24 July 2018
Dear Sisters,
We have come to the end of our Encounter and we want to share with you the joy we lived in these days of intense grace, during which we once again experienced the beauty and power of our Pauline vocation. We felt the presence of our communities and above all the presence of our young sisters, precious gifts whom we are called to welcome and accompany in their formative journey. A climate of serenity and communion allowed us to feel in a tangible way how beneficial it was for us to get together to share ideas and participate in this event.
The input we received, our group work and our exchanges in the assembly hall gave rise to proposals and priorities that will be communicated to all our circumscription governments. These proposals confirm and re-emphasize, with different nuances and modes of expression, the lines of action that emerged in the Formators’ Encounter held in 2012, inviting us to adopt them with greater responsibility.
Sr. Anna Maria, our Superior General, was present for various moments of the Encounter. In her concluding address, she summarized several priorities on which we should focus, namely:
- – unification of life in Christ the Master through a slow process of transformation that takes place in daily life when we allow ourselves to be pierced by the “sword” of the Word and live in the gratuitous love of the Eucharist;
- – the preparation of formators who are able to listen to our young sisters and accompany them in a personalized way; who are able to work in teams, to discern, and to welcome with respect and competence young women born in the digital era;
- – a style of life that is simple, joyous, missionary, open to cultures and to intergenerational dialogue in the formative community;
- – an integration of formators and superiors that will result in the growth of a “vocational culture” that can help our young professed sisters and communities feel co-responsible for the Pauline charism.
“I want to once more underscore,” she said, “that the formative process of our young women, but also our own formative process, requires choices that can help us rediscover a ‘taste’ for thinking and reflecting, and the privilege of carving out time to take care of our interior life. ‘Silence, interiority and depth’ are required in order to live discernment, become capable of listening, and improve the quality of our communication.”
It is a commitment in which we are all protagonists on the journey toward full maturity in Christ.
Sincere thanks to all of you for your closeness to us and your prayers for us in this time. Our warmest best wishes to each and every one of you.
The Information Team
• Webpage of the 2018 International Formation Encounter
