Manila (Philippines) From 1 to 31 July 2020, eight Daughters of Mary Help of Christians from the CIAO Interprovincial Conference, belonging to the Provinces of St. Mary D. Mazzarello (FIL), Mary Our Help (CMY), Mary Help of Christians (CIN) and Mary Help of Christians (VTN), met online to live the formative experience of the Second Novitiate. The experience was expected to take place in May 2020 in the Philippines but, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, online mode was chosen to not miss the opportunity.
Over the course of the days, FMA Formation dealt with various themes: Working Document of the 24th General Chapter; “Let Christ tell your story” – Experiences of contemplative prayer; Human formation – Affectivity and co-dependent behavior: Guidelines for the Temporary Professed; A look at the educational mission of the FMA – In dialogue with the Constitutions; The challenge of building a home in our community in dialogue with the experience of the first Christian community and with the first community of Mornese; The presence of Mary in the Salesian FMA vocation – Marian dimension of the Constitutions; Good practices in youth ministry – A pastoral plan for social communications.
The sharing of the FMA who participated in the experience:
“It was a month full of grace and of the Holy Spirit, in the revision of one’s life, in the confirmation of the presence of God in our history of salvation, to look at the personal vocational journey through the eyes of Christ and in the light of His Word. It was also an experience of immersion in the beauty of the covenant with Jesus as His brides and in a greater clarity of our identity as Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. The meetings also fueled the community dimension of our vocation and helped us to renew our passion for young people, in the feminine style of our Salesian consecrated life.
Each Province and Community to which we belong supported us in guaranteeing an environment favorable to silence, prayer, and reflection, as well as access to technologies and Internet connections. The Formators of the FIL Province have provided us with a rich program to be able to go deep into the beauty of our Salesian consecrated life and to confront ourselves with the current challenges and with the concrete ways to face them.
The encounter was enriched by the sharing of each one’s experiences and by the communion between sisters from different countries and contexts. Everything is a gift, and our hearts can only be like those of Mary in the Magnificat. Thank you to the Institute and to our Provinces for taking care of our Salesian vocation”.
