Building a Cohort

Renewing the Family of God

Vocations are built and supported within an ecosystem. Each person in their particular vocation can support and help build a culture of vocations, upholding spiritual mothers and renewing the family of God.

Identifying a team of people who desire to see religious life renewed and restored can have a huge impact on the local community and beyond. Each team member brings their unique giftings and insights to the community.

Begin a Cohort.

If your heart burns with a desire to support the renewal of women’s religious life, we would invite you to consider beginning a Friends of the Bridegroom cohort in your area.

This is not limited to anyone with a particular title or state in life. We know Friends of the Bridegroom who are young moms, pastors, diocesan leaders, single young adults, and seasoned apostolate leaders. What they have in common is a desire to see renewal in the Church, especially through the renewal of women’s religious life.

They do what they can within their particular sphere of influence to cultivate a culture of vocations, where the Church is seen, once more, as the Family of God. This comes about through growing in awareness, cultivating encounters, and ensuring accompaniment.

Identify a Team

Beginning this entire process with prayer will be bedrock and foundation for everything that follows. Begin praying the daily prayer for renewal and ask the Holy Spirit to inspire your heart and the hearts of those He is calling in your community.

From a foundation of prayer, you will begin to see people emerge that have a heart for the renewal of religious life. 

Cohort Member Characteristics:

  • Are animated by religious life and the desire to have religious women present at the parish and in the world

  • Would be willing to have their hearts shaped by the vision of Friends of the Bridegroom and work toward the renewal and expansion of religious life

  • Are generous with their time and creative in their resources

  • Are harmonious, willing to learn, and willing to pray

  • Single, married, and consecrated persons all offer rich resources for a team 

  • Would be willing to meet monthly or every two weeks for a year-long term 

Cohort Activities:

  • Meets together to learn about the ecosystem of vocations and the eschatological realities of religious life (awareness)

  • Learns how to support and grow religious life in their local community (awareness)

  • Plans events to bring religious sisters to the local community (encounter)

  • Identifies people within the local community who can accompany women discerning a call to religious life (accompaniment)

Gather the Team

Planning a Cohort Meeting: A Guide for Forming a Friends of the Bridegroom Cohort

After you have identified your team (it could be as small as three or four people or as large as 12-15 people), plan a simple event to bring them together to share the vision and hear their desires and insights as well. For tips and resources (including bulletin letters and agendas other cohorts have used), use the guide below: