CHAPTER FIVE

THE SALESIAN FORMATION PROCESS

5.1“A FORMATION PROCESS WHICH WILL LAST ALL HIS LIFE”¹

307.To live the Salesian vocation is to take part in a story in which God’s initiative and human venture are intertwined.² It is to engage in a living dialogue in which call and response are not passing episodes but a continuing experience of “following” Jesus. What was said in the previous chapters about Salesian formation and the conditions for its personal assimilation is put into action in a formation process lasting a whole lifetime.

Don Bosco’s experience in living his vocation – an experience of his founding charism – testifies to his continual attitude of openness to the promptings of the Spirit and his courageous and ever-new response at all times. He let himself be guided by the Spirit, responding with docility to his inspirations. He had a feeling of being called and challenged by each situation, especially that of the young, and he gave the whole of himself in responding creatively at every moment.

The Constitutions present our Salesian experience as “a response which we continually renew”:³ “enlightened by the person of Christ and by his Gospel, lived according to Don Bosco’s spirit, the Salesian commits himself to a formation process which will last all his life and will keep pace with his maturing in other ways.”⁴

308.The maturing of a vocation winds through a single formation process in which two differentiating moments can be distinguished: initial formation and ongoing formation.

Initial formation, carried out from the start with an attitude of continuing formation, extends from the first leanings towards Salesian life to the strengthening of motivations, to identifying with the Salesian project to be lived in a particular Province. It reaches as far as full incorporation and permanent membership of the Salesian Congregation in perpetual profession and, for members called to the Salesian vocation in the priesthood, as far as priestly ordination.

Initial formation develops through periods having well-defined formation objectives: it “is not so much a period of marking time as already one of work and holiness. It is a time of dialogue between God, whose initiative calls him and leads him forward, and his own freedom as he gradually assumes responsibility for his own formation”.⁵ It is a time of increasingly tough decisions, a time of dialogue and interaction with the community, comprising moments of assessment, synthesis and renewed commitment; in short, it is a time of spiritual tension towards the goal.

309.Through his perpetual profession – and in the case of priests, through his priestly ordination – the Salesian enters totally into the experience of faithfully living his Salesian life with the support of the grace of his continuing formation.

In fact, precisely because it is a matter of transforming the whole person, the formation process cannot be reduced to its initial phase. “The consecrated person can never claim to have completely

brought to life the ‘new creature’ who, in every circumstance of life, reflects the very mind of Christ.

Initial formation, then, should be closely connected with continuing formation, thereby creating a

readiness on everyone's part to let themselves be formed every day of their lives.”⁶

Ongoing formation consists “in a constant effort of conversion and renewal”:⁷ it is growth in human qualities, it is conforming oneself more closely to Christ, it is renewing one’s fidelity to Don Bosco, so that one may respond to the ever new demands arising from the situation of the young and the poor.⁸ It is a journey that is completed according to the condition of life of each one.

310.Throughout this journey Salesian formation demands at one and the same time a basic equality and a differentiation that respect and promote the specificity of the different vocations. The Constitutions say: “Lay Salesians, future priests and permanent deacons normally have the same initial formation and follow curricula of equivalent level, with the same phases and similar content and objectives. The necessary differences are determined by the specific vocation of each one, by his personal gifts and inclinations and the duties of our apostolate.”⁹

This means that every novice clarifies his own option in a general way (future priest, deacon or brother) during the novitiate, so as to allow for the corresponding studies and activities to be incorporated in the best way possible in the formation programme of the postnovitiate and practical training.¹⁰ The option will have to be definitively decided in every case before the specific formation which follows practical training.

311.The Constitutions describe how the vocation and formation of the Salesian are realized in phases or successive moments:

- the prenovitiate, a time for a deeper study of one’s initial choice of vocation, and preparation for the novitiate;

- the novitiate, the beginning of the experience of religious life;

- the period of temporary profession in its different phases:

. the immediate postnovitiate, which helps growth in an integration of faith, culture and life;

. practical training, which aims at forging a personal synthesis out of an intense lived experience of Salesian activity;

. specific formation, which completes initial formation and, in the case of clerics, continues until priestly ordination;

- the period of preparation for the perpetual profession, which verifies the spiritual maturity required and leads to a definitive commitment; and

- ongoing formation, which continues the maturing process until the end of one’s life.

5.2THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FORMATION PROCESS¹¹

312.The formation process is a lived experience determined by Salesian identity. It integrates different elements and has its own characteristics.

It brings together the community effort inspired by concern for the growth of each of its members, and the personal responsibility of every confrere.

5.2.1A personalized process

The formation process focuses on the candidate or confrere, considering him in his concrete reality: age, character, endowments of mind and heart, family of origin, education received, journey of faith and vocation completed, experiences lived.

Each candidate or confrere has his own way of relating to the Salesian project: he has his own pace and his own approach. The one who accompanies the formation process takes these variables into account and helps the person to integrate them and live his Salesian identity in a serene, faithful and personal manner.

He pays attention during the process to his psychological traits and to the socio-cultural situations which in some way affect his readiness for formation and its pace.

Whoever conducts the process, giving consideration to these characteristics, assists the candidate or confrere in progressively maturing his choices and taking his decisions at the right moment according to the level of maturity required, without haste but also without unjustified and harmful delays. In this connection it is helpful to proceed according to a personal plan that has been tailored to specific formation objectives.

5.2.2A communitarian process

313.Through various intermediaries, the community accepts and accompanies the candidate or confrere in formation. It supports him with its help, offers him the possibility of a serious dialogue in his search for God’s will and carries out the necessary discernment. It provides him with a community life that is conducive to his formation, and offers him an environment and the means to promote his growth.

Furthermore, the provincial community involves him in its Formation Plan and establishes an animating nucleus to guide him and to ensure that everything and everyone converges on the objectives to be attained.

In his turn, as he forges ahead, the Salesian brings to his community the riches of his gifts of nature and of grace.

5.2.3A comprehensive and diversified process

314.The formation process winds through phases and diversified experiences, bringing all the aspects of formation together – the human, the spiritual, the intellectual and the educative and pastoral – in a single harmonious movement. At the same time, at different moments depending on the proper purpose of each phase, a specific aspect is accentuated and it enriches the other aspects with new contents, sensitivities and motivations.

The subject responsible for formation in a particular context, the Province, ensures the unity of the entire formation process as it unfolds in different phases, in different formation communities and in initiatives of ongoing formation.

5.2.4A continuous and gradual process

315.Through a progressive and continual procedure, the candidate or confrere strengthens his identification with the Salesian project, grows in suitability and consolidates his motivations: every phase of his formation is a continuation of the previous one and a preparation for the next. The passage from one phase to another is sensitive and deserves careful guidance.

The principle of using a gradual approach implies that consideration is given at one and the same time to quality as a goal, a pedagogy and a criterion of discernment, and that the process evolves with realism and flexibility in effecting formation.

Such a continual and gradual process never comes to an end. Configuring oneself to Christ in the footsteps of Don Bosco is an ongoing task that lasts all through life.

5.2.5An inculturated process

316.The Constitutions require the Provinces to carry out the formation process according to the needs of their own cultural context:¹² that is, the needs arising from the candidate and his culture and those deriving from the context in which the Salesian charism must find expression.

The charism is fundamentally something internal – the following of Jesus Christ more closely as Don Bosco did – and it must be translated into a lived experience that permeates the Salesian’s entire life in all its individual and community aspects. It is the whole of his person that must be taken up and transformed by the charism.

This means that the values inherent in the charism have to assume and transform every aspect of his culture, incarnating itself within the concrete context in which he lives. It follows that the formation process, mindful of the candidate’s situation, has to lead him to a deeper assimilation of the charism and to a change of mentality. His progressive growth in his vocation must modify his personal habits and relationships with others, with God and with the very life of the Salesian community, until the charism leavens everything that is human in him and gives it a new appearance.¹³

Such a process calls for dialogue and discernment and is carried out in communion with the local, the provincial and the world community.

317.To ensure the unity and continuity of initial formation while it is carried out in successive periods, in different communities and sometimes in different Provinces, it is necessary that it follow a comprehensive plan and that it seek a linkage between phases and a convergence of everyone’s efforts.

318.The phases of formation that prepare for full incorporation into the Congregation through perpetual profession are necessary for both the candidate and the community so that they may work together to discern God’s will and correspond with it. The formation objectives of these periods must be attained also by the one who enters the Society after completing the studies envisaged by the formation curriculum.¹⁴

319. During this period, those in initial formation should be helped to deepen their identity as consecrated persons, to develop solid convictions about the educative value of consecration itself and to assume an attitude of continuing formation.¹⁵

320.For admission to the different phases of formation, to profession, to the ministries and to sacred orders and to verify the fulfilment of objectives for each formation period there is need to effectively assess positive indications of the candidate’s suitability and maturity as regards the commitment to be assumed; there also has to be verified his ability to tackle the next phase of formation successfully. Neither the absence of counter-indications nor the attainment of academic objectives is sufficient.¹⁶

321.Let particular attention be given to the passage from one phase to the next, and let there be a pedagogy to help the confrere enter into the new period of his formation with full awareness and responsibility.

One must not be allowed to begin the phases of formation or to assume commitments (professions, ministries, sacred orders) if he is not found suitable.¹⁷

In this case let the confrere in formation be placed in a situation that best enables him to reach the level of suitability required.

While keeping in mind the gradual approach to formation, steps must be taken to avoid prolonging problematic and indecisive situations which do not hold out serious prospects for improvement.

322.Let the formation process be so arranged as to take into consideration the different forms of the one Salesian vocation:

- let Salesian clerics and brothers be aware of the characteristics of their specific form of vocation and let them grow in mutual harmony, allowing for differentiation and interdependence;- let those entrusted with formation have knowledge of the Salesian identity in its lay, priestly and diaconal forms, and make them known and appreciated.

323.One’s specific option as brother or future priest should be clarified during the novitiate before making the profession so as to tailor the formation accordingly during the period of temporary vows and draw up a programme of the corresponding studies and activities.¹⁸ The option will have to become definitive for everyone before the specific formation which follows practical training.

324.“The concrete possibilities of living the consecrated lay state in the Congregation are many and varied. Such a diversity requires that the Provincial Formation Directories set out a serious formation programme, but one which is flexible and adapts to the very nature of the various tasks and to the candidate’s actual possibilities.”¹⁹

325.Let initial formation mature a sense of belonging to the Salesian Family and to the Salesian Movement in which consecrated persons and laity, living different vocations, share the same spirit and mission.²⁰ In particular:

- the identity and characteristic aspects of the Salesian Family and of the different groups should be made known;

- “the contents and values of the lay state should be presented; the young confreres should be enabled to grow and mature together with the laity, to acquire the ability to take part in their formation and animation, and to promote lay vocations”;²¹

- emphasis must be laid on giving Salesians the ability to work with a comprehensive outlook and engage in overall planning within the sphere of the educative and pastoral community;

- the Provincial Formation Plan should provide for diversified and graded contents and experiences for the reciprocal and complementary formation of Salesians and lay people during initial and ongoing formation; the programme of formation should take account of the different nature of their vocations and the times needed for their human, affective and apostolic maturing.²²

326.During initial formation, consideration must be given to the rites from which the confreres come or to which they belong and the necessary preparation must be offered them to carry out the mission in the contexts of the different rites.²³

327.The criteria and norms that refer to the aptitudes of the candidate, the conditions, the impediments and the juridical requirements for admission to the prenovitiate and novitiate, to first profession, to the renewal of the temporary profession, to perpetual profession, and to the ministries and sacred orders are more amply developed and commented upon in “Criteria and norms for Salesian vocation discernment. Admissions.”