Lonavla (India). From 16 to 21 August 2024, St. Joseph Formation Center in Lonavla, Maharashtra, of St. Mary Mazzarello Province (INB), hosted the interdisciplinary seminar, “For a generative animation” for the Inter-provincial Conference PCI.
The Superior General of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Mother Chiara Cazzuola; the Vicar, Sister María del Rosario García Ribas; the General Councilors of the Sectors: Sister Nilza Fatíma de Moraes (Formation), Sister Leslie Sándigo (Salesian Family), Sister Ruth del Pilar Mora (Missions), Sister Maria Ausilia De Siena (Social Communication), Sister Ena Veralís Bolaños (Administration), and Sister Celine Jakob, Visiting Counselor. They facilitated the work for the participants including the Provincials of the seven Indian Provinces INB, INC, ING, INK, INM, INS, INT with their Provincial Counselors and coordinators.
On 15 August, while the vibrant and multicultural Indian land celebrated the 78th anniversary of Independence Day, and the Church, the solemnity of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven, the arrival of Mother and the Counselors was for the Lonavla Community an additional reason to celebrate. The FMA, together with the whole Educating Community, welcomed them with joy and the students of the Auxilium Convent High School, through a dance show, enchanted the assembly by giving a taste of Indian culture.
Taking the word, Mother Chiara thanked for the organization by saying how present she felt the spirit of the Founders among the Sisters and the Educating Community, in seeing satisfied in the young people who had before them the desire of Don Bosco and Mother Mazzarello to give them hope through education.
The following morning, on 16 August, the official opening of the Seminar took place with a solemn reception by the INB Province. The participants were accompanied into the conference room by students in typical Maharashtrian clothes and each was personally welcomed with a scarf designed especially for the occasion. Mother General then explained the reasons and modalities of the Seminar.
Each day was marked by a specific theme, highlighted during the sessions with the contents of the speakers, followed by comparisons in smaller groups. Each session began with a Lectio Divina and a reflection on the Word of God from the Acts of the Apostles, curated by Sister Maria Ko, biblist of the Institute.
“The service of authority today: opportunities and challenges for consecrated life – The triple mission to serve, animate, govern” was the theme of day 1. After the words of the Mother and the video-intervention of the Rector Major Emeritus of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Fr. Pascual Chavez, the assembly was divided into groups led by a general Councilor, to choose what to keep and what to discard from what was heard, symbolically using the “gift” and the “waste basket”. A similar mode, with creative dynamics, was followed in the subsequent days.
About the 2nd theme – “Governing and animating in the synodal style” – Mother Chiara led the reflection on the art of walking together and how to face a challenge, in community, as a Province, and as a Provincial Council.
On the third day – “Generativity – The beatitudes of the culture of care” – Mother spoke about the culture of care and linked it to the Beatitudes of the Gospel. In a video, Prof. Bernardo Toro presented the new ethical paradigm of civilization, “Care is not an option: we learn to care or we die. When we care, we love and when we love, we care”.
“At the service of a mission that generates life” is the theme of the penultimate day, in which Mother spoke about coordination and how it helps within a process of discernment and work that tends to involve people and make them feel desired and important. The whole day was dedicated to the animation of the Sectors. The General Counselors addressed the coordinators and other participants. It was a very significant sharing, listening to each other’s experiences regarding the successes and challenges in their respective Sectors.
On the last day, the theme discussed was, “Towards a more generative and synodal Institute’s service of animation and governance”. During the day, the participants discussed how they want to see their Province change; how to have better and more generative animation and government; and how to make this change.
Each day ended with the Eucharistic Celebration, animated by the Provinces according to the theme of the day, followed by Mother Chiara’s Good Night.
These days of grace and formation increased in each of the participants their impetus in service to their respective Provinces, in a more generative and synodal style, in a dynamic and at the same time attentive way, following the footsteps of the Founders, with the encouragement of Mother and her Council. The participants expressed gratitude for giving them this space and time to learn, update themselves, and become an increasingly significant presence as FMA in today’s mission.
Photos: Flickr FMA
Glad to have been part of the encounter. Thank you so much Mother Chiara and the Sisters of the General Council for the meaningful animation and your guiding presence.