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The joys and challenges of formation...
CGP - Higlight of the day 5 – Friday, December 5, 2025
Roma
The morning of this fifth day of the PGC was devoted to questions of formation, beginning with the report of the Secretary General for Formation (SGF).
Since the last General Chapter, the General Secretariat for Formation (made up of the SGF, the (vice)provincial formators, and usually extended to include the formators of the vicariates) has been meeting regularly by videoconference. During their three meetings in 2025, several topics were discussed: the implementation of Circular No. 2 concerning applications for perpetual profession or ordained ministries; the role of CIFAs based on the Acts of the General Chapter of 2023; the fundamentals of Assumptionist religious life; introduction to life rereading; accompaniment of new deacons and young priests; preparation for Perpetual Vows; the International Review and the link between our major houses of formation; learning the official languages of the Congregation; preparation for the departure of future missionaries (study mission and apostolic mission). Many of these topics are progressing well thanks to several working groups that have been in place since November 2024.
Formation session for young AA religious in the Province of Europe
The SGF also reported on the session for novice masters. At the end of the session, the participants, namely the current novice masters and some future novice masters, wrote a four-page document on “Good practices for novitiate formation.” It should be distributed more widely in the coming days. The session was well received and helped to strengthen everyone in their current mission or future responsibilities.
Still in the area of formation, other topics were discussed today: the question of the period of presentation for perpetual vows and the first apostolic appointments to be validated by the CGP.
We ended the day with an evaluation of the role of the SGF and a presentation of a delicate situation for which a provincial is seeking the insight of his peers...
At the end of this fifth day of meetings, fatigue is setting in, but fortunately, tomorrow the weekend will bring a change of pace...
Ordinations in the Province of Africa
Fr. Benoît Bigard