Formation - Consecrated Lay Persons

The following is a general overview of the formation process for a Consecrated Lay Person. Individual communities will vary.

1. Information Stage
2. Initial Formation
3. First Dedication
4. Definitive Dedication
5. Forever

Information Stage

During this stage, the inquirer meets with a member to learn more about the vocation. The inquirer may also meet with other members of the group for prayer and social time, since the members depend on each other for support and encouragement.

There is no time limit on this stage. Each person is an individual and moves on when she and her sponsor have discerned that the person is ready.

Initial Formation

By entering the community, a newcomer expresses her desire to try to live according to its spirit, to use the means it offers, and to enter into its communion.

In this stage, the person expresses a desire to try to live according to the spirit of the movement. With the sponsor, the person reflects upon the essential elements of the vocation and progressively strives to base his or her life on them.

This lived experience alone can show whether one's call from God coincides with the vocation of a particular community. Initial formation is usually for a period of up to three years. However it can be prolonged at the request of the member herself or by a decision of the Diocesan Council.

First Dedication

The first Dedication is the act by which the member, responding to God's call, gives himself or herself to Him in His Church to live the vocation of the community. This act, celebrated according to our ceremonial, includes the vow of living in celibacy for one year and also the commitment to poverty and obedience as these are expressed by a constitution.

The length of time a member lives a first Dedication can be five years. At the end of the first four years, he or she asks the Diocesan Council to renew the dedication for one year.

Definitive Dedication

A member must be at least thirty years old to make a Definitive Dedication. The Definitive Dedication made according to a ceremonial is an enduring gift from God, a definitive gift of self, a definitive acceptance of the community and by the Church.

It included a vow to live forever in celibacy for God and His Church and live the commitment to poverty and obedience as these are expressed in the Constitution.

Forever

After the Definitive Dedication, the person has a personal responsibility to God, his Church, and the community for an increasing faithfulness to what has been promised.

Information on this page is courtesy:
www.ccinfo.org/