Effective formation creates a distinctive and inheritable culture. The culture of Catholic ministry is shaped by the foundational elements: Vocation, Tradition, Spirituality, Ethics, Catholic Social Teaching and Discernment. Participants are invited to understand these distinctive features of Catholic ministry with attention to their expression in founding communities, so they can personally embody, and creatively adapt their integration into ever-changing situations. Leaders bear a critical responsibility for articulating and integrating the heritage and values of the tradition into the organization’s culture and associates. From the beginning, congregations of religious women and men courageously responded to the needs of the communities they were called to serve. 

Catholic social teaching insists that the human person is intrinsically social and recognizes that the delivery of health care is a collegial effort. For this reason, formation takes place in community, where participants may gain a sense of belonging to and participating in the Catholic ministry. As associates grasp what is distinctive to Catholic ministry and become comfortable, they find ways personally and professionally to articulate and integrate the dynamics of these Foundational Elements. Through this process, people grow in their abilities to live out the mission of the organization in a manner that gives witness to Gospel values.