The Carmelite formation program includes Pre-Novitiate, Novitiate, Internship and Theological Studies.

 
Upon acceptance into the Carmelite formation program, the candidate begins his pre-novitiate. The normal point of entry is St. Eliseus Priory in Harrison, N.J.. There the candidate spends at least one year becoming acquainted with the Carmelites and the dynamics of community life.

The student will do some type of academic study. If he has not yet completed college, he will attend one of the local catholic colleges and pursue a B.A. degree in the major field of his choice. He will also take the philosophy courses that are needed for theological studies. If the student has completed college, he will attend the pre-theology program at Immaculate Conception Seminary, Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J..

The purpose of the pre-novitiate is to assist the student in the discernment process. Activities are structured to determine whether or not the student has the sufficient human and Christian maturity for undertaking the novitiate. The daily schedule includes: common meals, community recreation, morning prayer, Eucharist and evening prayer. Each candidate meets with the formation director and his spiritual director on a regular basis. Community meetings, group meetings and other activities provide time for the sharing of ideas and thoughts. Finally, each candidate is encouraged to take time out each day for personal prayer and recreation.

Read more: The Carmelite Pre-Novitiate Begins a New Year  By Fr. Paul Denault, O.CArm.

Brandsma Priory in Middletown, New York is the site of the Carmelite Novitiate. The main purpose of this year is to enable the novice to experience the following of Jesus Christ through living the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience according to the spirit of the Carmelite Order.

During the year the novice prepares to make a decision in faith about the future direction of his life. It is in living a life of faith in prayer, community and ministry that the novice discovers the value and meaning of the vows and the particular spirit of the Carmelite Order.

The religious life is a freely chosen response to the invitation of God to live out the holiness of the Church. It is a way of opening the depths of one's heart to the full power of the Gospel and to the grace first granted at Baptism. To live this life requires the discipline of prayer, simplicity of life, and the willingness to live in relationship with other. The novitiate seeks to provide the novice what he needs to enter this life and live it fully. Besides the program held at the Novitiate, the Carmelite novices participate in the Intercommunity Novitiate Program sponsored by the Religious Formation Conference.

Following first profession, the newly professed are assigned to an internship. It is an opportunity for the newly professed to experience community living in a non-formation setting and participate in the ministry of a Carmelite community as a full-fledged member. It is a supervised experience. The Carmelite intern is helped to assess his developing maturity, his identification with the Carmelite community, his performance in the role of minister, and his integration of novitiate learning within a different life setting.

Important practical skills are acquired as the student perceives how theology, the tradition of the Church and our Carmelite charism shed light on contemporary pastoral situations. Through prayer, participation in the life of their local community and supervision, their pastoral experience is integrated with the rest of their life. The internship normally lasts for one or two years.
 

The final phase of initial formation takes place at Whitefriars Hall in Washington, D.C.. The purpose of these years is preparation for final vows in the Carmelite Order and final preparation for ministry as a brother or priest. The schedule and number of years required of each individual are dependent upon readiness for these steps.

Formation at Whitefriars Hall centers on two goals. First, the continued incorporation into and growing identity with the Carmelite community. Second, academic and ministerial preparation takes place for ministry. The site for academic preparation is normally the Washington Theological Union. Upon completion of the program, individuals are ready for assignment to Carmelite ministry as finally professed Carmelites and, in most cases, as priests.