As a resource for ongoing reflection and initial and continuing formation, especially for formators and formandi, the General Secretariat of Formation (GSF) is presently making available, in printed and digital formats, cf. www.cssr.news/formation (Section of Important Documents, # 10), the seventh volume of the series, REDEMPTORIST FORMATION: “WITNESSES OF THE REDEEMER: In Solidarity for Mission to a Wounded World. Tools for Formation”.
This volume is an anthology of contemporary and vital themes and their relation to initial and ongoing formation. The articles of this volume relate to different themes dialogued before and during the celebration of the 25th General Chapter, celebrated in Pattaya, Thailand, in 2016.
The GSF requested from highly qualified confreres from the five Congregation Conferences reflective presentations on these themes. Each article is presented with a short biography of the corresponding author, a short abstract about its content and objective, and keyword references. The Volume concludes with two appendices: the decisions on formation made by the 25th General Chapter and information on the formation website.
In his presentation of this volume on Redemptorist Formation, our former General Superior, Michael Brehl, mentions that the “subjects addressed in this volume touch the Apostolic Life of all of us. Inspired by the leadership of Pope Francis, our Congregation seeks to participate wholeheartedly in the promotion of a culture of vocation and ministry to youth and young people. This is a missionary priority in every Conference and on every continent”.
Father Brehl continues his presentation in reference to the articles of this volume pointing out that “for Redemptorist Missionaries and our Lay Partners, ´Interculturality´ and ´Solidarity´ are much more than ‘nice words’. They are expressions of our life and experience in our Apostolic Communities around the world. More and more, we are living and serving in intercultural communities, in solidarity with the abandoned poor, with one another, and with our Lay Partners. For this reason, we need to reflect prayerfully and thought fully on both Interculturality and Solidarity as fundamental dimensions of our missionary vocation. The same is true for ´resilience´ and ´perseverance´. In a wounded world, experiencing a dynamic change of epoch, all of us need formation in these important qualities. May these articles help us engage in fruitful dialogue and sharing on both of these qualities. This will also help us grow in solidarity and an apostolic community. In this way, we can support one another to grow in resilience and persevere with joy in our missionary vocation. The 25th General Chapter and the Apostolic Plans of the Conferences challenge us to address and dialogue with the phenomenon of our ‘secularized world’. Recognizing that secularization is an evolving process that affects all of us, three articles on this topic will help formators, formandi, lay partners, and all confreres to engage in a more fruitful reflection. This will prepare us for more effective and open dialogue with our wounded world”.
Besides expressing our heartfelt gratitude to our author confreres and Father Michael Brehl, the GSF hopes that these articles motivate further reflections and action processes in the areas treated, and be also valid tools for a more effective, evangelical, and charismatic formation for the Mission of our beloved Congregation, especially to the most abandoned and wounded of our world.
General Secretariat of Formation
