Stigmatines in Asia
International Novitiate
Formation Program
At Phuket Thailand
THE CONTENTS
1. Rationale
2. Nature
3. General Objective
4. The Specific Objectives of
the novitiate
5. Pedagogy
6. Additional Policies
7. General indications
1) Rationale
Documents of the Holy See
1.1 Renovationis
Causam
“Religious life
begins with the novitiate… to initiate the novice into the essential and
primary requirements of the religious life, and also, in view of the greater
clarity to implement the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty and
obedience of which the latter will make profession.” (RC
13)
Wherefore, we
emphasize the supreme importance of the novitiate in the religious formation as
the council clearly states: “the novitiate retains its irreplaceable and
privilege role as the first initiations into religious life.” (RC
4)
1.2 Code of Canon
Law:
“The purpose of
the novitiate… is to give the novices a greater understanding of their divine
vocation to that institute. During the novitiate, the novices are to experience
the manner of life of the institute and form their minds and hearts in its
spirit. At the same time, their resolution and suitability are to be tested.”
(Canon
646)
2) Nature
The Novitiate, by
which the religious life begins, is the time of testing and a school of faith
and prayer. The novice offers all his life to God with the intention of knowing
his will and following the way of Christ on the example of St. Gaspar. (Ratio
Formationis Stigmatinae109)
3) General Objective
All belongs to God:
our own person, our projects and our own things. This makes the transition from
“looking from one’s own things” to “looking the things of Jesus Christ”. (RFS
110)
The integral initiations that
characterize the novitiate go far beyond mere academic teachings. It involves:
-
Initiation
to a deep and experiential knowledge of Christ and of the Father. This can be
done with a meditative study of the Bible, the celebration of the liturgy
according to the spirit and charism of
the Congregation, initiation to the personal prayer of life and to its
practice, as well as to the habits and pleasure to approach the great authors
of the spiritual tradition of the Church without limiting itself to spiritual
readings that are fruit of the fashion;
-
Initiation
to the Paschal Mystery of Christ by detachment from self, mostly through the
practice of the evangelical counsels according to the spirit of the institute
and evangelical asceticism joyously embraced and a courageous acceptance of the
mystery of the Cross;
-
Initiation
into fraternal life in the life of the Gospel. Our faith can grow and become
communion only through a community and our charity finds it varied expressions
only in the concreteness of daily life;
-
Initiation
to the history, mission and spirituality of one’s institute in the apostolic
congregations, among the many ways to integrate the formation of novices the
Constitution might establish one or more apostolic periods even outside the
novitiate house.
These apostolic periods aim to
teach the novices to learn little by little in one’s life the means by which
harmonious unity between contemplation and apostolic action is realized. This
unity is one of the fundamental values of such Congregations.
In planning these apostolic
periods, it should be reminded that twelve months have to be spent in the
community of the Novitiate wherein the Novices cannot be occupied with academic
duties or tasks that are not directly aiming for spiritual formation. (Potissimum
Institutioni 47)
4) The Specific objectives
of the novitiate
- to motivate more one’s vocation (cost.
55: PI 45)
- to reach a serene and responsible decision to
consecrate oneself (PI 8-9) by
giving evidence of maturity in choosing the
profession of the evangelical counsel
in the Congregation (Cost
55)
- to acquire a deeper knowledge of the demands
of spiritual life and specifically of
our consecrated life (Cost
55)
- initiation to an experiential and deep
knowledge of Christ and of the Father (PI 47)
- constant conversion towards the Gospel values
(PI
45)
- concrete living of Stigmatine way of life (Cost
55)
- experience of the life of the institute (cc.
646)
- to train one’s mind and heart according to
the spirit of the congregation (cc. 646)
- acceptance and exteriorization of the charism
of the Congregation (cc. 652)
- to verify one’s intentions and suitability (cc.
646) in
regard to the institute and its
charism
- to learn the harmonious interplay between
contemplation and action (RC 13 and
PI 17 & 18)
- to gradually train for activities of the
Congregation with the attention to live our
union with Christ during our apostolic
activities
5) Pedagogy
5.1 Spiritual
Perfectio sui ipsius (the perfection of self):
A.
Content
- contemplation and conformation to Christ the
Son and Servant, as St. Gaspar
did
- acquiring a method of spiritual life
- more time dedicated to liturgy as an
opportunity for spiritual growth
- deepening the meaning of the Stigmatine
Devotions
B.
Means
- community prayer: Liturgy of the Hours, Meditation
of one hour (especially
Lectio Divina both in private and in
community), Eucharist and Rosary
- Eucharistic adoration, visit to the Blessed
Sacrament, spiritual reading, monthly
recollection
- frequent verification with the Director of
Novices who must be seen as a father
and a brother
- review of the life and community verification
- instruction on spiritual life and religious
consecration, constitutions and spirit of
the Founder
- among the
Bertonian sources that have to be known and studied are the
following: the constitution of the Founder,
his Spiritual Journal, the
correspondence, the volumes of “Collectanea
Stigmatina”, the “Chronicles of the
Congregation”, the biography of the Founder
and the “Grammatica of Don
Gaspare
“Conformably to the teaching
of our Lord in the Gospel and the demands of the particular aim and the
spirituality of the institute consists mainly in initiating the novice
gradually into the detachment from everything not connected with the kingdom of
God, the practice of obedience, poverty, prayer, habitual union with God in
availability to the Holy Spirit in order to help one another spiritually in
frank and pen charity.” (RC15)
C. Verifications
The novices are considered to be growing spiritually if they…
- conscientiously participate in community
liturgical spiritual celebrations
- develop an increasing awareness as Christians
called to religious life
- develop love of silence and reflection
- seek the guidance of a spiritual director
and to do regular spiritual reading
- get involved in monthly recollections and
yearly retreats
- take the initiative for group dynamics where
everybody can participate and
share faith experiences
- capable of recognizing one’s personal
vocation as a call from God to this
community
- become aware of one’s relationship with God
through self, others and the world
- understand the meaning of commitment
- value prayer in their own lives
5.2 Community Vita communis:
A.
Content
- living together based on faith motivation
- sharing the practices of community life
- substituting the natural inclination to the
self with thinking in terms of us
- viewing of sickness and crisis situation as
a school of God
Bertonian teaching
- empathy of a new kind towards
those who suffer, bearing one another’s
Burden
- engagement
in living friendship in the liberty that in living St. Gaspar’s
expression similarity is the cause of love
B.
Means
- fraternal promotion and correction
- spaces of recreation and times of holiday
- common
management of the house and its set up
- community
visitation to persons and situation of particular poverty
- precise
regulations about communication with external friendship
“Community experience are
planned and carried out in view of forming the novice or in certain cases,
testing his aptitude for the life of the institute. Besides, gradual
preparation for apostolic activities they can also bring the novice into
contact into certain concrete aspects of poverty or of labor, to contribute to
character formation, a better knowledge of human nature, the strengthening of
the will, the development of personal responsibility and, lastly, to provide
occasions for effort at union with God at the context of the active life.” (RC
25)
C. Verifications
The novices are
considered to be growing in their love community if they…
- Actively participate in community activities
- Show genuine concern for the good of the
community
- Readily and willingly share their talents in
the community
- Are able to discover oneself in relation to
other members of the community
- They are a positive force in building an
authentic Stigmatine community
- Able to discover the strength and power of a
strong community life
- Develop a strong sense of initiative,
responsibility and accountability
- Put the welfare of the community over and
above their personal preferences
5.3 Academic Life Studiositas:
A. Content
- knowledge of the spirituality, charism and
style of life in the congregation
B.
Means
-
manual activities and hobbies that are useful to Stigmatine life
-
study of other languages (in particular English because of the
international
character of our congregation and
Italian because of the necessity to
personally contact the Bertonian
sources)
-
encounters between different congregation and with experts, including
lay
people
“The novitiate will also
include study and meditation on the Holy Scriptures, the doctrinal and
spiritual formation indispensable for the development of a supernatural life of
union with God and an understanding of the religious state, and lastly, an
initiation to liturgical life and the spiritually proper to the Congregation.”
(RC
15)
C. Verifications
The
novices are considered to be growing intellectually if they…
- manifest genuine interest to grow in
knowledge about the congregation
- are diligent in their studies on the life
and works of St. Gaspar Bertoni, the
Stigmatine Spirituality
and the Constitutions
- have sufficient background and intelligence
in studies of work
- are creative, responsible and independent in
thought
- devote extra time for personal study and
research
5.4 Affective Religious Consecration:
A.
Content
-
engagement in a personal experience of
intimacy of God
- harmonious integration of sexuality and love
as components of the person’s
positive experience
of the use of things through an attitude of gratuity and
responsibility
- education to obedience in co-responsibility
and humility
-
training to dialogue and team work to a
common program
B.
Means
- sincerity and transparency in dealing with
chastity with an open and honest
dialogue
- limited use of radio and
television
- service towards the poor and interest in
social problems
- inventory of the personal use of things
- periodic community and personal revision of
life about simplicity and life style
and community expenditure
- faithfulness to schedule, allowing moment of
personalizing self-management
- coordination
of community services
“To understand the
limitations of their own activity without being discouraged and to work at the
ordering of their own life, bearing in mind that no one can give himself
authentically to God and his brethren without first getting possession of
himself in humility.” (RC 31)
C. Verifications
The novices are
considered to be growing mature emotionally and
psychologically
if they:
- are open to one another and to their superiors
- feel happy at home with one another
- manifest fraternal concern toward each other:
readiness to forgive injuries,
readiness to carry out and
accept fraternal correction with real concern and
gratitude
- maintain a balance attitude towards the
opposite sex and from their own sex
- capable of making decisions prudently and
responsibly
- are moderate in their attitude towards
material things
- keep healthy relationships with their families
- able
to extend the discovery and the appreciation of self-acceptance of others
and themselves as well
- Acquire skills in developing healthy
friendship with both sexes and able to
deepen and extend such
relationships
5.5 Apostolic Witness:
A. Content
- education to joy and hospitality in view of
experiencing “how beautiful it is to live
as brothers altogether”
B. Means
- contact with other Stigmatine novitiates and
communities
- animation of the Stigmatine feast both for the
confreres and the lay people,
participation
in specific and controlled apostolic experiences while respecting the
schedule of the novitiate
“In those institutes where
the very nature of religious life requires apostolic action and services; the
novices are to be gradually trained to dedicate themselves to activities in
keeping with the purpose of those institute, while developing that intimate
union with Christ whence all their apostolic activity will flow.” (RC
13)
C. Verifications
The novices are considered growing in their
apostolic zeal if they…
- understand service as a call to mission in the
Congregation and within the
Church
- are strongly motivated to devote their lives
to God’s work through ministry in the
Congregation and in the Church
- are capable of recognizing the
interrelatedness of service, service commitment
and personal spiritual life
- have altruistic attitude to serve others
- have realistic assessments of strengths and
weaknesses
- capable of
attaining competency to participate in ordinary work of the community
and able to execute prudent and responsible
decisions
- manifest real
potentials – physically and mentally deal with the demands of the
apostolate
6) Additional Policies
The novices are required to read the
following books and documents during the novitiate:
- The
Holy Bible
- The
Life and Works of St. Gaspar Bertoni and other books about the Founder
- The
History of the Congregation
- The
Stigmatine Constitution
- Perfectae
Caritatis
- Vita
Consecrata
- Other
relevant materials on the Spirituality of the Congregation and Religious
Life
It is imperative for every
novice to submit a written commentary, reaction or reflection paper for some of
the chosen books and documents
Aside from these, the novices
are also to take the following:
- Introduction
to Religious Life
- Psychology
of Religious Life
- Personality
development matters life PHR etc.
- English,
Latin and Italian
1) Novices are to
experience a life of poverty and obedience. Therefore they are to put on such a
life style of poverty that leads them even closer to embrace the situation of
the most marginalized, of the neediest. To this end, they will seek for voluntary
penances and renunciation even permitted things.
It is also of great
importance that the general effort to develop oneself the attitude and the
practice of fraternal life, since this will accompany them along the whole of
their life. A type of personality too much aloof or too much independent does
not fit for religious life.
In this field, both
human virtues on which human relationships rest, and a deep conviction of
faith, which we go beyond human level are equally necessary.
The Novice Master shall
form the Novices to a realistic sense of fraternal life that is to be built not
on personal feelings but on the continuous renunciation to self in order to
love everybody, to be patient, forgiving and sharing in all things from the
external until the internal riches of the spirit; and lastly, to be able to
live in corresponsibility and cooperation.
2) Novices are required
to ‘in love” the vows according to our rules. By following the documents of the
Second Vatican Council and the following: the biblical and theological,
spiritual and ascetic content of the vows is to be explained. Periodically an
evaluation should also be done. Through dialogue we should retrace and take
into consideration the psychological roots of our behaviour.
The word of God and the
Liturgical Year will help us remind the same principles.
Chastity. These are the
needed attitudes and means:
-
Positive
understanding of love
-
Passion
through our Mission
-
Prayer,
community service
-
New
kind of relationships with one’s family members and friends
-
Control
over natural thirst for gratification
-
Humble
acceptance of successes
Poverty. These are the
needed attitudes and means:
-
Total
sharing in the concrete flow of community life
-
Service,
love for work and proper use of things
-
Counteraction
against consumerism with asceticism and simplicity of life
-
Correct
use of money and reporting
-
Dependence
and obedience
Obedience. These are the
needed attitudes and means.
-
Freedom
and search for God’s will
-
Dialogue,
cooperation and communion in order to serve
-
Planning
and evaluations
-
Responsibility
-
Faithfulness
to the schedule of activities
-
Preparation
of one’s task
-
Carrying
one’s concrete tasks, thus maturing one’s personality
Whenever we talk about vows,
the biblical foundation is to be laid as the main basis. Only afterwards the
different ‘translations’ done by our Constitution and Rules are to be
explained.
3) In discussing the topics, the formators will
also avail the help of other experts.
1. The passing by
confreres or those explicitly about the charism and the works of today’s
Stigmatines.
2. During the second
semester, our formation plan provides for the visit and encounter with the
different communities of the Province, so that the Novices may better approach
the reality of our works and activities.
3. By communicating
with the different Confreres around the world, the Novices can realize not only
the works, but also the fraternity and the religious life and the kind of
persons they will live within the years to come, thus creating a sense of
internationality.
4. During this
second period, the spirit of prayer should be kept strong and religious life must
experience special moments of Spiritual life such as Christian Meditation,
Lectio Divina and spiritual exercise of St.
Ignatius.
4) There are some
experiences suggested for more formation during novitiate:
-
Attendance
to lessons or modules given by theological institutes or universities, mostly
if they are meant specifically for religious;
-
Some
strong experiences in houses of spirituality or in religious communities are
more significant;
-
Also,
with moderation and evaluation, some apostolic activities can be entrusted to
the Novices;
-
So
that the formation process may flow more smoothly, a closer relationship is
needed among the persons in charge of the different stages of Postulancy,
Novitiate, Scholasticate;
-
Visits
by relatives and friends are welcome provided that they are planned and short;
better if during weekends;
-
Visit
to one’s family for vocation purpose is not part of the novitiate training. A
visit to one’s family for particular family reasons can be permitted.
7. General Indications
7.1 Must pay
particular attention to each person to walk in its path and adopt the content
and pedagogical that is proposed " Not all the novices enter the novitiate
at the same level of human and Christian culture. It will therefore be
necessary to pay very close attention to each individual so that each advances
at his or her own pace, and so that the content of formation and the way it is
communicated, are suitable to the one receiving it." (PI 51)
7.2 The general
objective of the novitiate is to lay stronger foundations to one’s vocation
choice and to deepen the experiential knowledge of the Congregation. This will
make both the candidate and the novice master able to clearly discern the call.
Therefore, a colloquium shall take place at least monthly between the Novice
Master and of each novice. The period of the Novitiate is a time of specific
formation.
7.3 The Provincial
Council will indicate the socius or the possible substitute of the
Master of novices in the eventuality of this absence.
7.4 The external
environment must guarantee certain condition of silence, peace, order and
solitude.
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