Vic, Spain. The 2011 course of the “School of the Heart of Mary” for Formators concluded its activities on the 24th of June. The course which had begun its activities this past April 5th closed with a Eucharistic celebration in the Chapel of the Crypt of St. Anthony Mary Claret at our motherhouse in Vic.

The celebration was presided over by Fr. Mathew Vattamattan along with the participation of the formators and the coordinators of the course for this year.

The general objective of the “School of the Heart of Mary” is: to form the formators of the Congregation in the charismatic and formative elements proper to our Congregation in order to enable to accompany the formandi in discernment and vocational growth.

It is all about an experience which contributes to the deepening of those charismatic elements in our rich congregational history. Everything was oriented to a better accompaniment of the formators with the formandi in an integral, gradual, and transformative process of the person.

Various workshops were presented during the course. The time was divided into the presentation of various fundamental contents, and the presentation of materials and teaching resources. They did personal work, connecting their own living and vocational experience, sharing with their companions and doing group study

Each core theme lasted approximately one week. Within that time they would discern the themes that most applied to formation and how to apply it, keeping in mind their own experience, the needs of each place, and the diversity of cultures.

They integrated their reflection in prayer, highlighting the essential elements of our charism: the Word, Mary, and the Eucharist in an ambience of sharing and dialogue in small groups.

The course also included visits to significant places in the life of Fr. Claret and the Congregation; Vic, Sallent, Barbastro, Fontfroide, Barcelona. All of these visits included contact with other Claretians who helped the formators to “drink from the same charismatic congregational font”.

This encounter of Claretians from various countries, continents and cultures all contributed to an experience of the richness of the universality of the Congregation.