To support the formees deepen their spiritual life and personal relationship with God through prayer.
To train young people to become true disciples of Christ through their compassionate love and service.
To comprehensively understand the evangelical counsels.
To gain a deeper understanding of the institute's charism and mission.
To develop the human, spiritual and apostolic aspects of the formees.
A young woman wishing to become a sister of Mercy of the Holy Cross undergoes various stages of training. These include: Aspirancy, candidacy, pre-postulancy, postulancy, novitiate, first profession, juniorate, final profession, ongoing formation.
The girls who desire to join us come for the 'Come and See' program where they are oriented into the basics of religious life while at the same time introduced to other callings of life.
Aspirants wishing to become nuns will be interviewed by the Vicariate Council together with the aspirant directress and those deemed fit are received into the candidacy stage.
A period of over 7 months. The candidates are further introduced to religious life, the history of the institute, the life of the founders, the Congregation saints, different forms of prayer and catechism of the Catholic Church among others.
Here, the formees are sent to different communities for community experience for one year. They are integrated in the community activities. Superior takes care of them and other sisters support them in their spiritual exercises like meditation and spiritual reading and so on.
The postulants spent one year…..
This final stage to becoming a nun, the formees spend two years of intense instruction. They are introduced to the institute's law, evangelical counsels, community life and the spiritual values of discipleship. During this period they attend a one month retreat where they further discern the call to follow Jesus, they attend the inter-novitiate course arranged by the Association of Religious in Uganda, spend a month in the mission in a Parish of choice and one month in any of our communities in the Vicariate. All these experiences further aid them in their discernment process.
The junior sisters are situated in different communities, where they engaged in different apostolates. Juniorate lasts not exceeding 10 years. During the juniorate sister attends renewal programs that are conducted for a month each. She goes for trains to further get equipped with or in a profession.
This is the last stage before final profession where for 5 to 6 months, intense preparation is offered to the junior sisters. The junior sisters confirm their vocation and readiness to become permanent members of the family of the Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross.
Programs are conducted for those who complete 15 and above years of profession. This is meant to help them integrate their spiritual, apostolic and social life, and also to become grateful to God as they advance in their religious life.
