CHAPTER FOUR

METHODOLOGY OF FORMATION: AN OUTLINE

205.Developing our identity as Salesians (chap. 2) is in the first place a gift of the Spirit, but it is also an enterprise involving each confrere and each community in a process of discernment and constant growth to maturity. And the presentation of our Salesian vocation has focused attention on the contents to be assimilated, the qualities to be possessed and the attitudes to be lived.

Now, it is a question of how to effect the transition from proposal to reality, from values known to values lived. Responding to the invitation of Christ who calls personally means to make the values of our vocation become real and alive. (chap. 3).

206.In the Salesian formation experience going all the way back to Don Bosco’s times, and in the guidelines of the Church and the Congregation are to be found the elements of a methodology of formation. Taking the form of convictions, criteria and conditions, they appear indispensable for attaining the objectives of the process of formation and continually fostering the growth of a vocation.

These are elements that have now to be applied and made practicable in different situations. In fact, the vocation and formation situation varies from Province to Province, and so do the possibilities and challenges. Therefore, in certain respects, the arrangements for initial formation and the animation of ongoing formation will have to be different.

These are elements that will make demands on every Salesian and place a responsibility on the Provinces, including those individuals who are more directly in charge of animating the work of formation.

Some of the methodological guidelines will be especially concerned with initial formation which has a specific arrangement laid down in the Constitutions by way of goals, periods, contents, activities and responsibilities.

207.Though we shall have to take into account the variety of situations, there are some methodological areas of attention and guidelines that are strategically important: a formation that involves the person in the depths of his being with the help of graded formative experiences that are part of a structured programme; concern for a formation environment and active involvement of all those who are jointly responsible; the formative value of some aspects of the formation experience; and the importance of guidance and discernment.

4.1INVOLVE THE PERSON IN THE DEPTHS OF HIS BEING³⁰⁹

208.Formation, as a personal attitude and a community responsibility, as an educative undertaking and a pedagogy of life, aims at a personal assimilation of Salesian identity in order to live it faithfully and creatively at every moment of life.

To become or to be a Salesian does not simply mean growing in one’s Salesian identity on the operational level, that is, wanting to work for the young like Don Bosco; rather it is letting the identity take deep roots in oneself, that is, following Christ according to the grace proper to the charism of Don Bosco. From the configuration to Christ flows the mission, and in the mission is accomplished the configuration to Christ.

The process of growing in one’s Salesian identity takes place in a person’s heart, at the most intimate level of his affections, feelings, convictions and motivations, and is not limited to the acquisition or transmission of knowledge and patterns of behaviour. “Formation should therefore have a profound effect on individuals, so that their every attitude and action, at important moments as well as in the ordinary events of life, will show that they belong completely and joyfully to God.”³¹⁰ It is not a matter of adaptation or alteration, but of interior development.

Our Constitutional text makes the formation method consist in experiencing the values of our vocation³¹¹ and our General Regulations assert that “the assimilation of the Salesian spirit is fundamentally a fact of living communication”.³¹²

209. To involve a person in the depths of his being implies in the first place starting from the reality of the person – a reality communicated, known and interpreted from the standpoint of the Salesian vocation. It is absolutely necessary to build on the foundation of an accurate and adequate knowledge of a person’s past and present – steering clear of prejudices, groundless assumptions and false impressions – and to help each one face up to the whole truth about himself and identify what is in need of purification and growth.

Furthermore, to involve the person in the depths of his being from the viewpoint of his Salesian formation means bringing him face to face with Salesian identity, including its unifying elements and underlying motivations, an identity described in the Constitutions and incarnated in the living reality of the Congregation: it means building up a deep sense of belonging.

Only then will formation attain its basic purpose when the Salesian allows God to address him in the depths of his heart, makes his very own the criteria and values of the Salesian vocation, and is able to renounce opposing attitudes, formulate a personal plan, and unify his own life around true and genuine motives.

This formation from within is certainly a gift of the Spirit but it is also helped by a proper pedagogy. It is a responsibility and valid criterion for every Salesian who has the duty of taking care of his inner being, and also for the animators and guides who help him experience his vocation.

4.2ANIMATE A COMPLETE FORMATION EXPERIENCE FOLLOWING A STRUCTURED PLAN

210.The Constitutions invite the Salesian to see a formative value in his ordinary activities and to “make the best formative use of any situation”;³¹³ at the same time, they point to a process which goes from a first leaning towards Salesian life to a definitive commitment to be lived with fidelity and perseverance.

Formation starts from the reality of the person of the Salesian, a reality in continual development, and has as its goal his identification as a Salesian so as to be able to live it out fully and joyfully. The process through which this formation experience takes place is multi-faceted and diversified in its subjects and leading figures, in its stages and activities, in its contents and expressions. Initial formation, in particular, is characterized by different phases and lived in different communities and with different persons holding responsibility; it envisages experiences, assessments and successive obligations.

For formation to be efficacious it is necessary that the different aspects and stages, the situations, tasks, relationships and assessments which go to make up the formation experience, be seen and lived as elements of a single process, a single proposition, a coordinated and convergent action. And that the risk be avoided of turning formation into a collection of disjointed and discontinuous activities left to the individual undertaking of persons or groups.

211.There emerges in this way the importance of a plan – an overall view and a convergence around some key-points – totally centred on the complete formation of the Salesian. It is a harmonious whole comprising the responsibility of the person, the attitudes to be assimilated, the variety of settings, the diversity of activities, the interdependent action of those who hold responsibility, and the linking together in a progressive continuum of the different phases of initial formation and the various stages of the Salesian’s life.

At every level, therefore, formation must be organized according to a structured and complete plan; it must be accompanied by a mentality capable of taking an overall view and carried out by the combined efforts of different people working together. At provincial level, in particular, it is necessary that there be a plan, an overall blueprint for action.

All the members of the provincial community, and especially the animators and those responsible for formation, take part in this process of reflection and sharing on formation, basing themselves on the guidelines of the Church and the Congregation, and paying attention to the challenges emerging from their own socio-cultural situation and from the condition of individual persons. The incarnation of the Salesian identity in a particular context requires a good knowledge of the values to be incarnated and a continual and updated reading of the situation, so as to be able to effect a prudent discernment.

212.However, the plan does not limit itself to pointing out the main goals of formation and the general course of action. It also includes a specific scheme for each phase in terms of objectives, strategies, a programme of animation and a process of evaluation.

The contents, experiences, attitudes, activities and key-events are all thought out, programmed and directed according to the purpose of each phase and of the whole of formation. The pedagogy used is one that overcomes the danger of fragmentation and improvisation, and does away with aimless or unfocused action.

Because of such an organized programme, the passage from one phase to another is determined more by the attainment of objectives than by the passing of time or the curriculum of studies, and one phase prepares for the next which in turn is built upon the previous one. The pace of growth in vocation is maintained without any slackening of effort; it is sustained by increasing responsibilities and timely assessments.

Concern for the person and his growth to maturity requires that the formation process provides him with all the time that is necessary. “Therefore, a right balance must be found between the formation of the group and that of each person, between the respect for the time envisioned for each phase of formation and its adaptation to the rhythm of each individual.”³¹⁴

213.It is the duty of the Salesian to adopt a clear approach to his formation from the very beginning, to understand the purpose of the entire process and of its individual stages, to effect the passage from one phase to the next, responsibly making his own the aims of the new formation phase, to devise for himself practical objectives and lines of action, and to assess and communicate the implementation of his personal formation plan.

For their part, those responsible for formation have a duty to accept and implement the directives of the provincial plan and make sure that the candidate embraces the formation programme and adheres to it faithfully in his community.

It is from this point of view that the different aspects and the different periods, situations, tasks, relationships and assessments which make up the formation process through the years, are seen and lived as elements of a single and complete personalized experience, a scheme accepted and taken as one’s own, a challenge shared by everyone involved, and a pedagogical programme animated by love for one’s vocation and docility to the Spirit.

The plan is not so much a text to be put into practice as an expression and instrument of a community that chooses to work together to help each confrere tread the path of his formation.

4.3ENSURE A FORMATION ENVIRONMENT AND THE INVOLVEMENT OF EVERYONE RESPONSIBLE

214.For a Salesian to experience his vocation and formation is to take part in an experience of dialogue, an experience associated with a companion and guide, one that engages him personally and involves his community as well.

Such an experience starts from a basic premise, that is, from a determination to embark jointly on a process of discernment, decision and fidelity to his vocation, maintaining an attitude of open communication, sincerity and shared responsibility, and listening to the voice of the Spirit and the "mediating" forces which the Spirit employs. It is therefore important that there be a permanent dialogue about his vocation between the confrere and his community at various levels, and that both sides assume their own responsibility and take the necessary steps.

4.3.1The person of the Salesian

215.Each confrere acknowledges his having been called personally by God to Salesian consecrated life. It is a call to love God with all his heart and to love the young with pastoral charity, seeking their salvation.

Pastoral charity is therefore the motivation that lays the foundation for the work of formation and gives meaning to the renunciations, the efforts, the ascetical demands and the discipline that formation entails.³¹⁵ And it is not only the point of departure; it is also the goal of formation. Charity is never fully developed: we are always in formation!

216.Driven by charity, each one becomes “a necessary and irreplaceable agent in his own formation: All formation... is ultimately a self-formation. No one can replace us in the responsible freedom that we have as individual persons.”³¹⁶

The Salesian accepts this responsibility. He assumes the Rule of life as his point of reference and takes part in the daily experience and growth process of his community. He keeps on learning more and more about himself, develops the different aspects of his personality, and strives to be a docile instrument in the Lord’s hands for fulfilling the mission. He takes upon himself the asceticism involved and faces the struggles that fidelity to his vocation entails.

One of the practical ways in which he shows responsibility for his formation is by having a personal plan for his own life. In it he delineates the kind of Salesian he feels called to become and the way to achieve this, always of course in tune with Salesian values. From time to time, in dialogue with his Rector, he assesses the progress he has made in attaining his objective.

217.The Salesian is not alone in confronting the responsibility he bears for his own formation. In the first place, he lives in an attitude of dialogue with God. He acknowledges that the initiative for his apostolic consecration lies in God’s call. He lets himself be guided by the Spirit of Jesus, the first and principal agent of his formation³¹⁷ who fashions in his heart the inner attitudes of the Son.³¹⁸ “Docile to the Holy Spirit, he develops his talents and his gifts of grace in a constant effort of conversion and renewal.”³¹⁹

218.He looks up to Don Bosco the founder as his father, teacher and guide of his formation experience, and above all as his model. He finds in him the original expression of the Salesian charism, and nurtures a “fondness” for him, a “fellow feeling ”, a close harmony of values and ideals.

With love and fidelity he follows the guidelines of the Church, “a begetter and educator of vocations”,³²⁰ and finds a sure way by being faithful to Peter’s successor and his magisterium.

He accepts the directives and urgings of the Congregation, a community embodying the Salesian charism, as it continually seeks to be faithful to Christ, to the Church and to the genuine thinking of Don Bosco.

He maintains a constant dialogue with the local and provincial community, who are also “mediating” instruments of the formative work of the Lord and the ones responsible for the Salesian mission in an area. Taking an active part in the community endeavour, which is to become disciples together, he recognizes the role of those who have the task of accompanying him with their leadership and guidance.

At the same time, in the measure in which he is committed to his formation, he is also an agent of growth for his brothers and for his community.

4.3.2The community, a formation setting

219.“The assimilation of the Salesian spirit,” we read in the Regulations, “is fundamentally a fact of living communication”³²¹ and this communication has as its natural context the local and the provincial community. As an educator, Don Bosco cared much about personal rapport, but he is seen above all as the creator of an environment that abounded in educational relationships and models, programmes and exhortations (events, activities, periods, celebrations, etc.), the author of a style and a pedagogy of life, the communicator of a plan to be lived together, and the animator of a community with a clear physiognomy and established reference points. The community of Valdocco, distinguished for its Preventive System, offered a setting that welcomed, directed, accompanied, encouraged and made demands.

The strength and the quality of the community as a setting for Salesian formation are a key methodological requirement for a personalized formation. Obviously it is not a matter of formation understood as an adaptation or adjustment to a place, but of a setting which offers the conditions for a qualitative impact on a person’s growth in his vocation and formation.

4.3.2.1THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

220.The local community is “the natural environment for vocational growth... which the confrere joins with trust and in which he gives his responsible collaboration. The very life of the community, united in Christ and open to the needs of the times, is itself a factor in formation.”³²²

As a setting and collective subject of formation, the community:

- promotes a network of genuine personal rapports and working relationships, and creates an atmosphere which accompanies each one’s growth;

- offers an impetus to each one’s vocation through a pedagogy of life which is made up of fraternal sharing, apostolic drive, shared responsibility, prayer in common, and a genuine style of evangelical life;

- manifests a special interest in the growth of each confrere in his vocation;

- fosters unity with the life of the Church and of the Congregation and openness to involvement with the Salesian Family and the laity;

- formulates its own formation plan based on the provincial plan.

221.The local community is the animating nucleus of a wider and more varied setting of Salesian life and formation at the local level, that is, the educative and pastoral community where the Salesian mission and spirit are shared among the confreres, the laity and young people.

The educative and pastoral community itself is formative insofar as:

- in the mutual sharing among the different members, the Salesian opens himself to all the richness of lived experiences, especially of the youth context and culture;

- in the very act of communicating his own experience as a consecrated person and of receiving the rich witness of life and faith of lay people, he becomes more aware of his own vocation and feels challenged to live it with greater fidelity, maturity and joy.

In addition to programmes of reciprocal formation for Salesians and laity together,³²³ the community comes to realize that the privileged space for genuine growth and intense ongoing formation lies in the daily work of the educative and pastoral community, with its network of relationships between persons and its operational synergy of formulating, implementing and verifying the Salesian Educative and Pastoral Plan. Naturally such a reciprocal formation requires that the Salesian possess an attitude of openness and respect and an ability to inspire confidence.

4.3.2.2THE FORMATION COMMUNITY

222.Every Salesian community is a setting for formation, but there are communities that are specifically designed for initial formation: they are the so-called “formation communities”.³²⁴

According to the guidelines of the Church, during the period of formation the candidates reside in “communities where there should be no lack of the conditions required for a complete formation: spiritual, intellectual, cultural, liturgical, communitarian, and pastoral”.³²⁵

The formation community, “more than a place, a material space, should be a spiritual place, a way of life, an atmosphere that fosters and ensures a process of formation”.³²⁶ It is a united family in which those in formation and their guides, joined together by their faith in Christ, by their love for Don Bosco, by charity, mutual esteem and joint endeavour³²⁷, seek to relive “the experience of the group of Twelve who were united to Jesus”.³²⁸

Insofar as it is “an educational community in progress”,³²⁹ its distinguishing feature is a plan that brings everything to focus on just one purpose: the formation of the Salesian. In an atmosphere of shared responsibility, all strive together to adhere to certain values, objectives, experiences and formation methods, and from time to time they programme, evaluate and adjust their life, work and apostolic experiences to meet the requirements of the Salesian vocation.

An indispensable condition and key strategic point for building an atmosphere conducive to formation, for putting the community plan into practice, and for functioning with a suitable pedagogy is the presence of good formation teams made up of well-prepared educators whose contribution varies according to their talents, experience and competence. These educators, in fact, occupy a pivotal position: they determine the spirit and efficacy of the entire work of formation.³³⁰

223.The formation community guarantees the conditions necessary for a personalization of the formation experience, for expressing it in a variety of ways, and for integrating and comparing different sensitivities and values – especially when the community is interprovincial or international. To encourage everyone to take part, it seeks to get them involved in drawing up the community plan and the programme of activities, in group work, in the revision of life and in other meaningful forms of encounter and participation. Every member opts for some service that will be useful for the life in community and the strengthening of communion.

In the formation community each one helps the others through friendship, witness, advice and service. By their example, those in positions of responsibility teach those in formation that a communion of spirit is reached only through a patient work of renunciation of oneself and openness to others.

The life in community is structured with a reasonable amount of flexibility in the time-table and the distribution of daily activities so as to educate to a personal appreciation of time and its proper use and to foster a spirit of initiative.

Taking the vocation and formation aspect as its decisive criterion, the formation community maintains meaningful relations with the families of those in formation, cultivates an open attitude towards the members of the Salesian Family, and plays its part in the context of the Church and society.

224.To be able to accomplish its mission properly, the formation community needs a certain consistency in terms of numbers and quality. Communities that are too small or too big create problems for a formation pedagogy. A sufficient number of members can enhance community living and sharing; it can multiply relationships and make for creative ways of doing things in the different areas of community life. An excessive number of members, on the other hand, can - if the required conditions for formation are lacking - make it difficult to get individuals to take part and to be responsible, to engage in formative interactions on a personal basis, to know and guide the formation process, and can instead encourage an external, superficial conformity, a kind of mass phenomenon. To have a good community, qualitatively speaking, there is need of persons who can be near at hand, animate, accompany and guide the work of formation, and not lose sight of the wider horizons.

The obligation to ensure a proper formative setting, not only in terms of the number of the members but also in terms of the quality of the formation team, suggests and in some cases requires that some provinces join forces to establish interprovincial communities.

In communities that depend on more than one province, the sharing of responsibility for formation on a durable basis requires the establishment of a “curatorium” or other mechanisms, and the presence of formation guides from the different provinces. Care must also be taken to foster a sense of belonging to one’s own Province; helpful for this are frequent visits by the Provincial or other confreres, the exchange of news and every other means of communication, and other possible ways of keeping in touch.

4.3.2.3THE STUDY CENTRE

225.The study centre forms an integrating part of the formation setting. In it everyone is involved in a single undertaking which has formation for its goal, even if the contribution of the centre is mostly intellectual.

Relationships between the various components of the centre are inspired by dialogue, understanding, friendship and the sharing of responsibility.

It is important to abide by the criteria laid down by the Ratio³³¹ when choosing a study centre and to ensure the conditions which determine the quality and characteristics of the formation it imparts.

4.3.2.4THE PROVINCIAL COMMUNITY³³²

226.Charged with “promoting... the life and mission of the Congregation” in a specific circumscription,³³³ the Province is a formation community but also a community in formation.

It is made up of confreres who are in different stages and situations with regard to their formation; it comprises communities that do not have the same history nor live the same experience, and are facing changing circumstances and the challenges of the times.

For this reason, the Province engages in a continual process of reflection on the situation of the confreres and the communities and their formation, and becomes a setting that animates, fosters and demands fidelity to the Salesian vocation.

This duty of formation is not a pure state of mind nor only a matter of good will; it is a principle that organizes the life of the Province and embraces its whole reality. Starting from the requirements that flow from an awareness of the Salesian vocation and from shared responsibility for the mission on the part of everyone, it takes the form of a structured Provincial Formation Plan.

227. The first responsibility of the provincial community in the area of formation is to foster – through a living communication - the growth of the confreres, especially of all in initial formation, in their Salesian identity. It does make a difference therefore whether the provincial community is strongly motivated or not, whether it is fervent in whatever it does or is simply tired.

The climate of prayer and witness, the sense of common responsibility and openness to situations and to the signs of the times, the fulfilment of the tasks of the Salesian mission with spiritual enthusiasm and competence, the provision of an environment that daily offers criteria and incentives for fidelity, the network of cordial relations and collaboration among the communities, among the individual confreres, among the groups of the Salesian Family and with the lay people involved in the community - all these aspects make up the provincial setting for the formation of the confreres.

Such an atmosphere enables the confreres in formation to have a living experience of their Salesian identity and find support along the path of their vocation. It is valuable also for the other confreres who find encouragement for their growth in fidelity.

228.The Provincial Chapter, in particular, inasmuch as it is “the fraternal gathering in which the local communities strengthen their sense of belonging to the provincial community, through their common concern for its general problems”³³⁴ has a special responsibility for the growth of the Province in the Salesian vocation. Held every three years, with a preparation that precedes it and a circulation of ideas and plans that follows it, the Provincial Chapter keeps the Province, practically speaking, in a state of continual reflection, search and tension in view of actualizing the Salesian identity.

A practical expression of the responsibility of the Provincial Chapter in the field of formation is the formulation and revision of the Provincial Directory.³³⁵

4.3.2.5THE WORLD COMMUNITY

229.The world community makes the Salesian a participant in the communion of spirit, witness and service that is its life within the universal Church.³³⁶ The vitality of the Congregation, the actual relevance of its work, and the requirements and challenges thrown up by the historical circumstances have a strong impact on the confreres and are a providential incentive for their formation.

The sense of communion in the same vocation finds its highest expression in the General Chapter. It manifests the commitment of the whole Congregation to keep itself faithful to the Gospel and to the Founder’s charism, and sensitive to the needs of time and place. It seeks to respond to the needs and challenges arising from the youth situation, from the Church and from society,. With the guidelines it offers and the path it indicates, it keeps the Congregation striving towards a better formation and in a permanent attitude of renewal.

4.3.3Those who are jointly responsible for formation

230.Among the many elements that a Province must ensure in the work of formation (programmes, contents, institutions, methodologies), the most decisive and necessary is the concern for those responsible for formation.

When we speak of those jointly responsible for formation, we do not refer in the first place to individual persons or to formation guides considered in isolation, but to the formation guides who work in the context of a formation community and as members of a formation team, be it at provincial or at local level.

The qualitative strength of a formation community is based above all on the effective strength of the team and on the real possibility of securing the participation of those who are jointly responsible for the formation process at the level of the Province. This is one of the criteria for the setting up of a formation community. To avoid having formation communities of poor quality it will be necessary in some situations to make strong and courageous decisions for collaboration between Provinces.

4.3.3.1THOSE JOINTLY RESPONSIBLE AT LOCAL LEVEL

4.3.3.1.1 The Rector³³⁷

231.The Rector is the centre of the Salesian community, and has as his essential role that of being “the animator of the community”, the one who forms the confreres, and “who presides over the community in love”.³³⁸ His service of authority is directed to the growth of his confreres in their vocation.

Convinced of the formative value of the environment, he endeavours to create an atmosphere abounding in Salesian values. He keeps the community united in a spirit of family and an attitude of sharing, and radiates in it a sense of liveliness and pastoral zeal.

He maintains the community in an attitude of response to God’s call and in tune with the Church and the Congregation.

He accompanies the growth of the community by exercising the service of authority in a fatherly manner and by making good use of means such as programming and evaluation, meetings, conferences, prayer and the opportunities that arise each day.

He gets the other members involved in the animation of the community, and in a particular way brings the local Council to assume its responsibility.

232.He encourages and directs each confrere in living the experience of his vocation.

A privileged occasion for dialogue is the friendly talk with the confreres.³³⁹ In it, in a special way, he becomes truly “a father, teacher and spiritual guide”.³⁴⁰ He is aware that the efficacy of the frequent talk on a regular basis depends above all on his human and spiritual personality, on his availability and kindness, and on his competence.³⁴¹

The Rector can be asked by the confreres also for the service of spiritual direction. This is a delicate task and a precious offer of help in realizing one’s own personal vocation. The Rector makes himself cordially available for this service.

As Rector of the Salesian community, which itself is the animator of the educative and pastoral community, he has precise responsibilities in creating within the EPC a warm and apostolic climate that fosters the growth of Salesians, the young and lay collaborators.³⁴²

233.In addition to the roles assigned to every Rector of a local community, the Rector of a formation community has a further demanding role in the field of formation. Forming a united team with those responsible for formation, he animates the community and brings the efforts of all to converge on a common plan which is in line with the provincial plan.

He is responsible for the personal formation process of each confrere. He is also the spiritual director proposed to, but not imposed on, the confreres in formation. It is his specific duty to guide each confrere, helping him to understand and make his own the phase of formation he is engaged in.³⁴³ He maintains a frequent and cordial dialogue with the confrere, endeavours to know his strengths and weaknesses, makes him recommendations that are clear and demanding, proposes suitable goals, supports and guides him in times of difficulty, and together with him evaluates the progress he is making in his formation.

To this task which the Province entrusts to the Rector there ought to correspond in the confrere an awareness and a willingness to establish a personal relationship of openness, trust and sharing in the matter of his formation.

Together with the Council of the community the Rector carries out the required vocation discernment, especially when it is time for admissions and assessments.

4.3.3.1.2 The formation team³⁴⁴

234.The ones who make up the formation team and are jointly responsible for the community and its formation project are all those who collaborate with different and interdependent roles, functions and contributions, ensuring a unified and complete organization at the service of formation. They see to the animation of prayer, the area of studies or apostolate, financial administration and spiritual guidance.

Among them a prominent position belongs to the confessor because of his important service in guiding the confreres in their vocation.

Brother confreres too make a significant contribution to the formation community, particularly through the services of community animation and teaching.

235.Called to accompany their brothers as they grow in their vocation, those responsible for formation carry out their work according to the mind and practice of the Congregation and the Province, as described in the present Ratio and the Provincial Plan. They make their own the overall view of formation as a gradual, continuous, structured and unified process to be implemented in a Salesian manner.

Theirs is a real team-work requiring: communication, cohesion, unity and loyalty in discharging their different roles and responsibilities. They constitute with the Rector a group animated by him and convinced of its common responsibility.³⁴⁵ They take it upon themselves to adopt uniform criteria for the task of formation and evaluation, and draw up together the programme of activities for the community. They make it a point to keep regularly in touch with all those who for different reasons and at different times are involved in the formation process.

236.In fulfilling their mission the formation guides are conscious of the fact that they are mediators of God’s action and manifestations of the Province’s responsibility. They strive to perform their particular service with the ardour of the da mihi animas and in fidelity to the Preventive System.

Backed by a solid Salesian spirituality and a sufficient experience in educative and pastoral work, they communicate in a vibrant way a love and enthusiasm for Don Bosco and for the Salesian vocation. They ensure that the community remains faithful to the practice of the Constitutions and takes advantage of the interdependence of the forms of the one vocation.

Being men of prayer and spiritual wisdom, they are able to help their brothers discern God’s action and the signs of his will, and guide them in the ways of the Lord, both with their words and with the coherent witness of their consecrated life.

They take a positive and critical outlook towards culture and social problems with a view to contextualizing the formation process in a suitable way.³⁴⁶

237.They know how to apply a pedagogy that is “dynamic, active, open to the realities of life and attentive to a person’s developmental process"³⁴⁷ and to the pace of the group as well.

They pay special attention to the confrere in formation, furnishing him with the spiritual, doctrinal and pastoral elements he needs to assimilate the formation programme. They accompany, advise, support, correct and encourage him according as his personal situation demands.

They follow each one’s progress, assessing his vocation suitability in the name of the Church and the Congregation, and offering their contributions of information and discernment that can also serve for the various admissions.

To perform this service those in charge of formation are asked for a “careful observation refined by a good knowledge of the human sciences so as to go beyond appearances and the superficial level of motivations and behaviour and help [the candidate] to know himself well, accept himself serenely, correct himself and grow to maturity starting from his real, not imaginary, roots, and from the very core of his personality”.³⁴⁸

238.Those responsible for formation are the ones to animate and guide the formation process, setting goals, doing the necessary assessments, and taking the proper decisions.

They possess “skills and a determination to exert an influence, to engage in dialogue with the candidates, to interact in a genuinely evangelical way with the challenges they bring up, without being defensive or resigned. In a word, they are not to be guides who helplessly watch from the sidelines as [the candidates] form their convictions and attitudes. They are not to be silent and detached ‘examples’, but educators who make suggestions and persuade”.³⁴⁹

239.To carry out this service personal gifts are required together with a solid basic doctrinal, spiritual, pastoral and pedagogical preparation and also ordinarily specific training.

As for their ongoing formation, those responsible for formation in the Province find a true and proper school in the formation that takes place in their daily life and activities, in their aptitude for a work that is shared, planned and evaluated, in their readiness for periodic meetings for reflection on the state of the formation process, for sharing and updating, and in the occasional opportunities for renewal. For this purpose there has to be a certain stability in the work of formation, and the animating role of the Delegate and the Provincial Commission for formation is indispensable.

4.3.3.1.3 The teachers and experts

240.The teachers – and in the first place, the Salesian teachers – are true formation guides, even when they are occupied only in the academic field. They work in close collaboration with the others responsible for formation and within the overall framework of the formation plan and process. Their role is not confined to the purely intellectual aspect and their teaching goes hand in hand with the witness of their faith-convictions. They impart formation through their friendly and educative presence amongst the Salesian candidates, taking part with them, whenever possible, in their times of prayer, recreation and apostolic activities.

Conscious of the fact that they are performing an ecclesial and Salesian service by virtue of obedience, they transmit the doctrine and experience of the Church and the Congregation. With generosity and scientific rigour, they offer their own qualified contribution in the different disciplines to help their students deeply assimilate the mystery of Christ. They guide personal study in a way that enables their students to learn a method of scientific work, and to assimilate and reflect on the knowledge they have acquired and put it into practice.

241.To carry out this function, the teachers receive a good basic preparation in the humanities, in philosophy and in theology, and training in their own sector of teaching.

They are endowed with pedagogical skills, and for this purpose are given a suitable preparation³⁵⁰ so as to be in a position to help their students cultivate a discerning outlook and a mentality of ongoing formation. Furthermore, they are trained in active teaching methods that call for student participation, and keep themselves up-to-date in the scientific and methodological field.

242.They take steps to grow in their experience of Salesian life, following with interest and taking part in the life of the Congregation and of the Province, and keeping in close touch with the world of the young and the working-classes. In this way they are able to establish an effective link between the topics they teach and the contents and needs of Salesian apostolic action.

Their exercise of the educative and pastoral ministry can offer them occasions and incentives for a sharing of ideas and experiences, but they apply themselves to it without putting aside the requirements of their academic role.³⁵¹

243. Furthermore, there is a special contribution that Salesians and others who possess a specific competence (experts) are called to give in a systematic or occasional manner and in different fields. This contribution to the growth and experience of formation in the candidates or confreres can be preventive, pedagogical or supplemental. When the experts are not Salesian, it is important to ensure that their service respects the characteristics proper to our vocation and is considered within the overall framework of Salesian formation. And when the expert’s intervention is required for reasons of therapy, it is important that it be proposed and suitably motivated, never imposed.

4.3.3.1.4 The contribution of lay people

244.The theology of the Church as a communion has brought an appreciation of the laity, and drawn attention to their contribution not only in the area of the Salesian mission but also in the specific area of formation.³⁵²

From the standpoint of their specific vocation, lay people can help the Salesian to appreciate his identity still more deeply and to develop a stronger sense of Church in an interdependence and reciprocity of different vocations.

In this connection there is today a greater openness and receptivity to women for their ability to make relationships and settings more human and more personal. And there is an appreciation for the contribution they make in the field of education and Salesian formation in ways that are consistent with the values of consecration and the different cultural situations.³⁵³

Acknowledging “the suitability of a healthy influence of lay spirituality and of the charism of femininity in every educational itinerary”,³⁵⁴ the GC24 proposed formation programmes for Salesians and lay people, men and women, together³⁵⁵ in which each one brings his of her specific contribution.

245.For what regards the involvement of lay people, men and women, in the initial formation of Salesians, it is desirable that they be able to perform roles that have a direct formative influence. The GC24 declared that the confreres in formation “receive more efficacious help when, from the period of their initial formation, they are introduced to experiences of collaboration with lay people both at a directly practical level and in the process of the elaboration of the Salesian educative and pastoral plan”.³⁵⁶ For this reason it asked that “keeping in mind the different nature of the SDBs and the laity, and the times needed for human, affective and apostolic maturing, the stages of initial formation should have contents and experiences of reciprocal and complementary formation for the common growth”.³⁵⁷

In addition, there are sectors in which the laity can give a specific contribution in virtue of their particular skills and experience, such as: family spirituality, some pastoral fields, the political, economic and social arena, and social communication.³⁵⁸ In these cases, “they are to be selected with care, within the framework of Church laws and according to their particular charisms and proven competence”³⁵⁹ and their cooperation must be suitably coordinated and integrated in the primary educational responsibilities of those entrusted with the work of formation.

4.3.3.2THOSE JOINTLY RESPONSIBLE AT PROVINCIAL LEVEL

4.3.3.2.1 The Provincial with his Council³⁶⁰

246.In the provincial community it is the Provincial assisted by his Council who has the prime responsibility for both initial and ongoing formation.

He carries out his service in different ways:

- he accepts personal responsibility for the work of formation. He sees to it that the formation objectives are attained and safeguards Salesian identity in the cultural situation. He encourages everyone to work together in the area of formation, and guides the Province in formulating its Formation Plan;

- acting as the spiritual animator of the Province, he prompts the confreres to know and be docile to the Church’s magisterium and offers them the spiritual heritage of Don Bosco’s charism as borne out in the Congregation’s guidelines;

- he fosters a sharing of responsibility with the Provincial Council and the Provincial Commission for formation coordinated by the Provincial Delegate;

- he follows and supports the local communities as places and subjects of formation: he makes sure that they are animated in a way that turns them into settings, rich in Salesian values, that attract vocations; he devotes his personal attention to preparing the Rectors and accompanying them with the help of periodic and systematic initiatives (meetings, courses, etc.);

- he ensures that the formation structures have all the conditions needed to carry out a genuine work of formation in its different aspects and to achieve the objectives of each phase and of the entire formation process;

- he provides the formation communities with a Rector and a team that is suitably prepared to carry out a good work of formation; with timely and wise decisions he arranges for the training and retraining of those entrusted with formation; he pays frequent visits to the formation communities and the confreres in initial formation; he keeps himself informed of their aptitudes and inclinations, and encourages them to strive for excellence in view of the requirements of the common good;

- he encourages all the confreres to grow in their Salesian vocation and urges them in different ways to live it in their apostolic work in the spirit of the “da mihi animas”, to develop it with the help of true relationships, to make it known through a particular manner of evangelical life, to have it rooted in a vibrant and permanent dialogue with the Lord, and to renew it in fidelity to Don Bosco;³⁶¹

- he makes sure that the one who is tending towards Salesian life has a suitable environment and the necessary conditions for the first discernment of his vocation; he accompanies the candidate through the delicate period of initial formation and fulfils his responsibility at the time of discernment and admission;

- takes the training of his confreres as his priority task; identifies the areas in which, for the present moment and for the future, intellectual preparation and professional competence seem to be more urgent for better accomplishing the mission; draws up and implements the Provincial Plan for the preparation of trained personnel and verifies it periodically; engages those who are trained in specific tasks at the service of the Province and the Congregation and does whatever is possible to keep them in their field of qualification;

- endorses ordinary and extraordinary initiatives that make for ongoing formation;

- offers open and generous collaboration in formation initiatives at interprovincial level, at the level of the Congregation and of the Salesian Family, and makes good use of the programmes offered by the Church and Institutes of consecrated life.

4.3.3.2.2 The Delegate and the Provincial Commission for formation

247.To the Provincial Delegate for formation and to the Provincial Formation Commission (PFC) coordinated by him are assigned the tasks of reflecting, planning, programming, coordinating, implementing and verifying as laid down in the Directory.

The Delegate for formation is the delegate of the Provincial and works in dependence on and in agreement with him and his Council. His role can vary, depending on the assignments given him, on the time at his disposal, and on the other roles entrusted to him.

It is desirable that he be a member of the Provincial Council in order to be able to put forward regularly formation views and concerns.

In his work of animation, which he carries out in collaboration with the members of the Commission, he shows concern for the confreres and the communities, and in a special way for the formation communities; he sees to the communication and collaboration in the area of formation with other groups of the Salesian Family and among the Provinces.

The situation of the Province and the options it has made can lead to different configurations of the Commission. To animate the various sectors it may become necessary to set up different groups: for initial formation, for ongoing formation, for the formation of Salesians and laity, for linkage with the Salesian Family. However, it is important to ensure that the arrangement makes for convergence and does not endorse parallel or sectional operations.

The composition of the Commission is determined by its nature and responsibilities, and requires that the members not only make a valid and complementary contribution according to their experience, competence or role, but also can find the time needed for meetings, reflection, the exchange of ideas, the study of directives pertaining to formation, and collaboration in concrete services.

Among the responsibilities of the Delegate – in collaboration with the PFC – are the following:

- to reflect – together with the Provincial and his Council – on the situation of formation in the Province;

- to assist the Provincial in drawing up, implementing and revising the Provincial Formation Plan;³⁶²

- to collaborate in drawing up and verifying the Provincial plan for the preparation and specialization of confreres;³⁶³

- to evaluate, in ordinary circumstances, the implementation of the formation section of the Provincial Directory;³⁶⁴

- to see that the Ratio and the booklet, “Criteria and Norms for Salesian Vocation Discernment”, are made known and become a constant reference point;³⁶⁵

- to ensure a structured, planned and coordinated action in the field of formation³⁶⁶ so that the different areas of formation, the activities, the initiatives, and the work of those responsible – all tend to develop the Salesian identity and contribute to make the Province a formation community;

- to take care of the unity and continuity of the process of initial formation, giving special attention to the criteria of discernment and formation pedagogy;³⁶⁷

- to join with the formation communities and, where necessary, also with the study centres, in organizing and evaluating their work of formation;

- to verify the programme of educative and pastoral activities from time to time, in dialogue with the Provincial Commission for Youth Pastoral Ministry;³⁶⁸

- to provide initiatives of animation and guidance for the practical trainees and of support for their communities;³⁶⁹

- to collaborate with the Provincial and his Council in carrying out a comprehensive Plan of ongoing formation, in animating the process of ongoing formation of the communities and the confreres, and in planning the formation of Salesians and laity together;³⁷⁰

- to arrange an annual programme of ongoing formation in line with the Provincial Formation Plan, a programme that responds to the different situations of the confreres (age, specific vocation, roles),³⁷¹ offering specific services, an outline of themes, and materials;

- to devise ways and means of helping the confreres to know the guidelines of the Congregation, to grow in a deeper understanding of the Salesian spirit and to engage in a serious and updated study of the history, spirituality and pedagogical heritage proper to our charism;³⁷²

- to organize systematic meetings for an exchange of views with the Delegates and the Provincial teams of Youth Pastoral Ministry, the Salesian Family and the other sectors, in order to make formation more related to the situation of the Province and to effect a better coordination of the work of animation;

- to maintain and make use of the contacts and initiatives at interprovincal or regional level and with the Salesian Family in the field of formation;

- to keep in touch with the Councillor for formation.

4.3.3.3CONTACTS AND COLLABORATION AT INTERPROVINCIAL LEVEL

248.The formation work of the Provinces receives support and encouragement from the different forms of interprovincial communication, linkage and collaboration in the field of initial and ongoing formation.

Mention has already been made of interprovincial communities for initial formation and study centres; the importance of joining forces for the sake of better formation has been stressed and concrete suggestions made.

Other initiatives have to do with the Provincial Delegates, those responsible for formation, and the confreres in formation, or they concern the whole area of ongoing formation.

There are different forms and structures of linkage, different types and levels of service, and different too are those to whom the service is directed; much also depends on the relationship between the Provinces. The range of options is wide: it extends from occasional coordination to ”delegations” (or delegates), to permanent interprovincial or Conference-level teams, to national or regional centres; from sporadic meetings to periodic initiatives, to a comprehensive programme of activities; from a sharing of experiences to joint study and reflection to organizing meetings, seminars, and formation experiences to preparing common terms of reference and helpful materials; from a first concentration on the provincial delegates and those responsible for formation to the offer of services to various groups of confreres (Rectors, priests and brothers in their first five years after priestly ordination or perpetual profession, confreres for perpetual profession, ongoing formation experiences, etc.).

In this variety of situations and contexts, the linkage between the Formation Delegates, the Provincial Commissions and those responsible for formation helps the Provinces:

- to reflect together on Salesian formation and on the challenges it presents at the interprovincial level;

- to promote the exchange of experiences and of all that can enhance the Salesian formation process in the individual Provinces;

- to formulate criteria, terms of reference and materials for the work of formation;

- to respond to the needs of formation with an open mind, a pooling of ideas and the ability to collaborate;

- to bolster the formation work of the individual Provinces with the help of common initiatives;

- to foster and draw on the services of Salesians in study centres and centres for ongoing formation.

The effect of the forms of coordination and collaboration, which are carried out in dependence and in close relationship with the Provincials and those responsible at the level of the Conference or Region, depends to a great extent on the dedication of the coordinators, a systematic programme of activities that answers real needs, the commitment of the Provincial Delegates, and the sharing of responsibility among the Provincials.

4.3.3.4THOSE JOINTLY RESPONSIBLE AT WORLD LEVEL

249.Government at world level ensures unity of life and action in different settings and situations, and promotes the constant fidelity of the members to the Salesian charism.

The Rector Major, as the father and centre of unity, promotes with the assistance of his Council, the constant and renewed fidelity to the Salesian vocation, and animates the confreres through his ordinary government, authoritative doctrinal teaching, contacts, visits and meetings.

250.In carrying out their service, all the members of the General Council, be they Councillors entrusted with specific sectors or Regional Councillors entrusted with groups of Provinces, give special consideration to formation.

The General Councillor for formation has the task of “furthering the integral and ongoing formation of the members. He follows with particular care the phases of the period of initial formation to ensure that in them the content, arrangement of studies, formation methods and structures provide the conditions necessary for growth in the Salesian vocation.”³⁷³

In agreement with the Regional Councillors, he requires all the Provinces to draw up and implement a programme of initiatives for ongoing formation, and he takes particular care of the centres that promote it.

4.4MAKE DAILY LIFE AND WORK MORE EFFICACIOUS FOR FORMATION

251.Making daily life and work more efficacious for formation is a strategic course of action of Salesian methodology. Don Bosco attributed an educative value to everyday duties in the playground and in the school, in the community and in the Church,³⁷⁴ and also to the way of looking at and interpreting events and responding to the situations of young people, the Church and society.

To make daily life a formative experience for the person, and not something that leaves him indifferent or deforms him, entails certain requirements (attitudes, mentality, organizational set-up, assessments). It also means helping each one take on, live and evaluate his life, seeing it as a journey in which he manifests, involves and fosters his self-experience, his criteria for doing things, his way of relating to others and to the situation, and his lively embrace of Salesian values.

When lived with a concern for formation, daily life draws us closer to the truth about ourselves and gives us opportunities and encouragement to realize our plan of life.

The Salesian, who “sees his ordinary activities as effective means of formation”,³⁷⁵ is called to live his meeting with the young, his working with others, his communication and interpersonal relationships, his openness to and encounter with his pastoral, cultural and social situation as so many opportunities for his own formation.

4.4.1The presence among the young

252.Meeting the young is for the Salesian a school of formation.

By becoming their travelling companion, the Salesian has a direct exposure to the world of the young; he listens to their questions and experiences, and enters their culture and language. He learns to accept and love them just as they are and to live the Preventive System with them.

His contact with the constantly evolving world of the young makes him aware of the need for educational and professional competence, pastoral skills and constant updating.

Knowing the decisive role of communication in the lives of young people, he makes every effort to become a good communicator who is able to convey to them messages with a meaning.

And since “witness is the only language able to convince young people that ‘God exists and his love can fill a life completely’”,³⁷⁶ he feels challenged to live and make transparent his faith in Jesus Christ.

4.4.2Working with others

253.To carry out the mission to the young requires effective communion and an ability to bring people together.

“Working with others”, the Salesian learns to operate with a sense of shared responsibility, respecting and harmonizing the different roles; for this he employs a pedagogy of life which enables him to overcome individualism, activism and the mania for immediate action and results.

Working with others turns out to be truly formative when it goes hand in hand with reflection, and still more, when reflection is permeated by an attitude of prayer.

This is why the community creates times and spaces that make it possible to take a long, hard look, to read between the lines, and to share with others in all serenity; and the Salesian is called to confront his own basic motivations, his own pastoral sensitivity, and the awareness of his own identity.

Reflection leads one to learn from life³⁷⁷ (events, situations, experiences) and develops a mentality and a capacity for discovery, both personal and communitarian; and this is the basis of ongoing formation.

4.4.3Communication

254.Reciprocal communication is formative when it is a true exchange of gifts and experiences for the sake of the mutual enrichment of individuals and the community. It requires intelligence, an open spirit and a practical preparation for dialogue, and in turn provides enlightenment, stimulus and encouragement for one’s personal growth.

Still more, communication is something that is learned; one needs training to communicate. On the part of the one who communicates, there is need to overcome a certain reserve or timidity in expressing one’s thoughts and feelings and to have the courage to place one’s confidence in the other person. On the part of the one who receives the communication, there is need for an ability to receive it without any lessening of esteem for the person, without judging him, and to appreciate the difference of viewpoints.³⁷⁸ And on the part of both, there must be a readiness to modify one’s judgements and positions and to seek common ground.

4.4.4Interpersonal relationships

255.Interpersonal relationships cultivate and reveal the level of a person’s maturity, manifesting how far love has taken possession of his life and to what extent he has learned to express it. On the contrary, “difficult relationships, situations of conflict which have not been suitably healed through reconciliation, act within a person, blocking the maturing process and creating difficulties in the way of the calm and joyful self-donation to the mission and to God”.³⁷⁹

Interpersonal relationships are built on the basis of qualities “which are required in all human relationships: respect, kindness, sincerity, self-control, tactfulness, a sense of humour and a spirit of sharing”.³⁸⁰ They are “inspired by self-sacrifice and self-giving and not selfishly centred on oneself and one’s own concerns”;³⁸¹ where pardon and love are practised, it is possible to build good interpersonal relationships.

4.4.5The socio-cultural context

256.The relationship with one’s socio-cultural context is also a factor that impinges on one’s manner of being, feeling and judging; it affects one’s identity.

The first step consists in knowing the situation and sketching a picture of the socio-cultural context in which one is immersed and the stimuli and conditionings arising therefrom.

But, even more important than knowledge is the interpretation of the situation, a difficult task because of the ambivalence of the various elements involved. “It is not sufficient simply to welcome the positive factors and to counteract the negative ones. The positive factors themselves need to be subjected to a careful work of discernment, so that they do not become isolated and contradict one another, becoming absolutes and at odds with one another. The same is true for the negative factors, which are not to be rejected en bloc and without distinction, because in each one there may lie hidden some value which awaits liberation and restoration to its full truth.”³⁸²

257.Such an interpretation, made in the light of the Gospel, draws out from the situation not just simple "facts" which leave a person uninvolved, but a “call” from God which challenges him through the “task” to be performed. It is a true spiritual discernment: one “[learns] how to discover the signs of God in earthly realities”.³⁸³

With courage and wisdom, suitable responses and new approaches are sought, new forms of life and pedagogy are created, and all the while the cultural values which can be harmoniously fused with the Gospel and with the demands of consecration and the Salesian mission and spirit, are sifted, transformed and assumed.

The ability to “see” God in the world and discern his call in the needs of times and places is a fundamental law of the process of Salesian growth. As art. 119 of the Constitutions says, “living in the midst of the young and in constant contact with working-class surroundings, the Salesian tries to discern the voice of the Spirit in the events of each day, and so acquires the ability to learn from life’s experiences.” That is to say: he becomes an intelligent pupil in the school of life, and attains wisdom through the path of experience.

4.5STRIVE FOR EFFECTIVE GUIDANCE

258.The formation experience is a personally guided experience. Guidance in fact is an indispensable condition for personalizing the formation experience and vocation discernment.

Community and personal guidance is a fundamental characteristic of Salesian pedagogy. Don Bosco was a master of the art of guiding his boys, making use of the direction of the community or the setting, occasional direction, and the regular direction of conscience in confession.

To strive for effective guidance means to guarantee the confrere the proper presence, dialogue, counselling and support in every moment of the formation process, and to see that on his part he is well-disposed and actively responsible in seeking, accepting and benefiting from this service, knowing full well that it can assume many forms and levels of intensity. Guidance is not limited to individual dialogue, but is a composite of relations, environment and pedagogy, something typical of the Preventive System: it goes from a fraternal presence at hand that evokes confidence and familiarity, to a group venture, to a community experience; from brief, occasional meetings to a systematic personal dialogue frequently sought; from a conversation about external matters to spiritual direction and sacramental confession.

The present situation and the fact that formation is carried out successively in different communities makes the influence of guidance all the more decisive for formation. On the other hand, experience teaches us that when there is no guidance or the guidance is superficial or discontinuous, it can undermine all the work of formation.

4.5.1Community guidance

259.We have already spoken of the community as a formation setting and of the conditions required to make it so; we have also spoken of the role of the Rector in the community.

In the Salesian system, persons are guided in the first place by the educative setting, by what is heard and communicated in the community, by the inspiration which moves everything and everyone, guiding the work and promoting the kind of lived experience that becomes the constant criterion of one’s identity and sense of direction.

The setting, the atmosphere, the interpersonal relationships among the confreres and with the educators, the direction given by those responsible in a participative style, the course of action according to a common plan and with definite objectives - all these factors serve to accompany and guide each member of the community in his personal growth, for they emphasize concern for the person and his vocation: they propose goals, suggest criteria, point out the steps to be taken, and fix the times for joint assessment and verification. Communities that are poor in formation, hardly capable of offering ideas and suggestions, and with little interaction among the members and limited participation in the common plan, are not much of a support for the individual confreres.

Taking care of community guidance in view of the formation of the confreres means ensuring the pedagogical and spiritual quality of their experience of community and the quality of animation and direction of the community. It is known as “community spiritual direction”, and aims at building a pedagogically animated community with a clear sense of identity and an experience of community that directs, stimulates and sustains through the ways in which Salesian life and action expresses itself every day.

It is an undertaking for every formation setting, and especially for communities which are too small or too numerous.³⁸⁴

4.5.2Personal guidance

260.If the experience of community is decisive for Salesian formation, personalized guidance is just as necessary in that it helps each one to assume and make his own the elements of his Salesian identity.

This guidance can take different forms and be carried out by different persons: the Rector of the community, the spiritual director (who can be the Rector himself), the confessor, those to whom the various aspects of formation are entrusted, the closest friends among the confreres - they can be helpful because of a true spiritual friendship - and the Provincial. The Ratio speaks clearly of different contributions, responsibilities and approaches in this common enterprise.

Striving for effective personal guidance means making sure of the presence, competence, dedication, agreement on criteria and convergence of the efforts of all persons called to render this service, each making his own contribution.

261.In keeping with Salesian tradition, a special role belongs to the Rector who has a direct responsibility towards each confrere and helps him realize his own personal vocation.³⁸⁵ During the period of initial formation the Rector is responsible for the formation process of each one. “It is his specific duty to guide each confrere, helping him to understand and make his own the phase of formation he is engaged in. He maintains a frequent and cordial dialogue with the confrere, endeavours to know his strengths and weaknesses, makes him recommendations that are clear and demanding, proposes suitable goals, supports and guides him in times of difficulty, and together with him evaluates the progress he is making in his formation.”³⁸⁶

A typical expression of the service of the Rector is the friendly talk, an integrating element in the Salesian system of formation and a practical sign of care and concern for the person and his experience, for fraternal sharing and a joint assessment. Don Bosco saw the friendly talk with the Rector as one of the best opportunities for dialogue for the personal advantage of the confrere.³⁸⁷ Showing this concern for each one’s progress, the Constitutions lay down that each confrere, “faithful to Don Bosco’s recommendation... meets frequently with his superior for a friendly talk”.³⁸⁸

During the period of initial formation, the friendly talk, carried out according to the spirit of the Constitutions, should be an occasion for genuine formation guidance. “An encounter which brings into play the values of Salesian life and the personal life of the confrere: it has to do with his virtues, attitudes, limitations, his successes and failures, his joys and sorrows, and his innermost needs.”³⁸⁹ A form of spiritual guidance that helps to personalize the formation programme and to assimilate its contents.

For the confreres in formation, in keeping with our tradition, the frequency of the friendly talk remains fixed at “once a month”.³⁹⁰ If the confrere so wishes, he can also manifest the state of his conscience.³⁹¹

A form of guidance explicitly provided for by the pedagogy of Salesian formation are the periodic moments of personal assessment (“scrutinies”) by which the Council of the community helps the confrere to assess the situation of his personal formation, guides him and gives him practical encouragement in the process of his growth to maturity.³⁹²

262.To strive for effective guidance means to ensure the quality of the service of spiritual direction carried out by the Rector or the other confreres who are available and prepared for the purpose.

The spiritual direction of conscience is a help offered to one who seeks the fullness of his Christian and religious vocation. It is a ministry of enlightenment, support and guidance in discerning God’s will in order to achieve holiness; it motivates and moves a person to act, leading him to take some serious decisions in line with the Gospel and bringing him face to face with the process of growing in his Salesian vocation.

Spiritual direction is an excellent ministry in the Church. It requires that the spiritual director possess human equilibrium and wisdom, true fatherliness, a capacity for gratuitous love, a great availability and relationships that inspire trust and optimism. It is useful for the spiritual director to enjoy a certain standing because of his lived experience and in particular – for us – his Salesian experience; it is useful also to have a particular competence in the psychological and pedagogical sciences, an ability to read the movements of the Spirit in a person, to communicate, to listen and to empathize. He brings into play the very quality of his being – as a man, a believer, a consecrated person and a Salesian. But his personal qualities and experience are not enough; he absolutely needs a proper preparation and updating.

According to Salesian tradition, the Rector of the formation community, the “teacher and spiritual guide”,³⁹³ the “leader of the community and its spiritual guide”,³⁹⁴ is the spiritual director proposed to the confreres, without taking away their liberty to choose another spiritual director.

263.The confessor, whose action takes place in the sacramental sphere, plays a role of great importance in the guidance that is linked to formation. Don Bosco used to emphasize his pedagogical importance and efficacy in the growth of his boys. It should not be forgotten that in the sacrament of Reconciliation each confrere is offered a very practical and personalized spiritual direction, enriched by the efficacy proper of the sacrament. The confessor not only absolves sins but, while reconciling the penitent, encourages him along the path of fidelity to God and consequently in his own specific vocation too. Precisely for this reason it is appropriate that during initial formation the confreres have a regular confessor who is ordinarily a Salesian.³⁹⁵

Care must be taken of other forms of personal guidance as well: they help the confrere to combine his formation experience with the exercise of youth pastoral ministry and the application to study.

To strive for effective guidance means to ensure a service geared to formation by one who guides in certain specific areas, such as, for instance, the pastoral field³⁹⁶ or the study sector.³⁹⁷

264.Guidance at the different levels of formation requires that those who render the service be, first of all, willing and dedicated; they must be aware that they are communicating the Lord’s action, the Church’s ministry, and the mind of the Congregation. Furthermore, certain convictions, attitudes and conditions are indispensable: a spiritual attitude and a faith perspective, the standpoint of the Salesian vocation, and therefore, a knowledge of the criteria for discerning it and the conditions for living it, a pedagogical sensitivity that fosters an atmosphere of freedom, a care for the person and his rhythm of growth, and some specific skills in the areas of human and spiritual formation. Each one must consider his contribution as interrelated to that of others, and must abide by the principles of prudence and justice which, depending on the circumstances, imply discretion or absolute respect for a professional³⁹⁸ or sacramental secret.

To strive for effective guidance in the work of formation, it is absolutely necessary that those who are responsible at provincial level see to the preparation, updating, and real dedication to the task on the part of Rectors, confessors, and those entrusted with the responsibility for formation. They must take steps to frame a common policy regarding criteria and to secure a continuity of the process of guidance throughout the formation period and in the passage from one community to the next.

265.A key condition for guidance is the outlook on formation assumed by the confrere in initial formation.³⁹⁹ From the prenovitiate onwards he is aware that the development of his vocation is, in the first place, the work of the Lord who “makes use of human instruments”;⁴⁰⁰ that Salesian formation is a sincere dialogue and a sharing of responsibility with the community, the bearer of the charism; and that self-formation does not mean self-sufficiency or going it alone.

For this reason he takes the initiative and feels it his responsibility to have a spiritual director⁴⁰¹ and a confessor, to have with them and with his Rector a relationship marked by trust, openness and receptivity, to avail himself regularly of their service and of that of others who can guide him in his formation, and to accept personally the promptings of community guidance.

266.Guidance in the work of formation is a part of animation. It avoids two extreme attitudes: on the one hand, the attitude of bringing force to bear on the confrere in formation, imposing on him from the outside, in a certain way, another person’s experience, using a directive approach that takes away his responsibility; and on the other hand, the attitude of indifference, leaving everything to spontaneity and subjectivism, and failing to offer advice, to suggest or to correct. True guidance emphasizes the ability to accept and show consideration for the person, fosters communication, and requires personal responsibility.

Mindful of the goal, that is, of the purpose of Salesian formation, and keeping in mind the person and his rhythm of growth, guidance introduces the Salesian to self-knowledge, to a perception of himself and his values; fosters his self-acceptance and self-possession; helps him to be “self-detached” from whatever keeps him away from God and the values of his vocation; enables him to constantly seek the Lord’s will in concrete situations and see his life in this perspective; and prompts him to gradually organize his life in accordance with his vocation.

267.By observing the Rule of life and assimilating all that the animators of his community offer him, the mature Salesian finds support for living his vocation and a stimulus for lifelong fidelity. Even if there can be times and situations that require a personal self-examination and a thorough discernment, the methodical direction proper to the first period of formation is ordinarily not necessary in the adult age. This is the way Don Bosco saw it, and it is confirmed by his own regular practice and by Salesian tradition.⁴⁰²

4.6PAY HEED TO DISCERNMENT

4.6.1Discernment, a permanent aspect of Salesian life

268.To live his vocation with creative fidelity and as a permanent response, every Salesian has an indispensable need for an attitude of spiritual and pastoral discernment.

When community discernment is lived as an experience of faith and charity, it strengthens harmony and communion, sustains spiritual unity, deepens the sense of vocation, and encourages the search for authenticity and renewal. For this reason, every community, attentive to the signs of the Spirit and open to the promptings of the Church and the Congregation, cultivates an evangelical attitude to everything and seeks the Lord’s will in patient brotherly dialogue and with a deep sense of responsibility.⁴⁰³ This it does in an atmosphere of truth and mutual trust, in the light of the Word, in prayer, and with the help of reflection and sharing.

4.6.2Discernment during the period of initial formation⁴⁰⁴

269.Vocation discernment, as a service to the candidate and to the charism, enjoys a decisive importance during initial formation which is pedagogically geared to it. The various periods of formation “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 candidate gradually gets to know the Society, and the Society in turn can evaluate his suitability for Salesian life”.⁴⁰⁵ The admissions are occasions of synthesis during the process.

Discernment takes place in close collaboration between the candidate and the local and provincial community. In fact, at the basis of formation is a fundamental premise, viz. the will to carry out a process of discernment together, keeping an attitude of open communication and sincere joint responsibility, and paying heed to the voice of the Spirit and to the concrete channels through which he speaks.

The object of discernment are the values and attitudes required for living the Salesian vocation with maturity, joy and fidelity, viz., conditions of suitability, motivations and the right intention.

270.Discernment is a key point of the methodology of formation. It is therefore absolutely necessary to meet its conditions at the provincial and local levels and in all those who take part in it: its nature and characteristics must be known, the means suggested must be used, the specific times for it must be observed, and above all, those who are responsible for it must apply themselves to it constantly and after having received the necessary preparation.

To pay heed to discernment means in the first place to render effective the commitment and collaboration of those who are responsible.

The candidate must be prepared from the beginning of the process to take an active responsibility for his discernment, whether done by himself alone or in conjunction with others, as a necessary component of his attitude of formation. The candidate is the first person concerned to discover God’s plan in his regard, and that is why he cultivates a continual openness to the voice of God and to the action of those responsible for his formation; he directs his life within a faith-perspective, and examines himself according to the criteria of a Salesian vocation. He seeks to know himself in all sincerity, to make himself known and to accept himself; he makes use of all the means and instruments that his formation offers him, in particular, formative guidance and a fraternal exchange of views, the friendly talk with the Rector, spiritual direction, the sacrament of Reconciliation, the assessments, and community discernment.

The responsibility of the provincial and the local community, on the other hand, is manifested in various ways. The Provincial seeks to forge agreement regarding the criteria of discernment and sees to it that the candidates are suitably known both by the members of the Provincial Council and by those responsible for the different phases: he fosters an attitude of discernment during the process of formation and communicates adequate information in the most convenient way possible.⁴⁰⁶ For their part, the members of the Provincial Council are responsible for making the most personal and informed judgement they can about the candidate.

At local level, it is necessary to ensure the role of the Rector and his Council. They carry out a periodic discernment in the form of a quarterly assessment of the confreres in formation: they evaluate the progress each candidate has made in his vocation and offer appropriate suggestions and recommendations; on the occasion of a request for admission, they give their opinion. It is essential for the candidate to involve his spiritual director and his confessor in his discernment.

At the time of admissions, the community is invited to express its opinion in the most suitable way.⁴⁰⁷

271.Whoever engages in a discernment must assume a vocation standpoint and an attitude of faith; he must show a pedagogical sensitivity and possess some specific skills. Vocation discernment is in fact a discovery of God’s gift, recognized through a prudent and enlightened interpretation of everyday signs in the person himself; it is a collaboration with the Spirit. It entails an awareness of the spiritual channels through which God works, a human intuition that gives one a deep knowledge of human reality and its processes, and an attitude which can be trustful and yet demanding, show consideration for the person’s pace of growth and yet require that he meet the requirements of his vocation.

272.Discernment has as its reference point Salesian identity, its constituent elements, and the conditions and requirements needed for living it; it is not something generic. It therefore requires a knowledge of and a conformity with the criteria laid down by the Congregation, and in the first place, with the criterion of the charism: this is in fact the basis of a genuine and faithful experience of one’s vocation; it does away with preoccupations about numbers or usefulness, shallow displays of enthusiasm, and commitments made by candidates whose suitability is fragile or untested. When someone takes part in a discernment he acts in the name of the Congregation, which is responsible for the charism.

273.Because of the duration of the process of discernment, the succession and diversity of communities in which it is carried out, and the multiplicity of those responsible for and involved in it, there is need for a common policy with regard to the criteria, the joint endeavour of everyone concerned, and an awareness of the progressive nature of the process and the specificity of each occasion of discernment. Discernment is carried out, keeping an eye on the unity and evolution of the person, seeking continuity in the knowledge that there is of him, and evaluating his progress.

On the other hand, the progressive nature of the process implies that there are, in a certain way, criteria for an initial assessment (basic suitability), for intermediate assessments (criteria of growth), and for assessments prior to definitive commitments. Consideration for a person’s gradual growth means giving time for knowing and assessing him, picking the right moment to make decisions, and choosing not to unnecessarily prolong problematic or doubtful situations which offer no serious hope of improvement.⁴⁰⁸

To take part in discernment is to be conscious of collaborating in a team effort and engaging in a coherent and open process.

274.Admissions to the various commitments along the path of one’s vocation are important occasions for discernment, both for the candidate who presents his request and for the one who is called to evaluate it; they gather in the fruit of a permanent attitude and give it the form of an opinion or consensus into which flow knowledge, an exchange of views and evaluation. The seriousness with which the process of admission is conducted by the candidate, by the community and by those directly responsible at the local and provincial levels, is a proof of the high quality of the discernment. Formation and perseverance in vocation are particularly affected by admission, and consequently, by the discernment done at the beginning of the formation process and in view of the perpetual profession.

275.Discernment depends on knowledge of the elements needed for the required evaluation, elements which refer to the person and his experience, aptitudes and motivations. To arrive at such an informed and well-grounded discernment, everyone, according to his situation and role, has to make use of some necessary means and procedures: exchanging views in a daily life lived according to the spirit of the Preventive System, different forms of personal relationship, dialogue with the candidate who has been advised to practise self-observation, the assessments, the systematic gathering and evaluation of information, using prudence and respect, and recourse to the contribution of experts in different fields.

4.6.3Discernment in some particular circumstances

276.There can be times in the life of a Salesian when he experiences the need for a deeper self-examination, a more careful assessment of the course of his life, a review of his decisions either in order to reaffirm them or to choose his vocation anew. He can be confronted by new situations or challenges, moments of difficulty or doubt, situations in which he finds himself strongly lacking in motivation or seriously compromised.

In such cases, it is so very necessary that the confrere assume a real attitude of spiritual discernment, free of internal and external pressures, and open to dialogue. He must avoid isolating himself or taking decisions on his own, give himself the necessary time, and accept the opportunities and means offered him. For its part, the community, through those who are responsible, will esteem, understand and guide him in a respectful and brotherly way, and have recourse to ordinary and extraordinary means to give him support in an appropriate manner.⁴⁰⁹

A practical opportunity to verify the quality of discernment during initial formation is to evaluate the perseverance of the confreres and analyze the departures from the Congregation during initial formation and in the first years of perpetual commitment. By reading their vocation stories it will be possible to understand whether the different instances of discernment and admission, the criteria applied and the methodology followed, the actions of those responsible, the attitude of the candidate or confrere, and the way of perceiving and accompanying the eventual crises were all adequate or whether they are focusing the spotlight on certain aspects to which greater attention needs to be paid.