CANDICACY
Candidacy is the first stage in the intial formation of the Little Children of our Blessed Lady institute.Candidates are nurtured to a disposition that enables them to follow Christ freely, have a certain degree of maturity as a basic for the journey of conversion and faith in their call to religous life. Candidacy takes +/- three years of intial formation-training.The Candidates' residential place is at Makumbi Mission-Chinamhora area in the Archdiocese of Harare.
CONDITION OF ACCEPTANCE
The followign criteria is paramount for acceptance to the Candidacy stage of the LCBL Congregation:
1)A baptised, confirmed Catholic who has lived her Christian faith for a long period of time to ensure that Christian values have been assimilated.Converts should be allowed a minimum of 3 years in order for them to live out the Catholic faith.
2)Academic basic requirements of 5 Odinary level passes including English Language is pre-requisite.
3)The young woman must be of good health(physically and psychological).
4)Testimony from Parish Priest, Parish Chairperson or Head of the school is required.
5)Permission from parents or guardian is crucial in order to begin the initial stages of formation.
POSTULACNE
Postulancy is the second stage of fromation which lasts for one year, canonically. A postulant is a beggar who wants to join religious life.She must have sufficient intelligence to grasp what religoius life is all about.It is a period to deepen ones' identity in its human and spiritual dimension, as a woman , a Christian, a Catholic and as religious person. The goa of this stage is the formation of the whole person in preparation for becoming a significant, effective and faithful witness of the LCLB way of life in the Catholic Church.
Noviceship
Novitiate is the third stage 0f the LCBL formation. A novice is a biginner, beginning to live consecrated life in the LCBL community as envisioned by the LCBL institute within the Catholic Church. Novitiate last for two years. It is the time to assimilate and internalise the sentiments of Christ in a peacefull and quite environment, study the LCBL institute's vision and mission in the broader context of the Catholic Church and the congregational constitutions.It is indeed a time of prayer and discernment in silence as a seedbed for listening and answering one's call in the Church as consecrated woman.
Temporal Profession
Upon completion of the two years in the Novitiate, the novice makes professes the three evangelical counsels of poverty, charstity and obedence. She becomes a temporary professed LCBL sister and is sent to live in the community. The first profession is ade for one year. It is renewed annually for the next two years and for a period of three years. ts is a period of continuing formation for a deeper insertion into consecrsted life within the context of a given apostolate which is lived out fully in community with ther consecrated persons, for community life is the humus of consecrated life. During the period of temporary profession, a consecrated person is allowed by the Church to the aquisition and ecclestical qualification.
Final Profession
Final profession is a public act in the Church by which God consecrates the religious sister for a mission. He now puts a seal on her unconditional response to his call for total surrender. Through final commitement one is incoporated fully in to the LCBL institute's way of life perpetually.
Ongoing Formation
Formation is a life long process. For God calls continually through life experiences and continually challenges us to grow. We belong to a Church always in need of conversion and reformation. We are prilgrims with no abiding city here below.
