s deepest concerns. This is the time for the candidates to find out whether the Oblates of Notre Dame is the community for which they are best suited. This is the stage for nurturing the call.

2. PRE-NOVITIATE: to search into one’s inner person and respond to the call away from the world. This period lasts for one year. It is spent in the House of Formation. After a period of probation, our postulants will be admitted to the Novitiate through a rite of initiation which is preceded by a retreat of five days.

3. NOVITIATE: For two years the sisters grow in the culture of the Religious Life-OND style-until they are ready for profession of vows. The novices are introduced to the authentic nature, spirit and purpose of the congregation. Our novices receive solid spiritual, theological and apostolic formation according to the charism of the Oblates of Notre Dame to enable them to discern and cherish their call and commit themselves to God through the Oblates of Notre Dame.

4. JUNIORATE: The integrity of religious profession is manifested in radical discipleship appropriated in evangelical living. The Junior sister undergoes the following stages of Juniorate formation:
        A. Juniors in Academic Program(JAP): Solid theological foundation is necessary for a mature apostolic commitment and a progressive participation in the mission of transformation. The JAP is designed to develop competent and creative theological spiritual discipline needed for dynamic ministering in mission.
       B. Juniors in Mission (JIM): The JIM Program facilitates an on-going formation of young, professed sisters while they are actively involved in the various OND ministries.
       C. Juniors in Renewal Program (JIRP): The JIRP is the last phase of the Juniorate-Renewal Year. It lasts for 10 months, and it is a period to help the Junior Sisters make an essential act of total consecration to God that will engage them to live the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty, and obedience for life.

5. ON-GOING FORMATION: Formation is far from finished when perpetual vows are pronounced. The sisters seek to grow daily and develop in the life of Christ and in the likeness of Mary who did all that pleased Him. Ongoing formation assists the sisters in their continuing education, which extends to all aspects of religious people, the whole institute itself, and her mission.