(Rome) The General Secretariat for Formation met for the second time this year from Monday, November 23rd, until Thursday, November 26th. As has become the “new normal”, the members of the Secretariat in Rome (Fathers Alberto Eseverri, C.Ss.R. – president, Fr. Rogério Gomez, C.Ss.R. – General Consultor, and Fr. Manuel Rodríguez, C.Ss.R. – secretary) met in the mornings, and in each afternoon for two and a half hours using the zoom protocol, the other representatives from the Conferences joined the meeting (Fr. Václav Hypius, C.Ss.R. – Europe, Bro. Larry Luján, C.Ss.R. – North America, Fr. Edilberto Cepi, C.Ss.R. – Asia and Oceania, and Fr. Joseph Musendami, C.Ss.R. – Africa and Madagascar).
Some of the reports presented, topics dialogued, and activities planned were:
- the evaluation of formation for the 26th General Chapter as petitioned and structured by the General Chapter Preparatory Commission,
- the publishing of the Ratio Formationis Generalis, actualized in 2020,
- several articles on the formation to be published in the sixth volume of Redemptorist Formation,
- the sponsoring, participation, and planning of meetings, courses, and activities with members of the Conference Secretariats of Formation and formators either by our own convocation or making contributions to formation activities sponsored by the Conferences.
The dramatically changed realities of our Conferences and Countries due to COVID – 19 have obligated a change of mentality and creative response of our Secretariat, as of practically all the General Government and Conferences activities, in order to continue and enrich the processes needed to realize our Redemptorist missionary vocation. Despite some limitations in the use of video conferencing, we found that there are advantages. We are inspired by the way formators and formandi in the Units and Conferences have adapted and creatively used this communications’ media to move forward the formation processes for the benefit of formation and it´s contributions to the Congregation as a witness of the Redeemer in His healing touch of the world´s wounds and the announcing of God´s love and protection for all of his people, especially the poorest and most abandoned.
Fr. Manuel Rodríguez Delgado, C.Ss.R.
