(Caucaia, Fortaleza) – The formators and the vocation promoters of the URB sub-conferences met in the Vice-province of Fortaleza from 17 to 20 July, with the intention of participating in the course as an integral part of an ongoing formation. This annual event aims to provide a general overview of training in provincial units. The participants were Fr. Rogério Gomes (General Consultor of the CSsR) and Fr. Marcelo Araújo (Coordinator of the Latin America and Caribbean Conference) and the formators of the Vice Province of Rio de Janeiro, Goiás, Campo Grande, São Paulo, Porto Alegre, Manaus, Recife, Bahia, and Fortaleza. All the programs will revolve around the formation process offered to young people who come to our formation houses.
The theme presented at this stage contemplates the pastoral dimension towards the proposal of the 25th General Chapter on missionary solidarity in the formative process between formandi and formators. As a guide to the talks, we had the contribution of the Redemptorist missionary Fr. Alfredo Viana Avelar, a member of Rio de Janeiro, who made us reflect and contributed from the personal experience, challenges, and reality of each participant of the different stages of formation. Therefore, the speaker highlighted three important points that must be taken into consideration: 1) to start from the pedagogy of the teachings of Jesus in the relationship of formandi and formators; 2) Formators and formandi who give witness to the Redeemer; and 3) the community of pastors: missionary solidarity. All these were to awaken the formandi and the formators.
All the above considerations acquired by listening to the confreres occurs in view of the same objective, which is to train true missionaries, the formators of conscience, that they are able to embrace the dynamism and love the Redeemer. We have a liberating and salvific mission to the one who believes and trust in our hands, by giving a message through life examples, of love, of giving and of hope for all humanity, who suffers with the open and deep wounds that arise from all social, political, cultural, economic and religious commitments in all the whole world. If we are convinced of our mission as Redemptorists, we must deeply understand and apply these situations in which the wounds of Jesus the Redeemer are present in the hope of redemption.
Fr. Arnaldo Sodré Martins CSsR.
