THE ROAD TO CONSECRATED LIFE A guide to becoming a Franciscan Friar of the Atonement Formation Overview
The Franciscan Friars of the Atonement is a Roman Catholic Franciscan Community, founded originally in the Episcopal Church to realize the prayer of Jesus: “That all may be one...that the world would believe” (John 17:21-23). Our Community witness in the vowed life of chastity, poverty, and obedience is lived in a way that gives joyful testimony of the fullness of life that God intends for all people.
Our name, At-One-Ment, reflects our particular gifts: a passion for the reconciliation of all creation with God and all people with one another. We seek men who are imbued with this same desire to join us.
We desire to help, guide, and grow with the men who contemplate religious life in our Community and do not look at the formation process as a hurdle to be jumped over, but rather a wonderful period of time where a man may immerse himself in the goodness of the Holy Spirit and come to understand God’s will.
The formation program is designed to enable individuals to develop and appreciate our gift that we may together give witness to the reconciliation that was accomplished by Jesus Christ — Our Atonement. This formation process is designed to engage men in a process of holistic human growth. The areas we seek to develop involve the spiritual, communal, personal, educational, cultural, and ministerial aspects of one’s life. By concentrating in these areas, we seek to bring about wholeness through our community life and quality ministry for the Church. The Formation Process
INQUIRY/ DISCERNMENT
An individual contacts the Director of Discernment and begins to ask questions of himself, reflecting on his experience of God’s call and how he might be of service to God’s will.
The Director of Discernment and the Formation in our inquiring person correspond on a regular basis. If and when it is appropriate, the community engages us in Director of Discernment visits the inquiring a lifelong process. person and, likewise, invites him to visit our Community.
THE PROCESS OF DISCERNMENT CONSIDERS THE FOLLOWING:
1. the right intention, freedom of choice, spiritual, intellectual and social fitness;
2. evidence of sufficient health, maturity (physical and mental), and experience necessary to live as a member of this Community;
3. a beginning understanding of Church, vocation and mission, and a capacity for development in these areas;
4. a love of God and neighbor as manifested in a commitment to prayer and a desire to serve in the religious life. CANDIDACY
Candidacy is the preliminary phase in the formation process, providing the individual with the time and assistance for the “gradual spiritual and psychological adjustment” necessary for entrances into the postulancy and the formal formation process.
Candidacy is non-residential, lasting no more than two years depending upon the age, maturity and readiness of the candidate to enter the postulancy. A group of Friars known as “The Formation Team” determines the length of the candidacy and proposed the candidate for acceptance into the postulancy.
POSTULANCY
The Community has a residential postulancy that lasts about one year. A candidate must be at least 21 years old to enter into the postulancy. The purpose of postulancy is to ascertain the the suitability of the individual and to prepare him for the novitiate. The time spent in postulancy is concerned with guiding the person to that level of human, communal and spiritual maturity, which would enable him to make a responsible and free decision to commit himself to religious life with the Atonement Friars.
NOVITIATE
The purpose of the Novitiate year is to initiate the novice into the essential and primary requirements of religious life and the living of the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience. Novices are gradually prepared to dedicate themselves to activities in keeping with the character and aims of the Community and its unique Franciscan Atonement charism within the Church, while developing that intimate union with the Risen Lord, from which all their apostolic activity flows. TEMPORARY PROFESSION OF VOWS
A novice is formally admitted to the religious life and becomes a Friar in our Community when he makes his first profession to live according to the Rule of the Third Order Regular of Saint Francis and our Constitutions.
A Friar in temporary profession will renew his vows annually, and this renewal must occur twice before his perpetual profession.
PERPETUAL PROFESSION OF VOWS
Ordinarily after three years of temporary profession, a Friar is free to request permission to make his perpetual profession of vows. A Friar preparing for ordained ministry must Our Founder make his perpetual profession before he Servant of God, Fr. Paul Wattson, SA receives Holy Orders.
Throughout his entire life, a Friar is to continue carefully his own spiritual, doctrinal, and If you have any questions about practical formation. the process, please contact the The formation process has been carefully Vocation Office at: thought out based on centuries of Franciscan tradition, while also accounting for modern Graymoor spirituality and practices. We desire that each individual will have enough time to 40 Franciscan Way contemplate religious life in our Community, Garrison, NY 10524 while also getting to see our charisms lived 1-800-338-2620 X2126 out. The main goal of any discernment period should be to order one’s life toward Christ. [email protected] We believe our Formation Program helps individuals do just that.