Psychological Aspect of Religious Formation Passionist Formation
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Date
2004
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Tangaza University College
Abstract
The year 17th and 18th centuries was a time when Italy had difficulties and most
of the religious congregations then were concerned with the people in the city and
mostly the well to-do. It is around this time and in this environment that St. Paul of the
Cross, then known as Paul Dane,o, was inspired to found the congregation of the
Passionists. Paul Daneo named it the Poor of Jesus because of its aim: work with the
poorest and neglected people of Italy to give them hope through reflection and drawing
strength from the Passion of Jesus Christ and especially His resurrection.
This mission of the Poor of Jesus later (to today) called the Passionists was done
through preaching of missions, preaching retreats, chaplaincy to the hospitals and
identifying with the underprivileged so as to find ways of alleviating their situation.
Today the Passionists are in over fifty countries in the world carrying out missionary
work. In Africa alone, the Passionists have missions and houses as well as run parishes
in seven countries: South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Angola
and Congo D.R. The felt need of uniting the Passionists in Africa brought about the
Passionist Theology House in Nairobi (Kenya) in 1989 called Kisima) It was an effort
to give the students in formation a chance to learn from each other's various cultural
backgrounds. This house is run by three provinces which have their students staying in
Kisima: St. Patrick (whose provincial house is in Ireland), Immaculate Heart Of Mary
(provincial house in Italy) and St. Gabriel (provincial house in Belgium). In order for these provinces to thrive, they need people to join Passionist
Religious life in the various provinces within which there are member countries. These
men who join come from a particular background, each one unique from the other. The
word 'formation' is the noun of form which is, "from the Latin forma, a term signifying
figure or shape or 'that which is seen."2
Hence, formation is the process of shaping, making, creating, bringing about
something new. As pertains humanity, this process starts when the sperm fertilizes an
egg. I will however, limit myself to the psychological aspect of religious formation with
emphasis on the Passionist congregation specifically the theology house in Kenya.
However, Religious formation builds on the formation an individual has had since
conception. So I will take time to talk about the formation one receives in the womb, in
the family, society and later come to religious formation house and challenges this may
bring about.
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Keywords
Psychological, Aspect of Religious Formation, Passionist Formation