Registration is now open

Our biennial Fall Institute will offer three workshops at the Marillac Center in Leavenworth, Kansas, October 11-21. Similar to the Summer Institute, it’s your choice as to how many workshops you want to attend. Marillac Center is a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth and is located on their Mother House grounds. It is accessible from the Kansas City Airport (MCI). Participants can use the Super Shuttle from the airport or take advantage of free parking if you rent a car or drive to Leavenworth. Lunch is included for all workshop participants at Fall Institute. For more information, visit the Marrilac website. 
 

Accommodations

If you need overnight accommodations at the Marillac Center, register as a resident (if you will drive to/from the center each day, register as a commuter). Enjoy the convenience of having a private spacious bedroom, bath and shower. Breakfast and supper is included for residents. Wireless internet access is available for all meeting rooms and guest rooms. Limited rooms are available; make your overnight accommodations when you register for your workshop. Please do not call the Marillac Center for reservations.

Reservations are contracted for arrivals after 3 p.m. the day before the workshop begins and most workshops have check-out before 9 a.m. the day after the workshop ends. This means you are responsible for the full payment of the room reservation, regardless of your arrival and departure date.  Unfortunately, room reservations cannot be made for earlier arrivals or later departures. The Center has a locked storage unit to hold luggage until you are ready to leave on the day of your departure. If you are staying for the next workshop, you will not need to check out. 

Please note that these accommodations are designed very simply for retreatants and short stays on a motherhouse campus for $115 per night per person. If you need more amenities, make your reservation at local hotels. The Hampton Inn, Days Inn, and Holiday Inn are all within driving distance from the Center. If you do not need overnight accommodations at the Marillac Center, register as a commuter.

Registration

To register for workshops, click on the link provided on each workshop page.

LATE REGISTRATION

Registrations for workshops received after September 27 will incur a $100 late fee per workshop:

CANCELLATIONS

Cancellations for workshops and/or accommodations must be received in writing before September 27 to receive a full refund, less a $100 processing fee per workshop. After the deadline, all fees are non-refundable for the cancellation of workshops and/or accommodations. 

Schedule

• Orientation Program for New Vocation Directors,  Oct. 11-15, 2017 

• Behavioral Assessment I, Oct. 16-18, 2017 

• Behavioral Assessment II, Oct. 20-21, 2017 

The schedule was super! Time for breakfast, prayer, Mass in the morning without rush--as well as generous time for lunch and breaks. 

Sr. Laura Cavanaugh, S.B.S. 

General Information

The Mission of the National Religious Vocation Conference (NRVC) reflects its commitment to provide membership with educational opportunities, resources, and other supportive services that strengthen and enhance the professional ministerial skills of those serving in vocation ministry. NRVC strongly suggests that vocation ministers participate in ongoing educational opportunities to attend to their own vocation, faith formation, and to further develop their professional competencies. It is essential for vocation ministers to keep up-to-date on trends, issues, skills, and best practices in the field of vocation ministry.  

This year, NRVC is offering eight workshops intended for vocation ministers, formation teams, communicators, religious leadership, and others entrusted with the assessment of discerners and candidates. Workshops are designed from the NRVC three-component curriculum for those who wish to deepen their understanding of the complex theological, spiritual, psycho-sexual, ethical, and diversity issues often present in contemporary vocation ministry. 

I have learned so much. I never realized all the implications of what it means to be a vocation minister. What an awesome responsibility! Thank you. You have helped me greatly.

—Sister Laura Urbano, P.B.V.M. 

 

2017 Program Schedule

SUMMER

• Vocation Ambassadors Program, June 9-12 

• Behavioral Assessment I, July 10-12, 2017 (Summer Institute)

• Ethical Issues in Vocation Ministry and Formation Ministry,  July 14-15, 2017 (Summer Institute)

• Understanding, Assessing, and Fostering Psychosexual Integration, July 17-20, 2017 (Summer Institute)

• Orientation Program for New Vocation Directors,  July 21-25, 2017 (Summer Institute)

FALL

• Orientation Program for New Vocation Directors,  Oct. 11-15, 2017 (Fall Institute)

• Behavioral Assessment I, Oct. 16-18, 2017 (Fall Institute)

• Behavioral Assessment II, Oct. 20-21, 2017 (Fall Institute)
   

Registration fees

Workshops are open to NRVC members at the consistently low discounted rate of $150 per day per member and for non-members at $225 per day per person. The Vocation Ambassador Program requires a preapproved application. Learn more here. 

Not an NRVC member? Signup here to receive the discounted rate.
 

Accommodations

Overnight accommodations are $115 per night for anyone in need of housing regardless of membership status. Click on the following links for additional information regarding accommodations: 

Summer Institute

Fall Institute
 

Financial assistance available

To assist NRVC members with their professional development, the Misericordia Scholarship Fund is available. Scholarship funds can be applied to NRVC workshops, however they do not cover the cost of transportation, accommodations, meals, or personal expenses. If you need financial assistance to attend an NRVC workshop, please debbiesscm@nrvc.net for an application.
 

The schedule was super! Time for breakfast, prayer, Mass in the morning without rush—as well as generous time for lunch and breaks. 

—Sister Laura Cavanaugh, S.B.S

Click here to register.

Prerequisite: Behavioral Assessment I must be taken at least nine months before taking for this workshop. This workshop is a follow-up to Behavioral Assessment I and builds upon those skills. It is directed to those who have had experience in conducting assessment interviews. Workshop participants are invited to come prepared with topics, discussion questions or case studies to consider during the workshop. 

Schedule

This workshops starts at 9 a.m. each morning from Oct. 20-21. Please note that this workshop ends at 4:30 p.m. on October 21. Overnight accommodations are contracted for 3 nights with arrivals on October 19 and check out on October 22.

Fees

Workshop fees include materials, speaker, lunch, and facility fees.

Commuter:  $300 – NRVC Member      $450 – Non-NRVC Member
Resident:  $645 – NRVC Member         $795 – Non-NRVC Member  
          

LATE REGISTRATION

Registrations for workshops received after September 27 will incur a $100 late fee per workshop:

CANCELLATIONS

Cancellations for workshops and/or accommodations must be received in writing before September 27 to receive a full refund, less a $100 processing fee per workshop. After the deadline, all fees are non-refundable for the cancellation of workshops and/or accommodations. 

Presenter

An in-depth look at more challenging issues of personal experiences in assessing candidates, this is a gold mine. Father Ray's rich knowledge and experience in his field is very helpful, it gives a sense of authenticity. I am challenging myself to be better in assessing inquirers and updating my own materials.   

—Sister Gloria Tamayo, M.M.

Simply excellent. Father Ray is approachable, conversational, compassionate, and uncompromising about integrity in vocation ministry. This workshop adresses those ambiguities and challenges vocation ministers face to keep agency clear.

—Brother Tom Wendorf, S.M.

Having the participants bring along informal case studies provided the means for shared responsibility and content for this workshop. Father Ray has the ability to listen to participants and pull out of them what would benefit the entire class. 

—Father James Berning, S.D.B.

 

Click here to register. 

Click here to register.

This workshop is intended for new and recently appointed vocation directors.  Its goal is to provide participants with the skills, context, theory, challenges and practicalities of contemporary vocation ministry. Topics will include:  theology of call; candidate issues; discernment, assessment and the application process; the role of membership and religious leadership; advertising and education; ethics and boundaries; and self-care of the vocation director.

Schedule

This workshop starts at 9 a.m. each morning from Oct. 11-15. Please note this workshop ends at noon on October 15. Overnight accommodations are contracted for 5 nights, arrival on October 10 and check out on October 15—the same day the workshop ends. 

Fees

Workshop fees include materials, speaker, morning light refreshments, and facility fees. The fees do not include meals or parking. 

Commuter:  $675 – NRVC Member     $1,015 – Non-NRVC Member
Resident:  $1,250 – NRVC Member   $1,590 – Non-NRVC Member  

LATE REGISTRATION

Registrations for workshops received after September 27 will incur a $100 late fee per workshop:

CANCELLATIONS

Cancellations for workshops and/or accommodations must be received in writing before September 27 to receive a full refund, less a $100 processing fee per workshop. After the deadline, all fees are non-refundable for the cancellation of workshops and/or accommodations. 

Presenters

The warmth, enthusiasm, and positive spirit of the speakers created a very supportive atmosphere which helped build confidence and spark ideas. They created an atmosphere of encouragement, hope, and gave solid, practiced, and holistic information.

 —Sister Sharon Ratteree, O.S.C.

The content and resources were excellent. I appreciated sample forms and the thoroughness of the topics. The presenters were very well prepared and I appreciated their wisdom.

—Father Dat Tran, C.S.P.

Thank you for sharing the ups and downs of vocation ministry, what works well and not so much. I really appreciated the hopes for religious life because my perspective has shifted. Thank you for understanding and being real.

 —Sister Traci Stutz, O.S.B. 

Click here to register.

Click here to register.

This workshop presents practical interviewing techniques housed in a theoretical framework of behavioral assessment. While the focus of the workshop is on initial assessment of candidates, the methodology easily applies to assessing candidates in other stages of formation as well. Workshop participants study sample case reports, and learn skills for interviewing as well as guidelines for organizing the information into useful reports. Interview topics include: family background, educational and occupational histories, psychosexual histories and intimacy skills, faith history, and other pertinent issues related to comprehensive vocational assessment.

Schedule

This workshop starts at 9 a.m. each morning from Oct. 16-18. Please note this workshop ends at 4:30 p.m. on October 18. Overnight accommodations are contracted for 4 nights, arrival on October 15 and check out on October 19.

Fees

Workshop fees include materials, speaker, morning light refreshments, lunch, and facility fees.  

Commuter: $450 – NRVC Member     $675 – Non-NRVC Member
Resident: $910 – NRVC Member        $1135 – Non-NRVC Member

LATE REGISTRATION

Registrations for workshops received after September 27 will incur a $100 late fee per workshop:

CANCELLATIONS

Cancellations for workshops and/or accommodations must be received in writing before September 27 to receive a full refund, less a $100 processing fee per workshop. After the deadline, all fees are non-refundable for the cancellation of workshops and/or accommodations. 

Presenter

Father Ray is an excellent presenter. This workshop exceeded my expectations. I feel much more confident in having tools to conduct behavioral assessments. I will use this information immediately. 

—Sister Julie Sewell, O.S.B.

The content was good. I appreciated the models of psych orientation, the interviewing skills, and processing case studies. All of this material is invaluable for my ministry.

—Sister Sara Fairbanks, O.P.

The information about what you need to know versus right to know and clarity of agency was most helpful. Father Ray is very knowledgeable, down to earth, and willing to use people's questions to enhance the workshop.

—Sister Laurie Orman, R.S.M.

Click here to register.