“In
common with all baptized people, we grow towards adulthood
in Christ. Because of this, our ongoing formation needs
to be life-long and to cover all aspects of our life.
We have, therefore, the serious responsibility of continuing
the work of our formation in order to respond to the
ever-renewed calls of God and to live our vocation more
authentically with our brothers.” (Constitutions,
§110) |
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 Ongoing
formation must be situated in both an historical and a personal
context. On the one hand, the period of rapid change in
which we are living requires openness of mind and heart
and constant updating. On the other hand, every person is
an incomplete being, still in a state of becoming; that
is how the baptized or consecrated person grows “toward
adulthood in Christ” (Constitutions §110). In
this context, ongoing formation offers a double goal:
a) The development of the person. This
involves bringing to fruition one’s human qualities,
spiritual gifts, and professional aptitudes.
b) By means of personal growth, one will
also attain a congregational and ecclesial goal as well:
the building up of the Kingdom of God. The local community
and the Province will become more apostolic, more useful
to young people, to society, and to the Church. They will
develop the full richness of our Marist charism. In other
words, the entire vitality of the Institute is involved
with ongoing formation. |
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Each Province or District proposes ways
and means to foster the ongoing formation of both its brothers
and lay associates.
At the level of the congregation, the General
Council offers courses on a regular basis for brothers of
different age groups. Usually these take place at our Marist
houses in Manziana, Italy and at El Escorial, Spain. Brothers
on the General Council serve as liaisons with these centers
for ongoing formation.
This is how the program is organized:
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Goal (cf. Formation Guide 358, 360 and 365)