Vic, Spain. April 7, 2010. The General prefecture of formation is conducting the first course for formators in this sexennium in Vic from April 6 to June 26, 2010. Most of the participants arrived early to be in Rome for the holy week triduum and then proceeded to Vic on 6th April to attend the course. There are twenty participants belonging to eleven provinces/delegations . They come from the missions of Africa and Asia: Indonesia (2), Phillipines (2); Chennai (4 including one from Tanzania), St. Thomas (1), Bangalore 3 (including one from Uganda), North East India (1), Nigeria East (2), Nigeria West (2), Central Africa (1), Betica (1 from Zimbabwe), Germany (1 from Srilanka). Nine of participants are currently working in formation ministry while others are being prepared by their respective provinces to be assigned in formation. Difficulties related to obtaining visa caused delay for a few participants to arrive in Vic for the course in time.
The objective of the course is to form the formators of the congregation in the charistmatic and formative elements characteristic of our Congregation so as to accompany the formandi in their vocational discernment and growth. Fr. Mathew Vattamattam, General prefect of Formation and Fr. Jesus Palacios from CESC in Vic form the team to organize the course.
The course started with the Eucharistic celebration on 7th April at the sepulcher of our Founder presided over by Fr. Mathew Vattamattam, General prefect of formation . The first four days of the course was dedicated to the initiation of participants into the course by sharing their own positive and negative experiences of formation and the challenges and concerns of formation today. A few basic skills necessary for formative accompaniment were highlighted for formators to cultivate in themselves.
The programs during the following 11 weeks of the course aim at taking the participants to a deeper appreciation of the life of St. Claret, the study of the Constitutions, history and spiritual patrimony of the congregation and visits to the claretian places. The last General chapter insisted on the need to improve the preparation of formators, making use of the “School of the Heart of Mary” and to offer the formators the means and resources that they need, expecting that they give of themselves without reserve and perform their duties with utmost care. (MFL 63. 3,4)
