Year of Priesthood

We have just concluded the Year of Priesthood. A year enriched by very many different programs even in the aspect of formation. In the section DOCUMENTS you have access to some materials that are the results of two significant programs: Convention on Priesthood held at the Pontifical University of Lateranum on 11th and 12th March 2010, and International Meeting of the Priests held on 9th to 11th June 2010 to conclude the Year of Priesthood.

The outcome of these two programs is really enriching source for the personal formation not only for the brothers who have received the extraordinary grace of priesthood from the Lord, but for all friars. Each of us can find real spiritual nourishment for the personal life in these conferences, homilies, presentations and sharing by the priests or lay persons. If any of you have some materials related to this area of our formation, you can send them to us so that we can publish them in our blog.

Meeting of the Formation Secretariats of the four Franciscan Orders

Rome: The meeting of the Formation Secretariats of the four Franciscan Orders (OFM, OFM Conv, OFM Cap, TOR) was held in the General Curia of the Friars Minor. The President of the Institute of Spirituality (IFS), Antonianum and the director of the Masters course for Formators in the same Institute were also present for the meeting.

The dialogue and the exchange of ideas and experiences in the area of animation for which these bodies were instituted were enlightening. The resources, challenges and difficulties faced, be it at the level of the central governments of the respective Orders or regarding the formation process of the young candidates who come from a secularized world where ‘initation’ to the values of consecretated life and to the Franciscan Spirtual heritage become increasingly more difficult.

Masters Course for Formators 2011

The Franciscan Institute of Spirituality of the Pontificial University of the Antonianum (PUA), in reply to the Reed of the franciscan family regarding the renewal of formation, suggets in a few years, a masters in formation. The following academic year, the suggestion will be opened in the English language.

Brochure | Registration Form

Animation Table

At the start of the present government of the Order, the General Minister and the Definitors had expressed the desire to have an ‘Animation Table’ which would include all the Secretariats of the Curia to streamline collaboration among the various areas of the animation of the Order.

After some preliminary meetings, Br. Helmut Rakowski organized and animated this meeting from 16 to 17 June in two phases: the first part held in the Curia in which the General Minister also participated, and the second at Frascati.

Br. Helmut Rakowski (General Secretary for the Missions), Br. Piotr Komorniczak (promoter of Solidarity), Br. Bernd Beermann (Director of Jusitice, Peace and Ecology), Br. Rocco Timpano (General Formation Secretary), Br. Prince Valiyakunnel, Br. Marek Miszczyński and Br. Piero Véliz were present for this third meeting.

Meeting each other is always great opportunity to know each other and to open up channels of communication. Communication aids coordination and the achievement of common objectives without wasting individual energies. In this way animation becomes more effective. This challenge was highlighted in the meeting and the General Minister underlined the same.

Formative Visit

General Formation Secretariat under the mandate given by the Minister General continues to visit the houses of initial formation of the Order. It is an opportunity to have a mutual understanding between the organism of general animation and the places of formation to be more attentive and generous for the formation of young friars.
Visit to the places of formation of CIMPCap started from May 04, with the visit to theological study house at Fossano in Piemonte and the house of first experience (casa di accoglienza) in Turin.

Visit to houses of formation of Peru took place from 8 to 24 March 2010 as was planned already in March last year, after a meeting with the CCB held in Brasilia from 04 to 06 together with trainers from Brazil.

The visit is a very fruitful an occasion to realize how our international fraternity invests the best for the formation of young people who want to join the Order.

We all must have hope and confidence about the initial formation because that is the "place" of our future. Formators should be encouraged for their tedious but thrilling task of guiding the young people to offer their lives to God for others, reminding them that they must take care of those entrusted to them but also must care for their personal formation.

From 17 to 31 May we will visit the Province of Emilia Romagna: Post novitiate at Scandiano, Novitiate of St. Arcangelo di Romagna, Theological Study House at Castel S. Pietro (BO).

FRASCATI  The Fifth Plenary Session of the General Office for Formation was held from April 25 to May 1 at Frascati, in atmosphere of joy fellowship and enriching experiences. The friars of the SGF, the members of the International Council for Formation who represent the thirteen conferences of the Order and the Rector of the International College of St. Lawrence of Brindisi were present for the meeting. The preliminary phases for a “Ratio Formationis Ordinis” in the context of inter-culturalism was the theme of study. The presentations by the specialists and the dialogue with them showed the validity and necessity of this useful tool to keep the essential values of our life and to stimulate a healthy and legitimate creativity to make an authentic embodiment of charism in the present context in which the Order is.

Welcome Brothers! Peace and Joy

ROME We open this blog to communicate with you the activities of the new General Formation Office (UGF). The service of General Formation Secretariat (SGF) and the International Formation Council (CIF) and other necessary information could be shared for a fraternal interaction. We will be informing you from, our part, our program and experiences which would certainly help us in initial and ongoing formation. We request you, from your part, to share with us your impressions, suggestions and requirements so that our service would be useful and efficient. Here we are: the new SGF.