Intern. Exec. Comm. for Form. and Studies

The International Executive Committee for Formation and Studies, elected during the International Council of Seoul, South Korea, from the 14th to 26th February 2005, met for the first time at the General Curia in Rome from the 10th to the 12th May 2005.

Taking part were:
Br. Charles Miller, Holy Name Province of New York (USA), the English-speaking Conference;
Br. José Gutay, Province of St. Peter Baptist of the Philippines, the East Asia Conference;
Br. Alberto Pico, Province of the Assumption of the BVM, Argentina, Cono Sur Conference.

We worked in an atmosphere of collaboration and fraternity, and shared the Eucharist with the Minister General, who encouraged us in our service to Formation, so important for all the Friars and our Entities.
The following are the main points of our work:

1. The evaluation of the International Council of Seoul: it was a very positive moment in the process of formation in the Order, especially with regard to the dimension of dialogue. We found positive aspects and certain things we could improve, especially in the methodology.

2. XI International Council for Formation and Studies: It will be celebrated in 2007. We thought of it as a process beginning with the preparation, then progressing to the celebration and then the post-Council period. The General Definitory already decided, at the beginning of the six-year period, that this Council should occupy itself with integration between formation and studies. We prepared a questionnaire, attached to this letter, to begin the preparation of the Council. The place and date will be decided in the coming months.

3. A third point was the reflection on the International Congress for the Moderators of Ongoing Formation, fixed for 2007 and asked for by the General Chapter of 2003. We thought about a course of preparation which would present the 1995 Document, “Ongoing Formation in the Order of Friars Minor”, as a working document, which we propose for revision and updating. We will ask how it was used up to now and what mediations are necessary to carry out now the perspectives, in accordance with the reality of the Entities. We wish to underline, in a special way, the fact that Ongoing Formation is a process embracing the whole of life in its diversity of stages. We would like to consider in particular: the first years after solemn profession; particular ministries, such as that of Guardian; the Friars in old age; and those marked by illness. In the re-elaboration of the document some aids for formation in these specific stages will be worked out thanks to the work of the Congress.

In our meeting of December 2005, we will work with two experts in order to set the preparation of the Congress in motion during the year 2006.

The Committee then worked on some initiatives of the General Secretariat for 2006.

1. Sabbatical periods in the Holy Land:
a) Time: 29th October to 27th November 2006
b) Biblical Studies, excursions, encounters with the realities of Israel, Palestine and of the Christian communities
c) Language: English

2. Course for Formators:
a) Time: 3 weeks in October
b) Topic: Discernment and integration of human and Christian maturity in the period preceding and during the Postulancy.
c) Place: Frascati, the Formation Centre of the Capuchins?
d) For the benefit of: The Animators of Vocation, those responsible for the reception of vocations, postulancy formators.
e) Language: Italian and Spanish (the same course will be offered in English in 2008).

3. Sabbatical Period of “Celebrating the gift of vocation”:
a) Time: 7 weeks
b) For the benefit of: Friars after 20 years of Profession (temporary)
c) Language: Italian
d) Place: to be decided.

Br. Massimo Fusarelli and Br. Alojzy Warot sincerely thank the Friars of the Executive Committee for the precious collaboration offered. In this way the very service of the General Secretariat for Formation and Studies can remain attentive to the different voices and cultures which make our Order so varied and rich.