In Rome, mornings are usually cold, but today’s (19 January 2020) has been special. Not so much because of the intense cold, but because most participants come from warm places and feel the sudden effect of the change. Despite the climate, we began the recitation of lauds at 7:00 with the intention of putting into the hands of the Father, Son, and Spirit this day’s formation work for the new Visitors.
Of the 18 people with whom we started, nine are visitors (two more are coming); seven from the General Curia (we are awaiting the arrival of the Director of the Communication Office); and two interpreters. In total, we will be 21 participants, eager to hear the Visitors share the situation of their provinces. Despite the limitations of these times, their expositions are a cause for joy and hope.
With a great sense of animation, Father Miles introduced the day’s work. During the meeting, we will learn more about the concerns, doubts, difficulties, and perspectives of the provinces. We will dedicate most of the meeting to a study of A Practical Guide for the Visitor, reflecting on the service of animation, government, and leadership that the Visitor has to carry out in his province to enable the missionaries to fulfill the end of the Congregation of the Mission. It is hoped that the participants, in addition to a knowledge of the provinces, will have sufficient elements to make their important service efficient, creative, and of high evangelical quality. We are confident that, through brief presentations, continuous dialog, suggested contributions, and living and sharing together among those present, we will succeed in achieving our objectives.
Contents of this first day
After breakfast, well-nourished in body and spirit, we listened attentively to the words of Father Tomaž Mavrič, Superior General. He presented us, very briefly, with the challenges and opportunities of the CM now. He focused his motivations on three fundamental tasks of the Congregation in this part of his mandate: a. the urgency and need for in-depth work on the vocational culture; b. the challenge of providing “formation of the formators” to improve initial formation and continue it in ongoing formation. The goal is for the Congregation, in its missionaries, to grow in fidelity and in quality of life according to the Gospel. c. He challenged the Visitors to work on “Opening up” the communities and missionaries of the provinces with a profound revision of the Vincentian significance and meaning of their ministries, from the discernment of what God is asking of the provinces today. In these times, the CM is dreaming of responding to the call of Pope Francis, increasing the awareness of the CM’s universality, expressed in its “internationality,” increasing the missionary spirit of the provinces to collaborate in international missions and seminaries that promote formation with an international flavor.
The somewhat rainy afternoon did not correspond to the buzz in the conference hall. Responding to the 
expectations of the participants, Father Javier Álvarez, CM, explained the dynamics that this New Visitors’ Meeting will follow and briefly presented A Practical Guide for the Visitor (hereafter, PGV). To complete the day, the Visitors will read personally the PGV, the meeting’s principal document.
Evening Prayer and an appetizing supper (as is usual in the house of the Daughters of Charity) sealed this first day, full of manifestations of hunger and thirst to reflect on, discern, and transform, with new dispositions, the face of the Congregation and the Church.
The following day…
The two missing Visitors and the Communications Director arrived. We did not expect anyone else. Father Zeracristos Yosief moderated the day. He announced the two themes that will occupy us throughout the day: The Visitor and Formation in the CM.
Father Javier Álvarez was in charge of guiding the reflections. He did so, presenting with his usual “serious tone,” the modifications that the concept of formation has undergone and how the topics of vocational culture and initial and ongoing formation have developed in recent years. He combined verbal presentations with slide presentations and showed a video by Father Amedeo Cencini about the current meaning of lifelong learning. In successive dialog, various questions, doubts, and proposals on formation emerged. For his part, Father Javier tried to clarify the limits and the care to be taken in the new formation proposals.
The reflections sought to integrate the idea of formation as a process of “vital following of or fully taking on the spirit of Jesus Christ, Evangelizer of the Poor “(foundation and goal of our identity) and its practical application in formation areas. The subject is exciting and raises big questions. It will not be easy to integrate the different aspects of formation, overcoming the excess of information, in relation to performance (integration of the various aspects of taking on Christ) of the future missionaries.
The wealth of experiences and perspectives leave a pleasant taste at the end of the day. We are all aware of the great challenges that integrating all the reflections and proposals in updated formation projects, which are open to the parameters that are being given, poses for the provinces. May God, our principal formator, recreate our persons and make us missionaries well identified with “Our Savior.”
Aarón Gutierrez, CM
Assistant General
