Institute of Spirituality and Religious Formation

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Browsing Institute of Spirituality and Religious Formation by Author "Aririatu, Evelyn Akuoma"

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    Mentoring in On-Going Formation
    (Tangaza University College, 2004) Aririatu, Evelyn Akuoma
    During my studies I constantly heard people talk about the ministry of mentoring, thus, my interest and choice of this topic. In this long essay I would like explore the meaning, the depth and application of this ministry. In the process of my writing, I hope to focus on mentoring and its place in Religious life after final vows. The reason for this is that, this aspect of mentoring seems to be neglected or overlooked by many religious congregations, concentrating, as they do, on mentoring only in Initial Formation. The other strong motivation for my choice of this topic is the fact that on-going mentoring was very much valued and encouraged by St. Julie Billiart our Foundress. From her writings I have discovered that, she spent most of her time mentoring her sisters during her lifetime. She encouraged and mentored our early Sisters in love and friendship. The success of this small group of women was due in no small amount, to her constant attention to their spiritual and professional development. Today I feel there is a need for our sisters to review, and reclaim this aspect of our heritage of mentoring. We need to read again her letters to her young sisters and allow ourselves to be once again inspired by her gift of mentoring. For the need of our sisters to have a spiritual and a professional companion in their life journey is still relevant today as it was then. These are the issues this long essay hopes to address. I will start with the definitions of mentoring, and will also look at the general foundation of mentoring, as it appears in the Old and New Testaments. Central to this is Jesus who is model and mentor par excellence. No discussion of the role of mentors could ignore its place in African Traditional Culture where it is a long established tradition and is intrinsic to the development of young Africans. Finally in the last chapter I will deliberate on the importance of on-going mentoring and make some recommendations. So I welcome all my readers to join with me in this reflection of my long essay on mentoring, perhaps my story may not be different from yours.