Rome: Formation for New Visitors

[…]  Visitors, Delegate and President, twenty three in number, met from September 14 to 23 around the Superior General and his Council to learn the baba of their ministry. Article 142 of the Revised Rule clarifies this ministry to which the Brother Visitors are called:”The Brother Visitor is at the service of his Brothers, ready to listen to themand remaining in contact with them. He cares about their vocation and tries to promote close cooperation between them, to help them carry out their mission more effectively in all their apostolic works.”

And Brother Superior asks: “all of us – leaders of Districts and Delegation, General Councillors and myself – was called to lead our Districts today. What, in our personal itineraries, led us here?” It is an invitation for Visitors to reflect on how God works in their lives. Also, does our Rule not tell us of our vocation not as a series of successive calls from God to go out of ourselves and put ourselves in the service of others? It is clear that each participant must reflect on how his successive comittments were a response to the call of God in his life: “As Brothers, how do we read the events of our lives as evangelical pilgrimages, as De La Salle could read his?- asked the Superior General. This time is dedicated to formation, but it is also dedicated to prayer and reflection on ones’ journey, as the Superior General said: “Your Brothers saw in you the qualities you do not know maybe ! “[…]

The General Councilors took turns to present one or the other theme, including: leadership challenge, accompaniment, authentic answers on the future of religious life, standards of child protection … Presentations interspersed with group work, case studies and personal time for reflections. All the themes and activities were planned carefully and executed appropriately with great intelligence of the central services and secretariats held by the Brothers of the Central community and by those of the CIL staff. […]

At the conclusion of the unique experience of these few days – like at the beginning- the Superior General, in his closing words thanked Brother Visitors  for their willingness and commitment as a leader to serve their Brothers and the Institute at this time in our history while ensuring them his continual prayers and those of the Brothers of the General Council and their availability to help and support them. The last important event is that of the closing ceremony celebrated at the Shrine of St. John Baptist De La Salle where everyone received a sending sign around his neck, a cross from the hands of the Superior General Brother and the Vicar General accompanied by a very warm hug.

Brother Anatole DIRETENADJI, Delegate of the Superior General to Rwanda.