Formation is an important phase in the life of every religious. It starts from the time a candidate enters the congregation to become a religious and continues till her death.
Affiliates: In the first phase, the candidates who enter the Congregation are helped to deepen their Christian faith and led to know and love Jesus. They are initiated into a life of prayer; they are given the knowledge of the Institute and its mission, introduced to community living and are helped arrive at clarity of their call to Bethany; they are helped to know themselves and to develop their potentialities and to acquire communicative skills in English language.
Affiliates – Students: Candidate who entered the Congregation without going through her pre-university studies is sent to the college for studies in view of taking up a suitable apostolate of the Congregation. However, during this period her formation is paid attention to. The candidate is helped to grow in the awareness of her call to follow Christ in and through Bethany and acquire knowledge; her Christian life is deepened, her prayer life is fostered; she is helped to get acquainted with the knowledge of the Institute and its mission; she is given a taste for community living, to develop her human potentials
Pre-novitiate: This period is of one year. Pre-novices are helped to know Jesus and understand their vocation and helped to grow in prayer, Christian faith and Gospel Values. They develop human maturity to respond to the call with freedom and personal responsibility with a capacity for discernment of vocation. The Pre-novices learn the essentials of the Institute’s Charism and spirituality; the institute learns the candidate to assess her suitability to the Institute. They develop a keen desire for the mission of Christ in the Church according to the Institute’s Charism and to grow in compassionate love. They further the acquisition of skills and gain community experience by living in a community.
Novitiate: The novice grows into the knowledge of and intimacy with Jesus, through a process of inner transformation which leads her to make a whole hearted commitment to Jesus through the evangelical counsels as the handmaid of the Lord for God’s work according to the Charism and spirituality of the Congregation.
The Juniorate: This period consists of a number of phases. During the first year, immediately after the first profession, the Junior Sister is placed in a community for 9 months, and for about three months is offered a common programme. During this period they deepen their spousal relationship with Christ, the Charism and spirituality of Bethany, to live Evangelical counsels radically after the example of Jesus, in building the Trinitarian communities, to train oneself as a true handmaid who actively participates in the mission of the Church.
The Juniorate: Phase II
II year to V year
In this phase they deepen all the aspects of Religious life, such as, their spousal relationship with Christ, Charism and spirituality of Bethany, living the Evangelical Counsels, contributing positively to build community life, participate in the mission of the Church as Handmaids, acquire suitable academic and professional training to meet the requirements of the mission, grow in affective maturity leading to wholeness of life.
Tertianship: This is a nine months’ training programme held under an experienced tertian directress. During this period they make a serious preparation for Perpetual Profession and further deepen and integrate all the elements of Religious life.
Ongoing Formation:
Phase 1 – from Perpetual Profession to 40 years: The Bethany sister takes personal responsibility to further her growth in all areas and commits herself passionately to Christ for the cause of the poor.
Phase II – 41 to 60 years: A Bethany sister finds her fulfillment in Jesus her beloved, in communion with the community, institute and the society and becomes an agent o transformation by her life witness.
Phase III – 61 to 75 years: A Bethany sister integrates gracefully her life experience to become holy and shares the spiritual riches and wisdom with others in universal love.
Phase IV and above: The Bethany sister lives in continual union with God in total self surrender, preparing herself gracefully for her final encounter with God.