SFO Profession Question

[Mike_SFO_1]

Any SFO folk out there? I have a question regarding the application for profession. I have been in formation since Aug 07 and in candidacy since Mar 09. I feel I am ready for permanent profession. I know I have to write a letter to my council applying for profession but I am a little confused on protocol. Should I wait until my formators ask me to submit a letter or am I expected to just submit a letter when I feel ready. At this point we have a new person in candidacy and our time spent in formation is review for me.

Mike

 

[albertziggy]

Any SFO folk out there? I have a question regarding the application for profession. I have been in formation since Aug 07 and in candidacy since Mar 09. I feel I am ready for permanent profession. I know I have to write a letter to my council applying for profession but I am a little confused on protocol. Should I wait until my formators ask me to submit a letter or am I expected to just submit a letter when I feel ready. At this point we have a new person in candidacy and our time spent in formation is review for me.

Mike

Hi:

First you have to meet the number of months required to complete the candidacy phase. Then, wait for the advice from your formation director.

In Christ,

albertziggy

 

[Kevin812]

Generally, its a year and maybe longer. (See Article 41 of the SFO Constitution).

Nat Stats Section III, Article 19, Para 2b

“Candidacy – The period of Candidacy, which begins with the Rite of Admission [cf. Ritual, page 11], shall consist of not less than eighteen (18) months and not more than thirty-six (36) months.”

From my experience SFO does not move very fast ever (Just an observation ). Talk to the your formation director and/or Minister if you know them well.

Best wishes.


all doc can be found at nafra

 

[joandarc2008]

I am currently in formation and transferred in the middle of my formation from one Fraternity to another. At my initial Fraternity I was given all my dates ahead of time. When I came to my new Fraternity I was started over. As it turned out some of the people there were on the National Council that created the National Formation Standards. The two years for formation is a minimum. They told me I could expect the process to last a lot longer and to enjoy formation as it is a period of innocence and a journey. The other thing is that the Fraternity is always given the benefit of the doubt. Have you talked to your formation director? What about your formation sponsor? I am learning a lot and am a lot more comfortable moving slowly at my own pace and my Fraternities than on a time table. Remember obedience to the Will of God is one of our charisms.

 

[melchesidechpio]

Any SFO folk out there? I have a question regarding the application for profession. I have been in formation since Aug 07 and in candidacy since Mar 09. I feel I am ready for permanent profession. I know I have to write a letter to my council applying for profession but I am a little confused on protocol. Should I wait until my formators ask me to submit a letter or am I expected to just submit a letter when I feel ready. At this point we have a new person in candidacy and our time spent in formation is review for me.

Mike

I would consult your formation director. My fraternity has an itinerary of the events

 

[Kevin812]

I am currently in formation and transferred in the middle of my formation from one Fraternity to another. At my initial Fraternity I was given all my dates ahead of time. When I came to my new Fraternity I was started over. As it turned out some of the people there were on the National Council that created the National Formation Standards. The two years for formation is a minimum. They told me I could expect the process to last a lot longer and to enjoy formation as it is a period of innocence and a journey. The other thing is that the Fraternity is always given the benefit of the doubt. Have you talked to your formation director? What about your formation sponsor? I am learning a lot and am a lot more comfortable moving slowly at my own pace and my Fraternities than on a time table. Remember obedience to the Will of God is one of our charisms.

With respect to what the minimum (and the max) of the length of candidacy is, the SFO Constitution is definitive and we are bound under obedience to obey. There are interpretations and practices that may very from time to time and place to place and often rooted in charity, but this never alters the fact the that Rule, which the Constitution is enrobed in, is the final authority on matters.

While I do agree that things do take time and the Spirit acts in it’s own time and ways, I do feel that an Inquirer and Candidate is to be fully and realistically informed of the process and not left dangling.

Someday soon I would love a new topic of SFO formation

 

[joandarc2008]

With respect to what the minimum (and the max) of the length of candidacy is, the SFO Constitution is definitive and we are bound under obedience to obey. There are interpretations and practices that may very from time to time and place to place and often rooted in charity, but this never alters the fact the that Rule, which the Constitution is enrobed in, is the final authority on matters.

While I do agree that things do take time and the Spirit acts in it’s own time and ways, I do feel that an Inquirer and Candidate is to be fully and realistically informed of the process and not left dangling.

Someday soon I would love a new topic of SFO formation

I apologize I did not mean to imply that the person should be left dangling. I was just saying that I know one of the mistakes I made was I saw time table like my first Fraternity had laid out but then when I got to the next Fraternity - who had members who had written that rule- as well as the formation books you are using they explained it was not that way at all. I think it is easy sometimes to get into the I am ready mindset when one has worked on something for so long - in my case there were a lot of other things going on to and I needed to slow down and could not see that. These things also needed to be decided on by the council. So I guess much of this all goes to what the OPs formation director thinks.

 

[ausculta]

With respect to what the minimum (and the max) of the length of candidacy is, the SFO Constitution is definitive and we are bound under obedience to obey. There are interpretations and practices that may very from time to time and place to place and often rooted in charity, but this never alters the fact the that Rule, which the Constitution is enrobed in, is the final authority on matters.

While I do agree that things do take time and the Spirit acts in it’s own time and ways, I do feel that an Inquirer and Candidate is to be fully and realistically informed of the process and not left dangling.

Someday soon I would love a new topic of SFO formation

Here’s a topic for us. (Actually I am simply curious.) What formation materials are you using? My fraternity currently uses Catch Me a Rainbow Too and we are seriously considering changing over to Fully Mature In The Fulness of Christ. I am already using the latter as a supplement to my own formation.

 

[joandarc2008]

Here’s a topic for us. (Actually I am simply curious.) What formation materials are you using? My fraternity currently uses Catch Me a Rainbow Too and we are seriously considering changing over to Fully Mature In The Fulness of Christ. I am already using the latter as a supplement to my own formation.

Well at my old Fraternity we used Catch Me a Rainbow and then went in to the Complete Works of Francis and Clare.

In this One -

Throughout the Formation we Use:

Come & See: Orientation and Inquiry (for the Orientation and Inquiry Phases)

During Orientation:

Orientation Chapters
Also Biographies which are picked with the Orientation Director -mine were

GK Chesterson’s St Francis of Assisi
egglebert’s St Francis of Assisi
There was another one that we all read that none of us liked

Inquiry Chapters: Will be getting back into my Inquiry phase in my next couple of months - mine is a bit different as I had some reading ahead of time at my old Fraternity.

I know as part of Inquiry I will have a few biographies on St Clare to read as well that we will be picking out.

 

[albertziggy]

Here’s a topic for us. (Actually I am simply curious.) What formation materials are you using? My fraternity currently uses Catch Me a Rainbow Too and we are seriously considering changing over to Fully Mature In The Fulness of Christ. I am already using the latter as a supplement to my own formation.

Hi,

We are using ‘Fully Mature In The Fullness of Christ’. In my opinion, we just cannot rely on one formation material alone though.

albertziggy

 

[melchesidechpio]

Well at my old Fraternity we used Catch Me a Rainbow and then went in to the Complete Works of Francis and Clare.

In this One -

Throughout the Formation we Use:

Come & See: Orientation and Inquiry (for the Orientation and Inquiry Phases)

During Orientation:

Orientation Chapters
Also Biographies which are picked with the Orientation Director -mine were

GK Chesterson’s St Francis of Assisi
egglebert’s St Francis of Assisi
There was another one that we all read that none of us liked

Inquiry Chapters: Will be getting back into my Inquiry phase in my next couple of months - mine is a bit different as I had some reading ahead of time at my old Fraternity.

I know as part of Inquiry I will have a few biographies on St Clare to read as well that we will be picking out.

That is quite a list. We used Come and See for the Orientation and Inquiry. For Formation we are using To Live as Francis Lived, Brother Angelo returns to Assisi and Perfect Joy. I also have read other books on St. Francis before I started formation and one was Egglebert’s St. Francis of Assisi. I have also read to books written by Thomas of Celano, 1 by St. Bonaventure The Early Writings of St. Francis (3rd book in the series by New York City Press I believe)

 

[joandarc2008]

That is quite a list. We used Come and See for the Orientation and Inquiry. For Formation we are using To Live as Francis Lived, Brother Angelo returns to Assisi and Perfect Joy. I also have read other books on St. Francis before I started formation and one was Egglebert’s St. Francis of Assisi. I have also read to books written by Thomas of Celano, 1 by St. Bonaventure The Early Writings of St. Francis (3rd book in the series by New York City Press I believe)

My Orientation director may have kept it to two biographies except I really did not like the second one she gave me. She also went to a Jesuit school for her grad work and I am starting my grad work in January so I think we were also just having some fun sharing once it went over two biographies in Orientation. I wish I could remember the other name but it was so bad that my sister in Fraternity who lent it to me did not want it back and my Orientation director asked me what I had to lend someone who was checking out our Fraternity and I gave her that as I choice and she visibly winced in pain. I am thinking it is more of a Rite of Passage.

This all came about from what I understand because a number of years ago when Fraternites and such were meeting there was a lack of understanding of things across the board that should have been understood such as the meaning of Vocation, Franciscan themes as the Crown Rosary, San Damiano Crucifix, Tau Cross, Franciscan Coat of Arms, Franciscan Spirituatility, Franciscan Theology, etc.

 

[cthulhubryan]

Please forgive ignorance. What is SFO?

 

[ausculta]

Please forgive ignorance. What is SFO?

Hello.

SFO is an acronym for (S)ecular (F)ranciscan (O)rder. We are members of the secular branch of the third order order of St. Francis of Assisi. We are called to live out the Gospel in the example of St. Francis of Assisi. You can check us out here.

God’s peace and all Good,

 

[cthulhubryan]

Hello.

SFO is an acronym for (S)ecular (F)ranciscan (O)rder. We are members of the secular branch of the third order order of St. Francis of Assisi. We are called to live out the Gospel in the example of St. Francis of Assisi. You can check us out here.

God’s peace and all Good,

Thanks! I will read all about it.

 

[melchesidechpio]

Please forgive ignorance. What is SFO?

Hello.

SFO is an acronym for (S)ecular (F)ranciscan (O)rder. We are members of the secular branch of the third order order of St. Francis of Assisi. We are called to live out the Gospel in the example of St. Francis of Assisi. You can check us out here.

God’s peace and all Good,

also in addition living out poverty, chastity and obedience. Lots of emphasis on Poverty.

 

[Kevin812]

Happy New Year to all.
Sorry to be getting back so slowly, on inquirer/candidate formation…

It’s almost always a one on one basis. In general we only have one person in formation at a time and occasionally 2, but unless they started at the same time (like a married couple), then generally they are kept separate. Formation occurs during the 1st meeting of the month with the Professed in one room and the non (right now the one Candidate) in another with the formation director (or designate).

“Fully Mature In The Fulness of Christ” -------- is what is being used currently for inquirer/candidate formation and generally, it’s one chapter a month. I have been told that we are required in our Region to exclusively use this work, but I’m not really sure this is the actual case. Personally, I’m not in love with the work, but I have found that the selected required readings (passages at the end) to be important points to base discussions on.

“Catch Me a Rainbow Too” - (out of print?) is used for post Profession, but is left to the person on their own to actually use or not.

Two other works are critical to know in our local fraternity:

“Poverello” by Mark Hegener is required reading for any body who is interested or on their way to become an Inquirer. We provide this free for the asking.

“Francis: the Journey and the Dream” is essential (and de facto required) of all Candidates and the Professed. More than a working knowledge is needed of it’s chapters and themes.

The Professed are working their ways through the Constitution. We spent about a year on the rule. Also we are “blazing” our ways through “To Cling with all her Heart to Him: the Spirituality of St. Clare of Assissi’” Benert Fonch, OFM. After almost a year we are just over 1/2 through the book.

 

[joandarc2008]

We also went through all of the Rule during Orientation as well as the San Damiano Crucifix, the Crown Rosary, and the Knots. Just to add in.

 

[melchesidechpio]

We also went through all of the Rule during Orientation as well as the San Damiano Crucifix, the Crown Rosary, and the Knots. Just to add in.

That’s wonderful. We cover that in our formation, but I like to go ahead and study things well ahead of time. I learned about them before I entered Orientation. I was allowed to attend Fraternity meetings before my orientation period. At some meetings we pray the Crown Rosary, while others we pray the LOTH (Vespers)

 

[joandarc2008]

That’s wonderful. We cover that in our formation, but I like to go ahead and study things well ahead of time. I learned about them before I entered Orientation. I was allowed to attend Fraternity meetings before my orientation period. At some meetings we pray the Crown Rosary, while others we pray the LOTH (Vespers)

We pray LOTH every meeting plus we have LOTH available everyday prior to daily mass - we are a Franciscan parish so it is on the Franciscan calendar.