There are 2 ways of being a part of the Secular Institute:

a) Becoming a member with the 3 vows (oblation): poverty, chastitiy, and obedience.

b) Becoming an associated member, for a woman who, for whatever reason, cannot or does not want to commit herself too strongly. This way, also married women, for example, can partake in the spirituality of our Secular Institute.

re a) Members’ way of life

A personal relationship to God, which means dedicating one’s life to Him, and living in the world, forms a unity. As the parable of the leaven says, the members make God’s will present in the world, in which they live. The members don’t live a shared life, and the Institute has no common works or social obligations.

In personal responsibility the members try to share the message revealed by the Gospel with all its consequences, in different professions, classes of population, social structures and situations through their life and their “mission in the world”. Many members are working individually in churches or the parish. The apostolate of lay women in their professions is the mission of the Institute.

re b) Associates’ way of life

Unlike the members, the associates do not make vows but simple promises which correspond to their status. They take part in the joint retreats and in other spiritual programmes and feel connected with the Secular Institute and spiritually supported by it.

This second form of membership was developed in 2012 and is very popular in some regions.