A Proposed Pre-Novitiate Formation Project

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Date
2005-03-21
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Publisher
Tangaza University College
Abstract
In the year . 2002, the General Council of the Canossian Sisters established a new Province in Africa — the Province of Mother of the Greatest Love. It is composed of three countries: Egypt. the Sudan and Uganda. The presence of our Sisters in these lands gradually attracted young women to join our Congregation. There is thus a growing need for the ministry of Initial Formation. Being new. the Province has no well established formation program of its own. The Sisters in the formation ministry have been using the formation program of the Province of Eastern Africa. Though there are commonalities among the African cultures, each country is distinct from the others historically and socially. Egypt and Sudan are Arabic countries and have a strong Islamic cultural background. These factors make the new Province very different from the Province of Eastern Africa and the new Province is becoming more and more aware of the need of a sound, localized, and inculturated formation throughout alt stages of Religious Life. The writer of this project was involved in formation work in the Province and found it very challenging. This work is the result of her two years study of Spirituality and Religious Formation. The objective of this work is to present to the Province a more developed and concrete plan of Pre-Novitiate formation. It is based on what is said about formation in the Rule of Life. the Canossian Plan of Formation. the Plan of Formation of the Province of Eastern Africa. and the documents of the Church. In addition, it takes into consideration the historical. cultural and social background of the candidates. It aims to be a useful tool to help formators and formation communities as they are entrusted with the important ministry of shaping the future of the Province and the Congregation. Religious formation is a life long process. It begins with the Pre-Novitiate formation and continues with the Novitiate, the juniorate and the on-going formation until one comes to the end of the battle of life. A well established formation plan should cover all the stages of formation, thus showing the graduality and continuity of the whole process. Nonetheless, due to the time factor, this work can only address the first stage, that of the Pre-Novitiate formation. Knowing that theory and ideal need to be confronted and tested by the reality of life, the writer sincerely welcomes suggestions and comments from those who read it or use it. It is the hope of the writer that this work will be an inspiration to others for future contributions to the completion of the whole plan of formation for the new Province.
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Keywords
Pre-Novitiate, Essential Elements of Pre-Novitiate Formation, Agents and Mediations of Formation, Persons in Formation, Basic Characteristics of Pre-novitiate Formation, Aspirancy, Postulancy
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