
European team of youth and vocational ministry
The European team of youth and vocational ministry promoted the first edition of the Accompaniment for Discernment Program, which held its last stage at the General House in Rome, Italy, from July 16 –22. The course started in July 2017.
“Everyone is a vocation and we all feel called to something by God,” said Brother Xavi Gual de Miguel, one of the coordinators of the course. “The task of a person that accompanies is to walk with others to help contrast and clarify how they can be happy and find meaning in their lives with the eyes of a God who is Father and Mother.”
After the first stage last July, the 23 participants – from the five Marist provinces of Europe – carried out seven months of work on some aspects of formation through an Internet platform from October to May.
It is a course that includes both theoretical and practical work, based on the participant’s own life and his experience of accompanying and being accompanied in the process of discernment; it is about experiencing it oneself to then be able to accompany others better.
In the provinces, accompaniment courses will be carried out, but the Marists responsible for youth and vocational ministry realised that they needed to be able to offer more specific formation at the regional level for certain moments of discernment in the lives of people.
The course is part of the vocation ministry project proposed by the European Marist Conference.
The European team of youth and vocational ministry has different activities, courses and meetings during the year to reflect about accompaniment.
In addition, the team visits different realities of the European region to share with young people, laity and brothers what their expectations and needs are.
After evaluating this first edition of the course, the European team of youth and vocational ministry hopes to offer a second edition in July 2019.