Rome (Italy). On 5 December 2021, 19 Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Temporary and Newly Professed Sisters of the Preprovince Mary Mother of the Church (RMC) and a New FMA Missionary of Mary Help of Christians community of the Generalate (RCG) gathered in Rome at the Generalate for a formation meeting. Present were Sr. María del Carmen Canales, Superior of the RMC Preprovince, and Sr. Anna Maria Trotti, Vicar.
“Generativity in the FMA Institute” was the theme studied in the course of the day.
After the family welcome by the Animator of the House, Sr. Carla Castellino, the group met with the newly elected Mother General of the FMA Institute, Sr. Chiara Cazzuola, who expressed her joy at seeing faces from all over the world and spoke to them about the importance of formation.
Sr. Piera Cavaglià, the ex- Secretary General, animated the reflection on the signs of generativity in the life and history of the FMA Institute, considering the frailties, highlighting the sprouts of life, and proposing some paths of generativity. She stated that, “the world and young people in this season of history full of challenges and opportunities, need ‘mothers’ who take care of life and support hope” and underlined that the FMA are a ‘living monument’ of the presence of Mary and the educational charism is a sign of the presence of God among the young.
The guided visit by Sr. Piera Cavaglià to the Exhibit of the Charism and the Marian Exhibit present in the Generalate, was a motive of gratitude by the group for what the Lord and Mary Help of Christians have accomplished through the humble and passionate self-giving of so many FMA in every part of the world, and a renewed desire for fidelity.
In her presentation, Sr. María del Carmen Canales invited the young FMA to ‘look around’, as Don Bosco had done as a young priest at the request of Fr. Cafasso, his spiritual guide, and to allow themselves to be challenged by the events of daily life. She then reminded them of the five key words of the RMC Preprovince Programming: daring, generativity, fidelity, educational passion, and care in order to grow at a personal and community level.
After a time of silence, reflection, prayer, and sharing of the lived experience, the day ended with the Eucharistic Celebration presided over by the Superior of the Preprovince Mary, Seat of Wisdom (UPS), Fr. Maria Arokiam Kanaga, who spoke of generativity starting from the Word of God of the Sunday liturgy.
The Temporary and Newly Professed Sisters lived the formation encounter of interior renewal in contact with the charism, during which they were able to compare their personal experience of the Institute with historic knowledge and the life of those who shared it with them. Along with gratitude, the young FMA grew in the awareness of having inherited a precious charism with deep roots that calls them to renew their own vocational ardor and feel themselves responsible for the transmission of this treasure.
