India. From 24 to 28 August 2020 about 100 Daughters of Mary Help of Christians among Provincials, Formators, and Animators of the seven Provinces of the Interprovincial Conference of India (PCI), participated in the online meeting for the Formation of Formators and the sharing of guidelines and itineraries for the formation of the Temporary Professed and for ongoing formation.
The meeting opened on 24 August with the prayer and greeting of Sr. Mary Tamizharasi Kanickaraj, National Coordinator for Formation and Secretary of the Province of St. Thomas the Apostle (INM). This was followed by the message of Sr. Nieves Reboso, General Councilor for Formation, who encouraged the participants to live the ministry of Formation with joy and to carry it out lovingly, “with the power of persuasion and love alone” (C 7 ) and with the heart of Maín who received the mandate, “I entrust them to you” with trepidation. Sr. Mary Margaret Ammalanathan, President of PCI, continued with a presentation on the spirituality of the encounter with Jesus and with others.
In the first three days – from 24 to 26 August – the participants lived the experience of listening to the webinar on the Psychology of Relationships, based on the Transactional Analysis of the Canadian psychologist Dr. Eric Berne, edited by Sister Mary Tamizharasi Kanickaraj, to reflect and to analyze the quality of the relationships and interactions between the sisters, to improve communion in community.
On 27 August, Sr. Michael Cruz, Formator of the novices of the Province of Our Lady of the Snow (INT), starting from her experience shared some practical methods to accompany the young sisters in the transition to community life. Subsequently, Sr. Philomena De Souza of the Province of St. Maria Mazzarello (INB), spoke of inculturation in the Indian context of the document “Guidelines for the Period of Formation of Temporary Vows”, highlighting the resources, weaknesses, and challenges present in Indian/Asian culture. The Initial Formation Coordinators of the 7 Indian Provinces then shared the experience of internalizing the document in their respective Provinces. The moderator of the sharing, Sr. Elizabeth George, Provincial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Province (INS), concluded the meeting by saying that we must welcome the new wine of the young FMA with new wineskins.
On the final day, Sister Lucy Rose Ozhukayil, Visiting General Councilor, gave the introductory talk, encouraging the participants to grow in authenticity of life, anchored to the Divine Potter, and to assume the qualities of Christ the Good Shepherd to reach the young women in formation and all the FMA in the different ages of formation. Sister Rita Dora Thomas, Provincial of INB, presented the itinerary for Ongoing Formation, referring to the Formation Plan and Formation Program of the FMA India contextualized in today’s reality, with internal and external challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic. She concluded by stating that the term Ongoing Formation means “to be and to become new wineskins”.
At the end of the meeting, the President of PCI thanked those who contributed to its success, in particular Sister Tamizharasi for organizing and transmitting it online, leaving the slogan “Live well, giving quality to life” as the final message.
