Sisters of Saint Joseph of Chambéry from various parts of the world attended the International Formation Session, April 1 to 14, 2019, in Rome. The 34 sisters coming from Brazil, Norway, India, France, Italy, Bolivia, Mozambique, and Tanzania, included translators, communication personnel and the General Council.
The session was assisted by a number of consultants who challenged the sisters to reflect on several areas of the formation process, asking what concrete steps they need to take to achieve the goal. They were invited to integrate welcoming, interpretation, and content, and walk along together to understand ourselves with God\´s eyes.
Formation is always an experience of salvation and a process of integration, all aspects of life are centered in the person of Jesus Christ and in the charism of the Congregation. The growth needs to happen in the dialectic between the real and the ideal, in an accompaniment that touches the depths of the human heart, finding one’s own history as a mystery of God in freedom and responsibility.
Freedom is fundamental in the discernment. It is important to understand the person is free. The formator’s mission is to help those in formation, challenge them in a loving way to be honest with themselves and with God, who is drawing them in this manner, to a way of happiness for them.
In the monitoring of new members, it is important to create an atmosphere that encourages a deep passion for the Lord and his proposal.
Another important aspect discussed was the digital culture as it is present in the lives of everyone now and in everyday life. One incentive was to adopt the digital culture as a language that touches upon spirituality and changing it to give more life to the young people of today.
Formation takes place within a community with a formator and sisters who decided to live the following of Jesus Christ according to the Evangelical counsels. This requires transparent circular relationships that are genuine and humble, and ongoing growth. Everyone needs accompaniment, since they may not be ready to reflect on life in the light of such content and to be challenged in the experience of the intercultural.
The session was an experience of the international dimension, of relationships, and of growing in diversity. We will return home invigorated and grateful.
Sister Valesca de Mesquita Orsi
