Vocations
The good God continues to bless our Institute with vocations.
Initial and On-going formation
Our founder insisted that we take the period of formation very seriously. In one of his letters, he said, “if we are to have good African religious, they need a long solid training in obedience, humility and love of God, not in a lot of activities.” In another letter he made it clear that though he was “not despising numbers,” we have to “insist on quality, not numbers.” The Novitiate period is a period of learning, prayer, and recollection. The Novices are taught to gradually imbibe the spirit
of our Institute.
The period between the time a Sister makes her first profession of vows and final profession is the scholasticate period. However, before she makes her final profession of vows, she undergoes a one-year in-depth spiritual programme through studies and serious reflection related to the religious life. It is intended to help the participants become more mature Religious in the face of various challenges. Besides this period set aside for in-depth studies and reflection, holistic formation continues throughout our lifetime. Hence from time to time our Sisters are asked to attend one seminar or the other, as the case may be.
Education
Our founder, cognizant of the importance of education, wanted a Congregation of “educated African Sisters” (Founder’s letter, 1957). He continuously stressed the need for each Sister of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus to be well educated. Writing to one of the Superiors he said: “If I have any request, it is that you should urge on all the E.H.J. Sisters the necessity for study and give them all the facilities you can while insisting on the rule.” In another letter, he stated: “It is of first importance that they go forward in learning and not sink into ignorance. These Sisters must be intellectuals, they can’t be too much so.” He believed that with education the Sisters could be empowered to face the challenges before them. In fidelity to our founder’s vision, the Congregation maintains a standing Formation and Education Commission responsible for the Sisters’ spiritual and professional development. As a result, many Sisters have obtained professional qualifications in diverse fields—both in Nigeria and abroad—including medicine, law, Catechesis, Social-works, media, and other disciplines.
At present, several Sisters are pursuing studies at tertiary institutions in Nigeria, Ghana, and other countries. Over the years, our Sisters have attended courses at Pontifical Universities in Rome, as well as universities in Germany, the United States, and Ghana. We gratefully acknowledge the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (Propaganda Fide), ASEC, the Conrad Hilton Foundation, and other funding agencies and sponsors that have provided scholarships for their formation.
