First Year Orientation and Intermediate

During this first phase, the candidates live in Queen of Apostles College, Eluru. Here, they discern their vocation to missionary priesthood or brotherhood by doing their one year of Orientation (learning English) and two years of Intermediate Studies. The program consists of Prayer, Study and College work as needed.

Formation Program for Degree Candidates

Students at this level have completed at least one year in the Orientation Community and have attained, at minimum the Intermediate Certificate. In this case, formative activities would be geared toward helping him attain the requisite maturity for his age level before beginning the first Cycle of formation in PIME.

The Philosophical Studies

All students are admitted to the Philosophical Seminary only after having “successfully completed the university studies (Degree) required to proceed to higher studies”. The purpose of the Period of Philosophy is to begin that positively conscious process that will bring the young man to the confirmation and fulfilment of his missionary and priestly vocation. The formation process in this phase continues and concludes the educational process of discernment and choice as an immediate preparation for the Period of Theology. In this phase, the formation concentrates on the human and spiritual maturity of a candidate.  This also includes one year of Regency.

Year of Spirituality

Therefore, all the students, after having completed their Philosophical studies, will undergo an intense period of spiritual life, in a special formation community organized by the Institute for such purpose. This period (which encompasses an academic year for everyone) remains a part of the First-Phase formation community but has its own program and times set aside for its own activities. Lay and priestly candidates can participate in it together; in this case, towards the end of the period, separate tracks will be followed in order to give specific formation to the two different forms of the missionary vocation.

Theological Studies

The four-year period of the Theologate is the final and most intense part of the formation process, in which all the preceding work of formation is synthesized and a more specific and positive priestly and missionary formation is begun. Therefore, in this phase of formation, the candidates to the Initial and Final Promise, to the Diaconate and Priesthood must be grounded in and give concrete evidence of: human maturity, faith and spiritual life, missionary zeal, participation in the life of the Church and the Institute, doctrinal and cultural preparation.