Missionary Immersion and Community Experience

Purpose: MICE is an integral part of the Irish formation programme and as such is the norm for all Redemptorist students. Its aim is to promote the personal maturity, faith development, religious commitment and ministerial skills of the student through a prolonged experience of apostolic work. Normally MICE takes place in the context of a Redemptorist apostolic community, either at home or abroad, enabling the student to deepen his commitment to the Congregation. The MICE appointment in no way guarantees re-appointment to the same mission or ministry.


Preparation: The appointment of the student to MICE is arrived at through a process engaged in by the Director of Formation, the student and the Provincial. The formation director will initiate a process of reflection with each student that will lead to the appointment of the student by the Provincial to a placement for two years. This process will include study of the Constitutions (especially chapters 1 and 3) and other materials (e.g. Communicanda 4 and 11), which flesh out our apostolic identity.

The formation director will guide the student in formulating realistic yet challenging goals related to the important areas of the student's life during MICE. The formation director will write to those concerned (the Vice-Provincial and local superior) setting out the terms of the appointment, providing a profile of the student and clarifying the expectations involved, in the areas of community life, faith and personal development and ministerial experience. He will also clearly state the date on which the work experience ends.


Supervision: The Director of Formation will maintain regular contact with the students on MICE. During MICE the student is a member of the local Redemptorist community and, as such, is accountable to the local superior, except when he is working outside of a Redemptorist context and is then accountable directly to the Director of Formation in Dublin.

The Vice-Provincial has the responsibility to establish structures for the supervision and evaluation of the student's training for ministry during MICE. He should appoint a "supervisor" or companion for each student during the experience. The task of this confrere is to supervise the ministerial involvement and to help him reflect on the many experiences he will encounter during the two years.

When a student is working outside of a Redemptorist context, the formation director should see to it that he too has a supervisor. Regular periods of rest, reflection and prayer should be provided during the two years. The student is encouraged to keep a personal journal and to avail of spiritual direction during the experience.

STAGE 1

DETAILS / STUDY / PRAYER / COMMUNITY/ MINISTRY

STAGE 2

STAGE 3

MICE / FINAL YEAR

SKILLS

TRAVEL

WORK

SUMMARY

Evaluation: Each student is expected to submit two reports to the Director of Formation on his experience, one at the end of his first year followed by a fuller report at the completion of the two years. This final report should include an evaluation of the goals set two years previously and be guided by the fundamental concepts of the Constitutions. The supervisor of each student is expected to provide the formation director with a written evaluation. Guide questions for these evaluations should be provided by the formation director.


The formation director will initiate a process for reviewing the experience with each student individually and with the group. Such a review should involve a period of retreat or reflection before the start of the academic year, and also ongoing theological reflection on the student's experience of ministry.