The formators also needed to be formed! 5 Masters of Novices of the Congregation and 3 Directors of Scholasticates met at the Casa, from 2nd to 7th March, with the General Council for a session of formation and reflection. These formators are responsible for 15 Novices and 60 Scholastics currently undergoing formation in the Congregation.
The formators reviewed with the General Council the various realities lived by the young Brothers in formation
Their mission as Formators is essential for the Institute. Young people welcomed in Formation Houses today are moving at the same pace as society, wherever they are, and regardless of where they are. These changes are constantly integrated into the mode of formation, hence the interest of this session and the richness of the sharing.
Here are the impressions of the formators at the end of this international meeting.
To live an experience. “In Rome, we surely came to exchange ideas – and we have a lot about formation! But in Rome we especially came to live an experience, which is the primary object of formation. It is the experience of the ‘ centrality of the Christ ‘ which gathered us from all the horizons of the Congregation to refresh our passion for Him and to send us back towards the young people to accompany them on the same way.” Bro. Michel Gougeon, Manila.
Team up. “It is good to team up as a Congregation to welcome and accompany the young people” added Bro Joseph Bellanger, of Haiti.
Joy and passion. “Two strong ideas: the first, live with joy and passion the formator’s mission. Testimony is the first formation service we can offer to the young people we accompany. And secondly, accompany young people in such a way that they may know themselves, so that from the richness of their being they can welcome and respond with freedom and joy to the vocation they have received from God the Father “.Bro. Carlos, Luján de Cuyo, Argentina.
Another Christ. “The formator must be “another Christ “, a lover of the Christ, entirely given to the Lord. He is aware that it is the Holy Spirit who is the real formator – so, with a lot of humility, the formator takes into account all the global nature of the young person (body, spirit, feelings, emotions …) to shape him to become image of the Christ within the Congregation of John-Mary de la Mennais.” Bro Jean Herbinière, Dapaong, Togo
Attitude of life. “For me, one of the strong ideas received during this session, is summarised in this Amadeo CENCINI’s sentence:” TO FORM IT IS TO LEARN TO LEARN: “DOCIBILITAS” “; to form a free, active and responsible person, who has learnt to learn … capable of letting to be formed every day by the hand of God through the vicissitudes of life.”Docibilitas” is an attitude of life: to put oneself in the hands of God via the human mediations received as mediators of the grace of God.” Bro. Stéphane The Pope, Yogyakarta
The whole person. “The Integral formation of the whole person for the mission in the Mennaisian Family, in the spirit of our John Mary de la Mennais” , this is the main idea recalled by Bro Joseph Tinkasimire, Kisubi, Ouganda.
To learn how to learn. “I especially kept the idea of a formation to ” docibilitas “which has to begin with the awareness that in our pedagogy of formation, it is a question of forming free, active and responsible people, who have learnt to learn”, capable of letting oneself be formed every day by the hand of God through the vicissitudes of life, community, relations, ecclesial and social context, successes and failures … Bro Simon Alphonse, Abidjan, Ivory Coast.