My name is Sr Laisa. I am a religious for twenty-seven years. Our new provincial has organised an ongoing formation programme during the summer vacation for two weeks concluding with one week’s retreat. She has desired that all those who have completed twenty-five years or more are to attend this programme. Right now, I am principal of a prestigious college. To be away for three weeks from the college is difficult for me. Despite my repeated requests, she has not exempted me. As a principal, I get various opportunities to attend seminars, meetings, etc., and update myself. What is so extraordinary about such programmes?
To answer your query, let us look into CIC canon 661: “Religious are to be diligent in continuing their spiritual, doctrinal and practical formation throughout their lives. Superiors are to ensure that they have the assistance and the time to do this.” Though there is no exact parallel canon in Oriental Canon Law, we read in CCEO canon 471§1, which deals with monasteries: “The manner of formation of members is to be determined in the typicon in such a way that they be permanently motivated to aim more fully toward holiness of life, as well as that their abilities be developed through the study of sacred doctrine and the acquisition of human culture in accordance with the needs of the time, and that they thereby become more adept in the arts and tasks which are legitimately undertaken by the monastery.” And the Directives on Formation in Religious institutes, Potissimum institutioni, numbers 67 to 71, deal with it extensively.
The responsibility for this ongoing formation is twofold: (i) the religious themselves must do what is necessary to renew and update themselves in spiritual, doctrinal and practical matters;
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Sr Licia SMI
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