Meeting of formators and vocation animators of the African Region
From July 6 to 12, about 40 Brothers from the 5 Provinces of the Africa Region gathered for a meeting of formators and vocation promoters in Nairobi, Kenya. The meeting was organized by the African Formation Commission and the Secretariat of Brothers Today. SomeProvincials of the Region were present, together with Brother Óscar Martín, General Councillor, and Brothers Ángel Medina and Lindley Sionosa, Directors of the Secretariat of Brothers Today.
“It is time to build Marist life together, in diversity and coordination, respecting differences, but walking together as a Region. And it is time to be bold in taking care of vocations, in renewing the itineraries and in responding to the present needs”, affirmed Br. Óscar. “Let us commit ourselves to a renewed formation for the growth of Marist life in Africa, using courageous means to generate the abundant life that Jesus challenged us to promote and share”, added the General Councilor link with the Africa Region.
The meeting was an intense time of reflection, dialogue and fruitful discernment. The first three days were dedicated to getting to know and share the reality and face the challenge of “Caring for Marist life” in Africa. Then, the next three days were oriented to “Generating new Marist life”. A privileged instrument for this deepening was the meetings by formative stages (Vocations, Postulancy, Novitiate, Post-novitiate) and also the meetings by Provinces.
The previous meeting of this type had been held in July 2017, and now is the time for a serious reflection and renewal of the formative processes that the Marist reality of Africa needs today and for the future.
The group has concluded that it is time to build Marist life together, in diversity and coordination, respecting the differences, but walking as a Region. And it is time to be daring in caring for vocations, in renewing the itineraries and in responding to the needs of the people of Africa.
The objectives of the meeting were:
- NETWORK. To get to know and establish connections among the brothers in the vocation and formation ministries in the region.
- PRIMACY OF VOCATIONS MINISTRY. To re-affirm the value and importance of Vocations Ministry in the Institute and in the Church today.
- GLOBAL FAMILY. To acquire a global perspective, especially in vocation and formation, and to reinforce the sense of global family.
- CARING FOR MARIST LIFE. To recognize that the ministries of vocation animation and formation begin with oneself, in the care of one’s vocation, and in the care of the vocation of our companion Marists (Brothers and lay) and of young people whom we accompany.
- CONTINUITY. To build on the initiatives that are already in place on the region, such as the Formation Colloquium of 2017 and the Regional Assembly in February 2023.
- MAKING VOCATION ANIMATION AND FORMATION PROCESSES RELEVANT. To gain a deeper insight into the realities of young people in Africa today for us to adapt well our approaches in vocations promotion and formation.
- COLLECTIVE WISDOM. To listen to and learn from the experiences of our scholastics.
- CONCRETE APPLICATIONS. To share the vocation ministry and formation plans of each administrative unit, and/or encourage one another to develop and/or strengthen them.
- JOURNEYING AS A REGION. To explore the way for the African Formation Commission to develop a vision of Formation and Vocation Animation for the region.