Ministry Formation Program

The Ministry Formation Program is designed to
educate, form, and support lay leaders
partnering in mission with the School Sisters
of Notre Dame of the Atlantic-Midwest Province.

The Program

Participants will engage SSND's history and heritage, mission and educational vision and the unfolding charism as laid out in the General Chapter directional statement and province commitments flowing from that. They will explore ways to integrate these into their ministry in SSND sponsored ministries and province departments.

The MFP offers opportunity to meet and network with others who work in similar SSND ministry and will have opportunities to nurture their own spiritual lives.

The program serves:

  • Board chairs, administrators, and other selected leaders of SSND sponsored ministries;
  • Province department directors and other selected leaders sharing the SSND charism in particular ways.

Components of the Program

  • Ministry Formation Sessions

    • Together with others in key leadership positions, participants learn more about SSND charism and culture, Catholic social teaching, justice and peace, and spirituality and prayer.

  • One-on-One Mentoring

    • Leaders are able to meet one-on-one with a member of the Ministry Services team to explore SSND values, charism, mission and educational vision and how they apply in their places of ministry

  • "Claiming the Fire Within" Retreat

    • This time is dedicated to deepening SSND themes, communal prayer, quiet reflection, and small-group sharing.

  • Heritage Pilgrimage

    • Visits to significant SSND sites in Bavaria, Vienna, and Rome and meetings with sisters in their places of ministry, provides the pilgrim with a unique, first-hand perspective of SSND's foundations, internationality and ministries.

Upcoming Sessions and Retreats

2024 - 2026

  • October 18-19, 2024
    • Ministry Formation Session 1, In-Person; Dates to be Confirmed
  • March 7-8, 2025
    • Ministry Formation Session 2, In-Person; Dates to be Confirmed
  • October 17-18, 2025
    • Ministry Formation Session 3, In-Person; Dates to be Confirmed
  • March 6-7, 2026
    • Ministry Formation Session 4, In-Person; Dates to be Confirmed

Click to open PDF online Ministry Formation Sessions and Retreats (please use legal paper Click Here to Print)

Retreats

  • June 25-27, 2024
    • "Sustaining the Fire Within" at Cranaleith Spiritual Center, Philadelphia, PA (attendance at a Claiming the Fire Within retreat is a pre-requisite)
  • June 23-26, 2025
    • "Claiming the Fire Within" at Malvern Retreat House, Malvern, PA

For More Information Contact

Yvonne DeBruin, Director, Mission Formation

Ministry Formation News

Catholic Social Teaching Was a Focus of the Latest Ministry Formation Session

On October 11-12, Ministry Services facilitated Session Three of the Ministry Formation Process, focusing on Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation (JPIC) and how SSND implements and advances the JPIC agenda. Also discussed was Catholic tradition, identity and Catholic social teaching.

Heritage Pilgrimage 2019

Take a look at the new reflection added from Caelie about the recent Heritage Pilgrimage, the fourth component to the AMSSND Ministry Formation Program. Journeying to significant SSND sites in Bavaria, Vienna and Rome, pilgrims experience first-hand the foundation, internationality and ministries...

Finding Community on the Heritage Pilgrimage

As the Communications Director for the province, learning SSND history has been a very big part of my job, but reading and writing about where historical events happened cannot compare to experiencing those places in person.