Calamba (Philippines). From January 16 to 22, 2019, at the “Mornese Spirituality Center” in Calamba, Philippines, the meeting for the Formators of the East Asia Interprovincial Conference (CIAO) was held, animated by Sr. Maria Fisichella, FMA, collaborator of the Formation Sector.
The theme of the meeting was “Elaboration of Shared Guidelines for the Formative Accompaniment of the Pre-Aspirants of CIAO”.
Twenty eight FMA participated including Provincials, Animators of Formation Houses, Assistants, and FMA who work in vocation pastoral in the nine Provinces of CIAO: China, Cambodia/Myanmar, Philippines, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Timor, Indonesia, Vietnam.
The goal of the meeting was to re-visit and study the inculturation process of the Formation Plan, above all, the central nucleus that offers precious points for the elaboration of the Guidelines. Beginning from these Guidelines, each Province then elaborates an itinerary for their context.
The definitive text of the Guidelines contains six parts:
- The realty of the Pre-Aspirants in Asia.
- The Pre-Aspirantate: a time of discernment.
- Formation Journeys: a journey of strengthening one’s own identity, the path of growth in faith, the initial journey in the Salesian charism.
- Fundamental experiences.
- Formative Accompaniment: the formator, assistant, formation community, Provincial/Superior of the Preprovince.
- Conclusion.
In the last part we read: “The Guidelines for the time of the pre-PVO that we have elaborated are not perfect, but they offer clear formative guidelines that will be very helpful and a frame of reference in the elaboration of itineraries for each Province/Preprovince of CIAO for a quality accompaniment of the young women.
This requires that the Guidelines be thought about again with much openness and flexibility, and inculturated at the local level to guide the accompaniment journey of the young women.
With newness, daring, and appreciation of the beauty and richness of an intercultural formation, we walk with the young with firmness and courage, with patience and love, hoping to be able to understand and assume God’s Plan of Love for their life, whether it is to continue the vocational path in our Institute, or if they are called follow other paths, as good Christians and honest citizens, responsible mature women who can give their contribution to the development of society.
