Formation
An Explosively alive formation program
Become a Priest
An Explosively Alive Church isn’t possible without an explosively alive priesthood. A solid Formation Program is a cornerstone to this vision.
Beginning in their first year, and throughout their entire time as seminarians, members of the Companions of the Cross receive excellent formation. What does this look like in practical terms?
first year applicancy
First year applicants live at Assumption Farm in Combermere, ON where they experience human formation, spiritual formation, and Community formation. It is an intense period for prayer and growth where seminarians learn more about their call and what it means to be a Companion of the Cross.
Visitation House & SHMS
After completing a year at Assumption Farm, the seminarians move to Visitation House in Detroit, MI and attend Sacred Heart Major Seminary for academic studies. Throughout this period, seminarians continue receiving human formation, spiritual formation, and Community formation guided by the CC Formation Team.
The seminarian brothers spend 5 or more years at this stage of the journey.
Summer Formation
When school wraps up each year, the seminarians will split their time between Assumption Farm and Visitation house for summer formation. During the summer, seminarians continue to grow individually, and as a community. They develop leadership skills by planning and putting on parish missions in Canada and the US.
Pastoral Internship
In the latter years of the Formation Program, seminarians spend one full year in a Companions of the Cross parish. This pastoral internship allows them to see the practical life of priests. Here they will experience the highs and lows of parish life.
After Ordination
Formation is finished, right? Wrong!
We don’t see ordination as the finish line for formation. That’s why we’ve tasked Fr. Bryan Sabourin with launching Ongoing Formation for our priests. We see this as imperative to building an explosively alive priesthood.
Community Days
This is our annual Community retreat where all the brothers gather to grow. We have the chance to learn from other passionate leaders that come to speak. It’s also a time for the brothers to pray together and connect with each other.
Study Days
Every second year we have study days. All the brothers gather for one week to study a particular topic or theme determined by our leadership.
During our last study days we learnt about Encounter Ministries.
Who’s on the Formation Team?
This is our annual Community retreat where all the brothers gather to grow. We have the chance to learn from other passionate leaders that come to speak. It’s also a time for the brothers to pray together and connect with each other.