Director of Vocations Sr. Ruth Harkins, IHM IHM Center, 2300 Adams Avenue, Scranton, PA 18509 Tel: (570) -346-5413 - Email: harkir@sistersofihm.org We believe that religious life is a permanent, public commitment to an expression of the mystery of God in our world, which we choose to live out in the context of a particular religious congregation. Through the mystery of our call to religious life, we are invited into an intimate relationship with a loving God and become passionately involved in God's mission. Our life together as IHM sisters is an international, communal expression of our belief in the redeeming love of Jesus Christ and of our vowed commitment to share in his redemptive mission. The process of initial incorporation gradually introduces a woman into the Congregation's life, prayer, community and ministry. We welcome women of human and Christian maturity who desire to share our IHM vision and participate in our mission of love. We value the unique gifts they offer to the Congregation and to the people of God. We strive to provide a thorough and enriching preparation for a well-informed, free commitment to a life of zealous ministry with and for God's people. Pre- Admission Phase Initial Dialogue When a woman is interested in entering the Congregation, she meets with the Director of Vocations over a period of time. This allows the director to get a general impression of her and gives the woman an opportunity to explore the life of the community and to observe the spirit and charism as it is lived among the sisters. In the dialogue the woman and Vocation Director look for a good fit with the IHM sisters. Affiliate Process The affiliate phase is a more direct step toward entrance. The woman meets with the Vocation Director on a regular basis and also works with a sister mentor. During this time she and the Vocation Director continue to explore her desires, talents and skills to make sure they are a good fit with IHM. It is a time of mutual discernment. When both determine that the woman is sufficiently ready, she begins the process of application for candidacy. Check out our Vocation Stories! Check out our new Candidates!