The Missionaries to the Family initiative consists of three stages: Discernment, Formation and Service. The Discernment stage explores a person’s calling, desire and fit for becoming a Missionary to the Family. The Formation stage provides professional training to the missionaries to help them fulfill their calling. The Service stage follows Formation and empowers the missionary in their mission work within or around the parish. Formation consists of three types of formation over one year’s time: Theological Spiritual Practical Theological formation is provided by the McGrath Institute for Church Life (MICL) at the University of Notre Dame and consists of four online courses. Spiritual and Practical formation is provided by Paradisus Dei through a combination of in person retreats and online coursework. Missionaries should expect to spend approximately two hours per week on the online courses. The Formation year begins with a retreat at Notre Dame in August. The second retreat’s location varies by class year, and the final Commissioning retreat weekend is hosted at the University of Notre Dame.