Stages of Formation
The formation to religious priesthood in the Mercedarian Order in India is a structured and spiritually enriching journey.
An informal stage where young men live with the community and discern their call.
It begins with a one-year initiation program, where candidates are introduced to a life of discipline, prayer, and liturgy. During this time, they are guided in the habit of personal and communal reflection on the Word of God, learn the basics of the English language, and receive an introduction to Latin. Importantly, they are also taught the rich history of the Mercedarian Order—its origins, founders, saints, and redemptive mission. This period helps lay a strong spiritual and intellectual foundation for their future vocation.
Following initiation, candidates pursue their Plus One and Plus Two studies as private students. This phase is not only academic but also a time of deeper vocational discernment. Candidates begin to grow in maturity, community life, and spiritual depth while being introduced more personally to the redemptive spirit of the Order and the missionary challenges of religious life.
A year of deeper discernment and participation in religious life.
The next phase is the pre-novitiate, also called postulancy. It is a more intensive stage of spiritual and personal preparation for novitiate. During this period, candidates are introduced to the spirituality of the Mercedarian Order—particularly its unique charism of redemption. They study the lives and writings of Mercedarian saints, deepen their life of prayer and meditation, and begin to live more intentionally in community. This stage fosters a growing commitment to the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
A canonical year of spiritual formation, community life, and study of the Rule and vows.
The novitiate itself marks a crucial stage in the formation process. It is a sacred time of deeper discernment and inner formation, where candidates are gradually introduced to the demands and beauty of consecrated life. Through spiritual direction, community living, mental prayer, and liturgical participation, they are formed in the interior life and guided toward their first profession of vows. At the end of the novitiate, they make their temporary vows and are formally admitted into the Mercedarian Order.
Academic and spiritual development, often in a Catholic institute.
Before beginning their specific theological studies, Mercedarian students are required—by the norms of formation—to complete a three-year course in philosophy. This foundational stage is essential, as it equips the students with a deeper understanding of human reason, ethics, and metaphysical realities. Through this philosophical formation, they are helped to develop a Christian worldview rooted in reason and faith. It enables them to grasp the knowledge of God, the dignity of the human person, and the meaning of existence, while also engaging thoughtfully with the critical questions and intellectual challenges of the contemporary world. This phase lays the groundwork for mature theological reflection and pastoral sensitivity in the later stages of their priestly formation. And then followed by one year of community and apostolic experience.
The theology course in the Mercedarian formation begins after the period of Regency and spans four years. This stage is crucial, as it integrates three essential dimensions of formation: religious and Mercedarian formation, priestly formation, and intellectual or doctrinal formation. Each of these elements works together to shape the student into a well-rounded religious priest who can serve both the Church and the specific charism of the Mercedarian Order. During this period, the growth of the student’s religious vocation is further deepened. The aim is to help them live more fully the Mercedarian way of life and to prepare them to carry out the redemptive mission of the Order with greater maturity and commitment. At the same time, this stage is particularly focused on forming the priestly identity of those who have received this call from the Lord. Although priestly formation is present throughout the entire journey of religious life, it is given special attention during the theological stage. This formation is not only doctrinal but also spiritual, apostolic, and pastoral. It prepares the future priests to understand and respond to the challenges of the modern world, the needs of the Church, and the situations of people today, all while remaining grounded in the redemptive mission that defines the Mercedarian vocation.
Throughout each phase of this journey, the formation process is carefully guided by formators, in communion with the local and provincial superiors, under the direction of the Roman Province and the Mercedarian Order. It aims to raise up committed and faithful sons of Our Lady of Mercy—men who are ready to give their lives for those in danger of losing their faith, according to the spirit of the Fourth Vow