Sr. Chioma Ahanihu, is a member of Sisters of the Living Word (SLW), holds a doctorate in Ministry with a concentration in Spirituality. She was born in Nigeria and has resided in the United States for over two decades. Her academic journey began with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Social Work, leading to a successful psychotherapist career. Recognizing the increasing importance of spirituality in psychotherapy, she pursued further studies, earning a master’s in Pastoral Studies and a Practical Theology doctorate degree. Her doctoral thesis, “Religious Women as Global Migrants to the US: Critical Conversations about Spirituality, Mental Health, and Vocational Identity,” reflects her deep commitment to exploring the intersections of mental health and spirituality in consecrated religious community life.
As the director of this program, Sr. Chioma is dedicated to the formation of people in consecrated life. She is one of the founding members and currently is on the board for the InterCongregational Collaborative Novitiate (ICCN) located in Chicago IL, which serves the need of global novitiate for sisters in formation. Her insights, shared as a contributing chapter author in the book Reseeding Religious Life through Global Sisterhood (2024), serve as a beacon of hope for religious women worldwide, reflecting her deep commitment to their empowerment.
Participants are expected to begin the program in January 2025 with a week-long orientation. Regular module presentations commence the week of the orientation. The program is scheduled to end the second week of May 2025. Please refer to the program schedule provided after application for details of the program each week, and dates. There is an exit retreat with a trip to the Holy Land for Biblical immersion and spirituality in formation.
The program modules are on: Religious Priesthood and Leadership, Human Development and Boundaries Issues, Consecrated Life, and Intercultural living. This is an online synchronous program. Those who wish to participate in person are welcomed. Participants will be able to interact with one another, develop reflection groups and have time for questions and integration of the material presented.
Housing: CTU is not able to provide in-person participants with room and board. Participants are advised to make room and board arrangements with various religious communities around Chicago and parishes where necessary. Information on this will be provided for new congregations to Chicago upon request.
This program offers you an opportunity to lead as formation directors on 4 component models: Intercultural living, consecrated life, religious leadership and priesthood, boundary issues and human sexuality. It will also serve to ground your Scripture, theology, and spirituality and psychological dimension of human development.
Intercultural Living
With the global nature of many congregations, the question of intercultural living as consecrated religious is inevitable. Hence, this unique program equips formators with current realities on intercultural living as they prepare future members of their congregations. This is done by sharpening participants’ interpersonal skills needed as formator in areas such as listening, interviewing, confronting; explore group dynamics. Gain new insight into the role of formator as a spiritual guide; broaden skill and practice. Hone your understanding of diverse expressions of religious life and the dynamics of intercultural community living and ministry.
Consecrated Life
The Magisterium on Religious Life recalls on Formation that “the call of God and the consecration by him continue throughout life, capable of growing and deepening in ways beyond our understanding”. (Magisterium on Religious Life, 1983, 44) With this in mind, formation is a vital facet in the growth of consecrated religious members. This IRF program lays emphasis for the formators on the act of learning the skills of becoming a disciple of Christ and growing in union with him according to the constitutions of their congregations. This skill will impact on individuals interested in becoming members of their congregations.
Renew your personal spirituality and gain a deeper understanding of your congregation’s charism along with a contemporary understanding of the vows and models for theological reflection. Explore contemporary issues in religious life today, locally and globally.
Religious Leadership and Priesthood
This program provides formators on ways of being creative leaders as formators of newer members to their congregations. A creative leadership formator brings their formandees into actualizing their being as members of the congregation. Similarly, this unique CTU IRF program empowers the male congregations in teaching their seminarians and novices in being role model in the priesthood of the 21st century.
Boundary Issues and Human Sexuality
This IRF program will broaden your knowledge of the psychological issues potentially encountered in formation and learn how to respond. It will expand your personal awareness and comfort level regarding healthy human sexual integration for yourself and those you will support in formation. And enhance in a better understanding of your role as a formation director in building boundary relationships in formation community, community members, superiors, spiritual directors, vocation director and others.
This program will be contributed through input from a variety of knowledgeable speakers in their areas of related specialties to consecrated life. Participants will have access to resources such as publications, library materials and texts. There will be continuous dialogue of experiential inter-cultural living with fellow participants and with the instructors. Last but not the least, there will be an opportunity for self-reflection and research on formation issues in the program.
At the end of this program, it is expected that participants have grown in these areas and are able to lead the next generation in consecrated religious life both for their community and for the church.
2025 IRF Cost
Tuition: $9,000 (Not including the exit retreat Holy Land trip)
Other additional costs for books and supplies: $700
Other Cost:
While attending the Institute of Religious Formation, all participants must have health insurance. If participants do not have health insurance through their institute/diocese, they may purchase in through the health plan of Catholic Theological Union/University of Chicago.
All fees are subject to change.
Who Can Apply
Applications are encouraged from men or women religious who seek to become a formator in their religious community. If you are a non-US citizen or do not hold a “green card,” please plan to submit your application as early as possible because of the time required to secure immigration documents and visas.
How to Apply
Women or men religious can apply online (below) or download and print an application by clicking here. Applications are processed in the order they are received.
Once you have completed the application and submitted the $55.00 non-refundable application fee, additional information will be forwarded to you about how to submit your letter of recommendation, along with a request for other supporting documents. Contact admissions@ctu.edu if you have any questions.
*costs subject to change without notice
Or please click the button below to download the application form and send it to cahanihu@ctu.edu.
Chioma Ahanihu, SLW, D.Min
Director, Institute of Religious Life
