← [[criteria-for-evaluating-candidates-fh|The Criteria for Evaluating Candidates]] | [[formation-handbook-toc|Table of Contents]] | [[the-community-fh|The Community]] → # The Council and Its Responsibilities The primary responsibility of the Council is the formation of the members of the community. The Council has the authority (Const. 47): a. to admit candidates to formation, the Promises, and the Vows; b. to reduce, for adequate reasons, the period of formation before temporary [first] promise. Note: Councils also have the authority to grant extensions of formation for candidates who are not quite ready for the Promise. This is governed by local Statutes and Provincial policies. “In the program of formation, as outlined in the Constitutions, it is always the Council that has the right and obligation to discern the progress of the candidates. It is always the Council that has the right to admit the candidates to each stage of the formation process. For this reason, the Council itself must be interested in the process of formation and support the Formation Director in his or her task” (Ratio. 11). 20 Every person accepted into a community changes the community's dynamics. If there is any doubt, Some of Fr. Deeney’s questions would help the Council during their evaluation of the candidates: • Why would we accept people as part of our community that we would never want to live with? • What would this person do to the community? • How would this person affect the community? The Formation Director keeps a file of the periodic evaluation reports, attendance records, and notes on any concerns regarding each candidate. Nothing written should be offensive to the candidate’s dignity. These records help the Council to evaluate the candidate. These files are handed over to the new Formation Director until the candidate makes the Definitive Promise. Only the Council and their legitimate superiors have access to these files. (See appendix A, Keeping track of individuals — candidate files.) The overall community life of a candidate gives valuable opportunities for the Council to observe and evaluate a candidate in formation: • regular attendance at community meetings • participation in the formation sessions • socializing and engagement within the community • responsibility for a community job (start with something small) “The Council retains its responsibility and competence in those matters laid down in the Constitutions, namely, regarding the suitability of candidates and the consent for admission to formation, to first promises, for final promises, and for vows. Special deference will be given to the judgment of the [Formation] Director and his assistants [the formators] because of their position in the work of formation” (Ratio 35). Over time, the local Council evaluates how well the candidates are progressing by observing their attendance, by their behavior in community life, by listening to their participation in the formation discussions, and by regular “check-ins” to talk informally with them about how things are going (besides those the Formation Director has with the formators and candidates). Note: The Profession letters of the candidates convey the many aspects of their journey and their desire to enter Carmel. These letters provide further insight for the Council concerning the candidates’ vocation. The letters are then returned to the candidates. --- **Source:** [[maps/bibliography#^biblio-ocds-fh|OCDS Formation Handbook]]