PHASES OF DISCERNMENT

Any person who wishes to become a Brother is invited to follow an initiation program during which he gradually acquires an understanding of the values and attitudes that define a Brother. The length of this program usually depends on the candidate's level of preparation, the provisions of Church law, and the requirements of the Institute. Given that the Brothers have formation programs functioning in many different countries, the formation programs have to be adapted to local conditions which can be influenced by such variables as academic background of candidates, educational opportunities, number of candidates, availability of formation personnel etc.

PRELIMINARY CONTACT

As a person begins to explore different aspects of vocation his initial contact with the Brothers is usually through the local Vocation Director. His role is to provide relevant information about the nature of the Brother's vocation in the Church and to help the interested person make a preliminary judgment about the match between his gifts and talents, and how he wants to use these in the service of the Church, and the Brother's vocation.

CONTACT PROGRAM

If the person decides to continue his exploration of the Brother's vocation after this preliminary experience he normally joins a Contact program. These are organised by the local Vocation Director and aim to help the person deepen his knowledge and understanding of the Brother's vocation so that he can make an informed choice about whether to continue looking at the Brother's life or to pursue other life choices. Contact programs take different forms but are always designed with the needs of the individual uppermost. For example, programs designed for college students enable a person to continue college studies while continuing to explore the Brother's vocation. In some countries where the focus of vocation promotion is on younger students, the Contact program may take the form of a residential experience offered to candidates in the final years of their secondary or high-school education.

The next stage of the training of a Brother is called Initial Formation.