Members are those who dedicate themselves for life to the service of mission by pledging themselves by oath to the Society (C23). Therefore, it is necessary for the Society to have in place a sound and reliable process whereby suitable candidates are admitted with the right aims and purpose in mind and formed and trained to carry out the mandate of the Society in the countries where they have been sent to work as missionaries in the local community and local church. The length and duration of this membership process depends on the students’ maturity and educational background which will be thoroughly assessed and challenged throughout the formation period.
The process for membership begins once initial contact is established directly either with an email or telephone call to any of the Vocation Directors residing in the aspirant’s own country of origin or with a Mill Hill Missionary, local priest, teacher or some other person who then puts the prospective candidate in touch with the Vocation Director. The Vocation Director will then arrange for an initial meeting to which the prospective candidate (aspirant) can find out more about the Society and the kind of mission work that members are involved in around the world. If the aspirant demonstrates a continuing interest in the society, the Vocation Director will endeavour to maintain contact. He will also visit the aspirants at their homes.
Aspirants are often invited to take part in an Orientation Period. The orientation period is the time of initial contact between the person who aspires to enter the Formation Programme and the vocation director. This is structured differently in the various Formation Centres and varies according to local circumstances. Aspirants are invited to “Come and See” weekends to familiarise themselves with the life and work of the Mill Hill Missionaries. This live-in period in the Formation Houses exposes aspirants to experiences of life in the Mil Hill community, to pastoral and other typical experiences. The Vocation Director will maintain close contact with the aspirants while they continue their studies at secondary or tertiary level or continue their professional training. The Formation Centre located at Pargi, Andhra Pradesh in India is the only centre that runs a year live-in orientation programme.
Admission into the Formation Programme
After the initial contact is established, the Vocations Director may invite those who show keen interest and who fulfil the requirements for admission to apply to enter into Formation to become a member of the Society. The aspirant’s suitability for missionary life will be ascertained by an Admission Board following an interview.
The aspirant who has fulfilled the requirements for admission and satisfy the Admission Board as to his motivation is admitted into the basic formation programme which takes place at one of the Mill Hill Formation Centres in Africa, India and the Philippines, depending on the aspirant’s country of origin.
This period is an opportunity for candidates to develop into balanced, self-reflective human beings, fully alive in their growing commitment to Jesus Christ, the Church and mission. The normal duration of this period is one year but it can differ from place to place and takes place in the region of origin or in some cases, other more established areas.
Candidates are given time and space to discover, own and share their own life and faith story and to reflect on that story in the light of ‘God’s story’. They are introduced to the ‘Society’s story’, and through personal and communal discernment, seek to discover if they are called to enter into it.
Elements of the Basic Formation Programme include structured sessions and courses, personal accompaniment on a regular basis with a formator, prayer and liturgy, community life, pastoral training and exposure to the various kinds of ministry of Mill Hill Missionaries in the local area.
At the end of this period, an assessment of the candidates is carried out by the Rector and formation staff, including the formator responsible for the basic formation programme. The views of the candidates themselves, the general student body and others who accompanied the candidates during this period are included in the assessment. A decision is then taken as to whether the candidates may join the 1st Cycle of Formation.
The 1st Cycle normally takes place in the region or continent of origin of the students. The normal duration of this period is three years although it may be two years in some instances. This cycle introduces the students to the whole area of academic formation. It takes place at a recognised academic institute. The students begin a study of philosophy and the human sciences in order to develop a reflective, questioning and critical mind and an understanding of the nature of the human person as the basis for living a more sincere, authentic faith and life. The purpose of these studies is fundamentally practical: to understand more profoundly the world of today so as to both communicate and act more effectively with others in that world. Emphasis is also placed on personal formation. This is based on a model of integrated growth, leading to a mature, healthy relationship with the self. Personal accompaniment is also an important aspect of this stage in the formation programme. It is a regular structured opportunity for dialogue between the student and a designated formator. Students also share at a personal level in formation/growth groups. Skills training is also provided at this stage for those who feel the need to better prepare themselves for the mission world. Students also engage in some pastoral activities at a local level. Spiritual formation is geared towards a wholesome spirituality that is missionary and Christ-centred within the context of the community of faith that is sensitive to God’s presence in the world.
Missionary Experience Programme
After their 1st Cycle of Formation, students are placed in one of the Society’s missionary priority areas to deepen and enhance their studies and formation through the encounter with a people, a culture and a social reality that are new to them. This usually lasts two years. The goal of this period is to develop further the identity and competence of the students as future Mill Hill Missionaries. This programme is primarily an education-formation programme rather than a mission assignment. The first three months of this programme is taken up with language studies. The students are also introduced to the history and culture of the local people and also the economic, political and social realities that shape their lives. During the next two months the students become better acquainted with the life and work of the local Church, including the part played by Mill Hill Missionaries, and with the social and cultural context in which the Church proclaims the Gospel message. A structured programme of work and formation is worked out with their supervisors and the students begin a year of supervised programme of pastoral-missionary activities and reflection which promotes the development of their personal, spiritual, vocational and ministerial identity and competence in a mission context.
Following their missionary experience, students are invited to become Temporary members of the Society. Before any student is admitted to Temporary Membership, the rector, formation staff and all concerned are consulted as to his suitability, including the members of the community to which he belongs (C29). The decision concerning admission is made by the Regional or Society Representative with the consent of his Council in consultation with the General Council. If the decision is positive, the candidate will be invited to join the fellowship of the Society by taking the temporary missionary oath. The duration of Temporary Membership is normally three years which is extendable annually at the discretion of the General Superior, his Council and all other relevant and competent authorities up to a maximum of another three years. After this period, the Temporary Member will either be accepted or refused admission to the Society as a Perpetual Member. A Temporary member can be dispensed from the Temporary Oath at any time for a just reason. A Temporary Member is free to leave the Society after completing the term of his temporary oath, or, for a just reason, may be excluded from taking the Perpetual Oath.
Each formation year of the 2nd Cycle consists of two semesters. The duration of this cycle is normally three years. Students embark on a study of theology and Scripture. A high quality programme of studies is offered to the students consisting of a wide range of courses and a flexible curriculum. Emphasis is placed on dialogue and learning together, which is promoted by small group work and in other suitable ways. Balance, integration and continuity between the different academic courses are promoted at all times. Apart from academic formation, personal formation of the students is also of prime importance. With a formator to accompany him through this period of formation, the student is affirmed, encouraged and challenged through the various stages of growth in personal development. A spiritual director is available to guide and accompany the students in their desire to open themselves to the Spirit who forms them. Formation in, through and for community is an integral part of the overall formation programme. All students are expected to attend and participate in and to prepare the community prayers and liturgy and to engage in all the various aspects of community living. Through the missionary/pastoral experience, the students learn to relate to a variety of people and to be with them in the pains and tragedies of their lives, as well as in their joys and successes. Students are helped to root their experiences of ministry in prayer and to reflect theologically on the meaning of their experiences. Special attention is given to the preparation of students to become effective ministers of the Word and the Eucharist and faithful servants of the People of God. This preparation reaches its climax in the admission of the students to the ministries of lector, acolyte and, in the case of priest candidates, the ministries of deacon and priest.
At the appropriate stage, a member in temporary oath will present himself to the General Superior and his Council for acceptance as a perpetual member. After the usual procedure for acceptance (C29), the General Superior, with the consent of his Council, will make a decision about his acceptance. If the decision is positive, the candidate will be invited to take the Perpetual Oath. By the taking of this Oath, the candidate is granted permanent membership in the Society. This will be followed by ordination to the Diaconate in the case of candidates for priesthood. The new member will then receive his first missionary appointment from the General Council.
Some time after taking the perpetual oath, students for the priesthood are ordained deacons. Deacons who have completed their academic studies now work full-time in diaconate ministry/others complete their studies during the week and exercise their ministry at weekends. The setting for the exercise of the diaconate is normally the local parish within the vicinity of the house of formation. In the case of full-time placement, the deacon normally lives in the local area and returns once a week to the house of formation for meetings with the pastoral director and other members of the formation staff. Deacons are offered the opportunity to become familiar with the wide variety of aspects that go to make up parish ministry: the pastoral care of individuals in need, social concerns, liturgical ministries etc. On completion of the formation programme, students are ordained to the priesthood, usually by the local bishop in the home parish.
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