A Pre-Novitiate Formation Programme Project For The Divine Word Missionaries
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Date
2005-03
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Publisher
Tangaza University College
Abstract
Formation constitutes an essential element of religious and missionary life. "The
Church, together with Congregations of men and women religious, considers formation
a top priority. As a result, much re-search, reflection, evaluation, revision and
revitalization of formation programmes has taken place, not least with our own
Society.-I
The formulation of the vision and goal of formation, coupled with the structuring and
re-structuring of formation programmes, pre-supposes a number of critical questions
being asked by the Society. Who can be admitted to religious missionary life? Who are
being formed? How are they being formed? What are they being formed for? What
approach should be taken? What model? The structure? The over-all vision?2
It was in view of these concerns that this formation programme project was
undertaken. The aim of this project is to design a formation programme that can offer a
framework, which will assist those working in formation at this particular stage, Pre-
Novitiate, as well as at other stages of formation in the Society of the Divine Word, in
the Kenya-Tanzania Province.
The choice of the topic was made based on two elements: the first one is my
own experience in formation work in the Pre-Novitiate, since December 2001; the
second element was the request by the Provincial Superior to organize a formation
handbook containing all the levels of formation in the Province. As I work in the Pre-
Novitiate stage, I was entrusted with the responsibility of designing the Pre-Novitiate
formation programme. I gladly accepted the task and chose the topic "A Pre-Novitiate
Formation Programme" as the object of research of my project. This Formation Programme consists of five major sections. Section one starts
with the issue of the nature of the Congregation, its aims and Spirituality. It spells out
the aims, goals, nature, objectives and purpose of formation in general in the Society of
the Divine Word. It also spells out the constitutive elements of the SVD identity,
namely, Spiritual. Communitarian, Religious, Academic, Affective, Missionary and
Physical dimensions.
Section two focuses on the nature and purpose of the Pre-Novitiate stage and the
essential elements of the rationale of the Pre-Novitiate programme. There are five areas
or axis of formation considered essential to assist the candidate in his journey of
personal growth and vocational discernment. These are: the Human, the Christian and
Spiritual, the Religious and SVD, the Missionary, and the Academic formation.
Section three occupies with the contents and the means of formation, and with
some characteristic activities. Section four deals with the issues of those who are
responsible for formation, the evaluation of the formation programme and the
assessment of the candidate. Section five starts with the candidate's role in the
formation process. It continues with some recommendations based on practical
experiences and on the outcome of the research process/exercise. It is followed by the
conclusion with few remarks and observations. In the end there is an appendix.
Description
Keywords
Pre-Novitiate, Formation Programme, Divine Word Missionaries, Human Formation, Nature of Pre-Novitiate