Becoming a Scalabrinian
"A Missionary with the Migrants, a Pilgrim with the Pilgrims."
- If you have heard the gentle voice of Jesus calling you, and your heart is filled with joy to answer His holy call;
- If you feel deep apostolic compassion like Jesus when witnessing the plight of millions of migrants, refugees, and displaced families;
- If you are drawn to the burning zeal of Saint John Baptist Scalabrini, desiring to dedicate your life in service and humble fraternity;
- If you wish to walk alongside Scalabrinian priests and brothers serving across more than 30 nations worldwide, we invite you to begin your journey of vocational discernment.
How Can I Discover My Vocation?
The word "vocation" stems from the Latin vocare, meaning "to call." Every person is called by God to love, honor, and serve Him. We discover our specific vocation through prayer, silence, sacramental life, and guided spiritual accompaniment.
Our formation program prepares young men to become religious and missionaries: religious, as radical disciples of Jesus Christ who was poor, chaste, and obedient; and missionaries in the footsteps of St. John Baptist Scalabrini, namely to become "migrants with the migrants" for the sake of the Kingdom of God, devoting their lives to the pastoral, human, and spiritual accompaniment of all displaced peoples.
Who are the Scalabrinians?
The Missionaries of Saint Charles Borromeo (Scalabrinians) are an international religious congregation of Catholic priests and brothers founded in 1887. In consecrated community life, we profess evangelical vows:
Poverty
Living with evangelical simplicity, holding all goods in common, and detaching ourselves from material possessions so as to remain completely free to serve Christ wherever human need arises.
Chastity
Embracing celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom of God, dedicating an undivided heart in loving service to God, the universal Church, and our migrant brothers and sisters.
Obedience
Listening discerningly to the voice of Christ through our superiors and community, remaining ever ready to be sent across frontiers and oceans to wherever the missionary harvest calls.
4th Vow: Migrant Mission
At the heart of the Scalabrinian charism is our special vow: to be migrant chaplains and missionaries, accompanying displaced persons cross-border and cross-cultural in communion with the local church.
What Do Scalabrinians Do?
Historically and today, Scalabrinians are missionaries of the borderlands. We serve on the front lines of human mobility across four primary apostolic spheres:
Multicultural Parishes & Missions
Establishing open, welcoming Catholic communities where immigrant families preserve their mother-tongue devotions and cultural identity while integrating peacefully with local host communities.
Stella Maris — Apostleship of the Sea
Providing vital maritime pastoral care, harbor chaplaincies, shore visits, and advocacy for seafarers, commercial fishers, and port workers confronting isolation and dangerous waters.
Shelters & Welcoming Houses
Offering safe temporary homes, food, medical assistance, psycho-social accompaniment, and emergency relief for vulnerable refugees, migrant students, and asylum seekers in distress.
Research, Publications & Advocacy
Spearheading rigorous academic research on migration dynamics through institutes like the Scalabrini Migration Center (SMC) to champion human rights and progressive policy reforms.
The 5 Stages of Scalabrinian Formation
Our comprehensive training process is designed to help candidates achieve spiritual maturity, theological depth, human balance, and true Scalabrinian missionary zeal:
Propaedeutic / Preparatory Year
Duration: 1 YearFocuses on human development, initial community living, intensive English language immersion, and establishing solid foundations for spiritual prayer and discernment.
Philosophical Studies
Duration: 4 – 5 YearsRigorous academic degree program in philosophy, fostering critical thinking, ethical grounding, and human self-knowledge alongside fraternal community life.
Postulancy
Duration: 1 YearA period of deeper interior discernment and fraternal integration into the religious family, preparing the candidate directly for religious consecration.
Novitiate
Duration: 1 Canonical YearThe canonical foundation of consecrated religious life. Under the guidance of the Novice Master, novices study the Congregation's Rule of Life, vows, and the Founder's spirituality, culminating in First Religious Profession.
Theology & Missionary Regency
Duration: 4 YearsDeep theological synthesis, pastoral field apostolates, and a mandatory 1–2 year Regency period serving in an overseas Scalabrinian mission before Perpetual Profession and Sacred Orders.
Vocation Requirements & Entry Paths
We accompany aspiring candidates at every academic stage of their youth:
High School Students
Candidates who have completed high school are welcomed into our orientation programs. You will be guided to prepare for university entrance while living in community discernment.
College Students
Students currently pursuing an undergraduate degree can join our aspirant community as interns, sharing in our prayer life while completing their college studies.
University Graduates
Graduates enter directly into our Aspirancy program, focusing on English proficiency, spiritual formation, community apostolic service, and preparatory studies.
Exodus Magazine: Vocation Stories
Discover firsthand what it is like to answer Christ's call among migrants. Read inspiring personal testimonies from Scalabrinian seminarians, priests, and lay mission partners worldwide.
Contact Our Vocation Promoters
If you feel a desire to inquire about vocations, seek spiritual accompaniment, or schedule a visit to one of our formation houses in the St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Province, please reach out directly: