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14. Ongoing Formation Print E-mail
Written by Consolata.org   
Tuesday, 07 February 2006
92. Enucleation of the orientation

Ongoing formation, together with the basic formation, is a process which goes on throughout the life of the missionary.

Since the members are the first good of the Institute (Cf. Const. 30), a duty that cannot be put aside is that of giving attention to each missionary and to his renewal, in order to improve the quality of his physical, psychological, affective and spiritual life. This task is fulfilled by providing an integral program which embraces his being, thinking and acting.

The Institute mirrors the life of its members and communities, enriched by mission. Its development depends on the renewal of each missionary and the quality of the community. For this reason great stress should be placed on the importance of developing the Personal Plan of Life (PPL) and the Plan of Communal Living (PCL).

Each missionary is responsible for his own formation which will enable him to respond to the challenges of mission and to the multicultural composition of our missionary family. To meet this responsibility, the Institute is committed to offer to all its members the best possible instruments and means of formation at the local, regional, continental and general levels.

The missionaries who feel tired or disheartened, as well as the young members at the time of their first appointment, need special accompaniment.

93. Aspects which motivate the orientation

1. Human and spiritual maturity of the missionaries is important in order to avoid uneasiness and difficulty in personal life, community living and apostolic work.

2. It is imperative to give time to one’s own ongoing formation as a means to improve one’s life and personal preparation, and thus respond with competence and efficacy to one’s personal missionary endeavors.

3. The missionaries should be encouraged to respond to the efforts of the Institute for the renewal of their life and activities.

4. A clear distinction should be made between ongoing formation and programs of study.

5. Rapid changes and the socio-political and cultural complexities of today’s world demand a constant reading of the local, national and world realities, in order to offer better missionary service according to our IMC charism.

94. Practical proposals

1. Favor the ongoing formation of missionaries in their regions with regular meetings, spiritual exercises, and appropriate aids especially on themes and documents of the Institute and the Church.

2. Provide an adequate assistance to the sick and the elderly members, which will help them to spend this particular phase of their life in a positive and constructive way.

3. See that in the Institute there are communities which, through the regular rhythm of community life, reflection, sharing and pastoral work, can offer some help for the renewal of the persons and their missionary activities.

4. Each missionary ought to attend four specific moments of formation: at the beginning of the missionary work, in the tenth year of ministry or in the case of brothers of perpetual profession, around the twenty fifth anniversary of ordination or profession, and during the senior years.

5. Promote the formulation of the Personal Project of Life, which includes the proper means for the physical, psychological, spiritual, intellectual and apostolic renewal.

6. Stimulate the formulation of the Plan of Communal Living, which can also be an instrument for learning how to think, program, and evaluate together the life and mission of the community.

7. The Regional and General Governments are to guarantee to the confreres that they will be provided with the ordinary means of ongoing formation (readings, formative encounters, courses…). Each missionary should take part in the renewal courses offered by the Institute at the local and general levels. Whenever this is not possible, or for special reasons, a sabbatical period could be provided with the following characteristics:

a) Stress more the formative than the academic aspect. The sabbatical should target the renewal of the person in its various dimensions.
b) The formative program should be agreed upon with the Regional Superior and with the General Government which, when requested to do so, will offer its collaboration so that the program may be carried out.
c) Stress in a very special way the deepening of the charism, of religious life and our spirituality. If the formative center selected for the sabbatical does not offer this dimension, then it should be sought out in one of the communities of the Institute.

8. The missionary should participate in local meetings for updating, and should be open to the new aspects which are born each day out of the mission experience and the reality which surrounds him, so that he may discover the implication for his missionary life and activities.

9. The missionary should ask for professional help, or accept it when offered by the superiors, to shed light on the truth of his own self, or on some aspects of his life which is in need of it. The regions ought to find out where there are available specialized centers that can offer this professional service. In case of particular difficulties, the Regional Superior should consult with the General Government regarding the choice of such professional centers, and the possibilities of residential programs in them for our members.