Response of three young people to the call of God
On the 7th November, and after a preparatory retreat of several days duration, three young people entered the novitiate of Seville. A Eucharist was celebrated in a very familial setting. Brother Manuel Jorques, Provincial of Mediterránea, was present and he gave each novice a copy of the Constitutions, commenting on the meaning that they must have for their life. The celebration finished with an act of thanksgiving and a fraternal meal.
The new novices are: Pere Castanyé, José Antonio Porras and Pedro Uceda. Their ages range from twenty-two to thirty-one years. The first two are former Marist students and they belong to the Province of L?Hermitage. Both have been linked to pastoral activities of their respective college where they belonged to university groups of faith. Pedro Uceda, who is the youngest, comes from the Province of Mediterránea. He was in a religious college and belonged to groups of Christian life. His first contact with the Marists took place three years ago when he met the community of the post-novitiate of Grenade.
?The novices have as their fundamental work to continue to discern their vocation,? noted Brother Pere Ferré, who is responsible for them. ?They have two excellent years to interiorise, to integrate their human dimensions and to deepen their relationship with Jesus and the tender knowledge of Mary and of Champagnat.?
Their formation is inscribed in three directions. They study in community all that concerns Marist life: knowledge of the Founder, the first brothers and the history of the Institute, as well as the Constitutions, the Formation Guide and Marist spirituality.
They pursue their formation with other novices ? male and female ? of ten congregations following an inter-novitiate plan that lasts two years and which includes material such as spiritual theology, the theology of community life, the mission of religious life, etc. ? As well, during several weekends they participate in workshops on the meaning of the novitiate, prayer workshops and seminars on the vows, affective formation?
They also participate in courses given at the Centre of Theological Studies, CTS, in the seminary of Seville.
Three intense experiences are planned for them throughout these two years: a solidarity experience during one summer; a pilgrimage to the Hermitage at the start of the second year of the novitiate and a community experience of one month, approximately, towards half way through the second year of novitiate.
As many Brother Accompaniers as novices collaborate one afternoon each week in groups linked to the parish, as is the case with an association for the prevention of drug dependencies, (remedial work with children and adolescents in conflict, education in values?) or with another charitable association where they look after children while their mothers pursue courses in hygiene, cooking, education of children or of different forms of training?; and finally they work with groups of immigrants.
The novitiate is placed in a district on the outskirts of Seville, in a zone well populated with simple people. This favours a simple lifestyle, an experience of Church in contact and frequent participation with the parish. ?It seems,? continues Brother Pere ?that this is the place indicated for self formation in the religious life of the future, learning to live from within, interiorising the daily reality, contact with people and, in that, perceiving God present in history.?
Brother José Delgado Garcia