Overview of the current situation, continued…
The fourth day of the session began with a prayer led by Fr. Marcelo. This was followed by a presentation on the overarching theme by Fr. Urbain. Fr. Miguel presented the revised schedule for the day, divided into three distinct segments. The morning was devoted to a series of presentations on life and formation strategies in our houses of formation, based on the framework established in the preparatory work for the session. Following the presentation by the CIFA in Ouagadougou, other significant formation communities gave their presentations, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses in daily life within our Assumptionist religious formation communities. Each presentation was followed by a time for discussion, aimed at mutual enrichment in our shared mission of formation in the charism and at fostering vitality in our various communities. It was noted, in particular, that forming apostles for the Kingdom requires diverse teams of formators.
We began the second part of the day with a reading from the Word of God taken from1 Peter 5:1–4. The discussion centered on the presentation of the CIFA in Buenos Aires within the Andean Province. Indeed, the CIFA in Buenos Aires is a unique case that deserves special attention from the entire congregation. Although it offers opportunities for integral formation, with some interesting distinctive features—such as the Spanish language, the rich settings for apostolic engagement, and the Latin American theological and ecclesial context— the CIFA in Buenos Aires is facing an operational crisis due to a lack of young people in formation and a very small number of formators.
The idea, proposed by the General Council of Priests in June 2025, to revitalize the CIFA in Buenos Aires was unanimously supported, recognizing that this will require significant preparation and discernment regarding the placement of young men in formation and the strengthening of the formation team. The provincials will need to continue working in synergy to send young men to this house, preferably immediately after they have taken their first vows; however, it is also entirely possible to welcome young brothers who have already completed their studies in philosophy.
The third part of the day was devoted to discussions about whether or not it makes sense to open additional CIFA. It was noted that we must first conduct a thorough evaluation of the existing CIFAs, identifying the various challenges they face, before considering the creation of new ones. This includes the need to send young people for training to existing communities and to strengthen certain teams of formators. We also noted the necessary complementarity with other training settings (such as training within small apostolic communities) and the desire to actively develop potential collaborations between the various training settings.
Finally, we wrapped up the day with a presentation and an interesting discussion with two Redemptorist fathers who had come, at our invitation, to speak to us about formation within their vice-province. What a full day!
