We need not confuse the crisis of quantity with the more serious crisis of quality

As part of the Year of Consecrated Life, the Vatican held its inaugural International Congress for Formators to Consecrated Life in Rome from the 7 -11 April in Rome.

Amongst the 1266 participants from around the world, there were religious priests, sisters, brothers as well as societies of consecrated lay people.  The 4 days of presentations and workshops were facilitated by His Eminence the Cardinal Mons João de Aviz and assisted by the Secretary for the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, Archbishop José Rodriguez Carballo, who himself is a religious and the former Minister General of the Friars Minor (OFM).

The first part consisted of presentations from formators such as:

• Fr Amedeo Cencini fddc (Ongoing Formation)
• Sr Claudia Peña y Lillo fsp (Paschal perspective of the Consecrated Life)
• Fr Ricardo Volo cmf (Life long willingness to learn)
• Sr Lola Arrieta Olmedo ccv (Affective Sexual Maturity) 
• Fr Michael McGuire ssc (Formation of Formators)

The richness of these days will be shared later in the year at our own International Colloquium on Initial Formation at The Hermitage in October (4-14).

The final day was celebrated with mass at St Peter’s Basilica followed by a private audience with Pope Francis who affirmed the role of the formator and that we need not confuse the crisis of quantity with the more serious crisis of quality.  

The Marist brothers were represented by Br Alfredo Herrera, Br Joarês Pinheiro de Sousa, Br Ernesto Tendero and Br Tony Leon.  The richness of our fraternity was magnified with the connections with other brother groups such as: De la Salle Brothers, Irish Christian Brothers, Canossian Brothers, San Gabriel Brothers, The Menesianos Brothers and Brothers of the Holy Family.