Admission To Our
Franciscan Formation Program
We accept men between the ages of 20-35 into our
formation program. An applicant is accepted to the formation program by the
Minister Provincial upon recommendation by the Admissions Committee. This
recommendation attests that the applicant shows signs of a true vocation and
appears to be capable of profiting from entrance into a structured formation
program at this time.
Among the vocation signs considered by the Admissions Committee are the
following:
I. Educational Development
The applicant must have spent his time productively between the completion of
high school and admission to our community. This may involve further education,
job training, or meaningful employment.
Applicants for priesthood must show the ability to complete the required
studies.
Applicants for the brotherhood must be able to attain certified skills or
academic degrees.
II. Religious Development
The candidate must possess a personal faith in God and a call to serve in His
Church.
The applicant's relationship with God should be characterized by stability,
growth and maturity. The applicant should have a reasonably-developed
understanding of Christian doctrine and morality and an awareness of the life
and mission of the Church today.
III. Moral Development
An applicant must be capable of transcending some of the cultural and moral
values in which he has lived. Christian moral values must be rooted in his
character and he must possess
personal integrity necessary to live out the Gospel values.
IV. Motivation
The desire to live the Franciscan religious life is an important element of an
applicant's vocation. His capacity for ongoing conversion and productive
service within religious life initially stems from this desire.
V. Capacity For Service
From its origins, Franciscan life has been oriented toward Gospel witness and
apostolic service. The applicant should be capable of rendering such service
and becoming a productive member of an apostolate currently served by the
province.
VI. Human Development
Religious formation builds upon human maturity. Signs of such maturity in an
applicant include an appropriate degree of personal autonomy and
self-direction, healthy emotional development, a secure masculine identity and
the capacity for rewarding interpersonal relationships.
VII. Physical Health
The applicant should be in good health and free from chronic ailments. Physical
handicaps are not impediments to acceptance, unless they interfere with
community life or preclude apostolic service.
VIII. Financial Independence
An individual who has heavy debts, business obligations, or family duties should
delay admission until these matters are resolved.
When loans for previous academic programs come due during the pre-novitiate year
and cannot be satisfied by the individual, the province will assume these
payments in the form of a loan to the postulant.
Once the individual enters the novitiate, the province will make payments on
loans when they become due for as long as a person remains a member of the
province.
IX. Thinking It Over...
The primary concern of every Christian should be to live in imitation of Christ,
who became human not only to redeem us but to manifest the Father.
This conversion is the beginning of real participation in Christ's passage from
death to life. It is a profound change of heart which manifests itself in the
relationships of Christians for one another. This conversion means saying YES
to the Gospel message.
The Franciscan Friars, TOR provide the opportunity for men to say YES to
God. As a priest or brother, you can touch the world with divine grace, help
heal the wounds of the human family, and bring life to all people in the name
of Jesus Christ who fully brought life to us.
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