SABBATICAL PROCEDURES

A sabbatical experience is granted to a Brother for two reasons:

  • The development of his professional and ministerial skills or the preparation for a new ministry (application to the Assistant for Education); and/or
  • For spiritual renewal and development (application to the Assistant for Religious Life)

A sabbatical can last from four months to one year. A sabbatical is possible at any appropriate moment in a Brother's continuing formation as determined by the individual in consultation with the Provincial Council. Ordinarily, a member of the Province takes a sabbatical, which has a significant spiritual renewal component five to ten years after perpetual profession. Another appropriate time for a sabbatical would be at the time of a transition into a new ministry or into the time of late adulthood. During a sabbatical, an individual will participate in an organized program, at least for part of the time.

An individual, the Provincial Council and/or the local community can take the initiative for a sabbatical. The member should consult the local community concerning the timing of a sabbatical. Normally, the Provincial Council tries to give Brothers sufficient time to plan for a smooth transition from the ministry in which they are involved.

Applications for a sabbatical should be submitted to the Provincial Administration no later than March 1 for the coming ministry year; an earlier date is suggested.

Applications for a sabbatical should include:

  • All details available to the person concerning the proposed sabbatical program including the goals or aims of the sabbatical and how the proposed program or other activities of the sabbatical will respond to these goals;
  • A statement of the way the Brother envisions using the knowledge and skills acquired for service in the province and in the Church, as well as any concrete plans for future ministry directions;
  • A proposed budget, which is to include the costs for professional and/or religious development programs, for transportation, for room and board, and for personal expenses. In the process of preparing the budget, stewardship of our resources and our commitment to simplicity of life is to be seriously considered. Where local funding is available, it is to be used. Budgets for sabbaticals are approved by the appropriate Provincial Officer;
  • A short description with dates of past sabbatical experiences.

In planning a sabbatical, appropriate consultation and dialogue should be made with the local Marianist religious community and the place of ministry. If a member intends to continue in the same ministry after the sabbatical, appropriate arrangements are made with the administration of the ministry to assure continuity.

The Provincial Administration should ensure that opportunities for a sabbatical are made equitably available to all members of the province. The Assistant for Religious Life keeps an accurate record of sabbaticals granted to province members to ensure equity from one administration to the next.

Sabbaticals for overseas personnel should be planned carefully with the Regional Administration in coordination with the Provincial Administration.