First weeks of the Ongoing Formation program Looking Beyond
Looking beyond is an ongoing formation program organized by the Brothers Today Secretariat at Rome – Manziana, from 19th January 2025 – 1st March 2025 for Marist Brothers in their sixties. The group is formed of 22 participants from different Administrative Units: Brasil Centro-Norte, Brasil Centro-Sul, Brazil Sul-Amazonia, S. Maria de los Andes, Norandina, Mexico Occidental, America Central, IbĂ©rica, Compostela, Afrique Centre-East, West Africa, Nigeria, Madagascar, Star of the Sea, District of Asia, and East Asia. The coordination team is made up of the Institute’s ongoing formation team (Brothers Michael Sexton, Xavi BarcelĂł and Ataide Lima), with the support of facilitators and translators. The youngest is 52 and the eldest is 74 years old.
The first week started with a day of orientation followed by two days of sharing our sacred stories. In the same week, Brothers had the opportunity to visit the General House and to have some interaction with Br. Ernesto Sanchez, Superior Geral. The week ended with a tour of VITERBO, an Italian city known as the city of the CONCLAVE, the longest papal election in the history of the Catholic Church from November 1268 to 1 September 1271, following the death of Pope Clement IV.
The second week took us into “healthy approaches to transition.” These inputs were conducted by Mr. Pedro Jésus Arenas Toboso, a theologian and nurse, involved in personal accompaniment, vocational discernment, and counseling at the Centro Humanizar (Spain). He took the group into different considerations vis-à -vis the physical, social, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual dimensions of our life as Brothers. The methodology was made of presentations, group discussions, readings and personal reflections but the main emphasis was on integration: “How do we care for our physical, social, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual dimensions in an integrated way?” This is the ongoing homework for the participants. Growth on one hand and, eventually, experiencing limitations and surrendering everything to God.
Apart from the daily prayers, contemplation and daily eucharist, participants have the opportunity for accompaniment and the group attended an audience with Pope Francis on Wednesday 5th February and visited the statue of Saint Marcellin. Later in the program, there will be a pilgrimage to Assisi and a spiritual retreat to conclude the experience.
We thank the Institute and the Brothers Today Secretariat to have given us such an opportunity to continue growing in age, wisdom and in the presence of God.
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Br. Albert Nzabonaliba