Residential Formation Program
Just as it is insufficient for seminarians to simply attend theology classes in order to prepare for their future as evangelists, lay people also require formation and spiritual direction to prepare for their future mission in the Church and society. To be a welcoming place in which to live and study in Rome with both practical and spiritual support is a key reason why the Lay Centre was founded seventeen years ago.

At the Lay Centre students find a comfortable room and an active community life: Mass together once a week, dinner five nights a week, self-service breakfast, and the space and time for communal as well as personal prayer. The Lay Centre staff is on hand to ease the transition to Roman life. All residents are involved in the Lay Centre’s activities, from day-to-day, simple house tasks to helping with our various lecture series at special times during the year. All in all the Lay Centre provides a quiet, studious environment where academic excellence can be combined with the opportunity for multi-cultural, ecumenical, and inter-religious interaction.

The vocation and mission of the laity (and indeed of every Christian) flow from baptism in the name of the Trinity. Recognizing the call and responding to it come from learning to listen carefully to the Spirit in the midst of the world. The Lay Centre at Foyer Unitas is committed to helping laity do this through providing an environment which fosters the realization of this profound call. The Lay Centre is about discerning vocations, about helping lay women and men discover God’s unique call in their lives, a call to communion and a call to mission. In the spirit of Foyer Unitas, fostering the lay vocation and mission has been characterized by an environment of hospitality and sharing. Through breaking open together the word of God and sharing at the table of the Lord people have been nourished in their faith and encouraged to share that with others. It has been characterized by unity within diversity. Profound experiences of inter-religious dialogue have demonstrated that mutual respect and genuine love rooted in the one God go a long way in promoting peace and harmony among people of good will.

Orientation
The student year at the Lay Centre begins with three days of orientation to life in Rome and at the Lay Centre. These days combine prayer and discussion about the role of the laity in the Church with practical advice about navigating Roman bureaucracy, where to purchase needed items, and how to finalize registration at the universities.

Communal Prayer
Student life is marked by prayer together as a community. The residence organizes daily morning and evening prayer together. Once each week a priest joins the community to celebrate Mass. The Lay Centre maintains a chapel on the ground floor of its building where the Blessed Sacrament is kept in reserve. The chapel is available at all times of the day and night for personal prayer and organized group prayer.

Retreats
A weekend retreat is organized at least once each year for Lay Centre residents. The students go away to a retreat house outside Rome, often in very picturesque locations, and are led in mediation, reflection, and prayer by a guest priest who is experienced in leading retreats.

Theological lectures and discussion
We sponsor a regular series of theological lectures throughout the year on various themes. Lay Centre residents help in planning and staffing these events. They not only benefit from the content of the lectures, but often have the chance to talk with the lecture in an informal setting. In addition, the Lay Centre regularly invites prominent figures in the academic and ecclesial world in Rome to join the community for dinner. These are opportunities for serious theological discussion and coming to know current trends and activities around the city.

Cultural events
Lay Centre students have the opportunity to enrich their knowledge of the culture of Rome and its surroundings. We organize occasional walks to the major basilicas and churches in Rome. The students are often invited to participate in excursions to historic sites and exhibitions outside Rome. Once a year students take a group trip to an Italian city to learn about the art and architecture there.

Special events
Throughout the year there are many days of particular note and celebrations that arise unexpectedly. The Lay Centre takes advantage of these opportunities by organizing ways for the students to attend and reflect on their experience.

Non-Residential Student Formation Program
The Lay Centre has decided to expand its formation program to include lay students who live in various places around the city of Rome.  The goal is to expand the concept of community, with a distinct focus on lay formation, beyond the boundaries of residing together.

During the course of the academic year we offer formation evenings and public lectures to which non-resident lay students are welcome.  For the 2007-2008 academic year, these events include the following:

If you have any questions, feel free to contact our office at: +39 06 772 6761 or info@laycentre.org or please review carefully the following information on how to apply to the Laycentre (incomplete applications will not be acknowledged). The Lay Centre accepts applications throughout the year, but we advise interested parties to complete and submit this application as early as possible because we review applicants on a first-come, first-served basis, and there are only a limited number of spaces for new residents each year.

21 October 2007
Scoprire la propria vocazione: attrazione e circostanze - Mons. Livio Melina

9 December 2007
Advent Lecture: God Speaks in the Night - Rev. Paul Murray, OP

24 January 2008
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Ecumenical Lecture by Cardinal Walter Kasper & and Celebration of the Word with Rt Revd John Flack and Rev. Dr. John Gibaut
 

9 March 2008

Annual Lenten Lecture: The Two Rivers of Forgiveness - His Eminence James Francis Cardinal Stafford

 

20 April 2008

The Varieties of Religious Vocation - Rev. Michael Casey, OSCO

BACK TO THE TOP