CHAPTER VI Formation

CHAPTER VI. FORMATION

I. PROMOTING AND SUPPORTING VOCATIONS

S.36.--Concern for promoting vocations demands of us constant prayer (Mt 9:37) and the authentic, full, and joyful testimony of apostolic and community life, especially when adolescents and young people, for the development of their own faith, are working with us in the Vincentian mission.

S.37.--'1.--Provinces, houses, and individual members should actively engage in encouraging candidates for the Vincentian mission. '2.--Provinces should seek out the more effective means of promoting and supporting vocations, and draw up a provincial plan suitable for this. '3.--The provincial in consultation with his council should appoint a promoter of vocations to coordinate the efforts for the promotion of vocations in our works.

S.38.--Candidates who want to enter the Congregation should already have made an option for the Christian life, a commitment to apostolic work, and the choice of working within the Vincentian community; otherwise, they are to be gradually helped toward these choices in pastoral-action youth groups, or in apostolic schools where they are available.

S.39. --The formation of candidates, in accordance with their age, should comprise above all fraternal life, frequent use of the word of God, liturgical celebrations, apostolic activity undertaken with their moderators, personal orientation, study, and work.

II. FORMATION OF OUR MEMBERS

1. General principles (C 77-81)

S.40.-- In addition to the common formation, each of our members should receive, in so far as possible, a special and professional formation, which will prepare individuals to carry on effective-ly the works of the apostolate which have been assigned to them by the Congregation, and which are more in accord with their abilities.

S.41.--'1.--Each province should have its own formation program which, with due allowances for the different circumstances of place, conforms to the principles here stated as well as to the documents and norms of the Church.

' 2.--The provincial should establish a formation commission to draw up and revise the forma-tion program and to deal with all those things which pertain to the entire course of training.

S.42.--Individual provinces, through the help of their formation commission, should organize and promote both common and personal continuing formation.

2. The internal seminary (C 82-86)

S.43.--The internal seminary can be made either in one or in several houses chosen by the provincial with his council.

S.44.--In special circumstances, and with regard for the degree of human and Christian maturity of the seminarists, the provincial can make suitable adaptations.

3. The major seminary (C 87-90)

S.45.--'1.--As need demands, the house of the major seminary can be either proper to an in-dividual province or common to several provinces. '2.--Our students can be sent to another prov-ince or to a properly approved institute to complete the curriculum of their ecclesiastical studies. In this latter case, care should be taken that they lead a common life according to the custom of the Con-gregation, and that they receive a suitable Vincen-tian formation. '3.--In houses of formation a family lifestyle should flourish, and a fraternal spirit should be fostered among students of the same province. If, however, there are many students, they may be organized in a suitable way into smaller groups to make better provision for the personal growth of individuals.

S.46.--During the process of formation, the provincial can, in consultation with the moderators and his own council, and for a just reason, permit students to interrupt their studies and live outside of a house of formation.

S.47.--Steps should be taken that students from different provinces of the Congregation can come to know each other.

4. The formation of brothers (C 91-92)

S.48.--Special cultural and technical training should be available for brothers by means of an ap-proved curriculum of studies leading to a suitable degree or a diploma.

5. Moderators and teachers (C 93-95)

S.49.--The major seminary, as the center of formation, should provide help for the members engaged in different works. The moderators and teachers themselves should be actively engaged in the works of the apostolate.

S.50.--In houses of formation, care should be given to provide suitable confreres who will function as confessors and spiritual directors, as the need demands.