“The whole process of formation in our Institute is to make of us Sisters of Charity conformed to the image of Jesus the Redeemer, that through us His merciful love may continue to reach all people” (Cs 59). Religious Formation is nothing but a transformative journey of the entire person in her spiritual, emotional, intellectual, social and charismatic dimensions. It is a path of gradual identification with the inner attitudes of Christ. By opening one’s heart to the transforming action of the Holy Spirit, one allows herself to be moulded and fashioned unto the love and likeness of Jesus.

Period of Orientation: There are two groups of Pre candidates. One group that has finished Intermediate and the other completed Class X. During this period a sister follows them, helped by the sisters of the community. They teach the principles of Christian living and offer knowledge about our Institute, catechism, English etc. Attention is paid to vocational motivation.

Postulancy: Those who are inwardly convinced of the Lord’s calling to follow Him for a mission of charity are sent to the apostolic community in smaller groups for a year to have a first, direct and global experience of the life of a Sister of Charity. Under the direction of the Superior of the community they verify and mature in their vocational choice by confronting their desire with the life witnessed in the community with regard to its spiritual, communitarian and apostolic life and make a passage from the secular to the religious life proper to the Institute.

Novitiate: It is modelled after the hidden life of Jesus, and becomes a training ground for a life of faith, discipleship, prayer and initiation to the apostolic mission proper to the Institute. It’s a time of falling in love with Jesus through personal prolonged prayer, meditation on the Word of God, deep sacramental life and nourish in them the desire to follow Jesus more radically through the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience. In this way they prepare themselves for a life of total dedication for the good of the neighbour in imitation of Jesus the Redeemer.
The novitiate formation lasts for two years. The programme consists of the study of the Sacred Scripture; Ecclesiology, Mariology, Liturgy, Catechesis and Spirituality of the Institute with greater emphasis on the study of the Rule of Life. A conducive atmosphere is created through silence and recollection, so as to ineriorize the content, grow in awareness, reflection and verification of motives. In order to respond with freedom to the free gift of vocation, they are provided with various input sessions, self-knowledge, personal guidance, group activities, meaningful celebration of the liturgy, sacraments and meetings with missionaries.
In the second year, the formation for the mission of charity is catered to through the three months of apostolic community experience followed by 15 days of village exposure programme. During the year they teach catechism on Sundays, participate in the Small Christian Community meetings, visit the neighbouring families, the sick in the hospitals, old age homes, as well as the boarding houses and learn to communicate with the needy the compassion of the Father.

Juniorate: The time of Temporary Profession lasts from six to nine years. It is characterized by the experience of the total donation of oneself to God as a Sister of Charity according to the spirit and the mission of the Institute in the profession of the evangelical counsels. During this period they are placed in an apostolic community with a specific apostolate for one year followed by an adequate professional training to prepare themselves for the future apostolate. It’s a very important stage during which through the daily experience of life, one verifies the authenticity of her vocation as a Sister of Charity in view of her permanent commitment.

It’s a journey towards dynamic fidelity to one’s charismatic identity through a process of on-going conversion and renewal of one’s vocation made definite forever by perpetual profession. Even after the perpetual Profession the young sisters are accompanied for about five years through follow-up programmes. Thereafter the sisters journey together with the numerous helps made available by the Institute, the Province and the community in particular. The Rule of Life, the Acts of the General Chapter along with the community project facilitate the journey of holiness through the daily faithfulness to one’s life of consecration and the mission after the example of our Saints Bartolomea and Vincenza.