Ongoing Formation
Our human, religious, apostolic and professional formation cannot be considered complete at the time of Perpetual Profession; rather, it continues during our entire lifetime. This requires a constant renewal of our personal commitment to God in order to better respond to His call to belong to Him and to serve Him in those who suffer.
Ongoing formation is born of the all-embracing effort that each religious assumes with the grace of God in order to remain in a complete and constant renewal of fidelity to God and to the apostolic commitment of our charism. This bears with it the personal responsibility of taking good advantage of all the opportunities of community life and of the special means of perfection that the Church and the Institute offer.
Ongoing formation is the longest and most fruitful period of the religious life. Because the personal history of each religious has its stages, its own development, and its “intense periods”, it is the responsibility of each one, which requires an attitude of personal reflection and willingness, to move forward in an ever growing knowledge of Christ and to reflect this in their daily life and ministry with the sick.
The purpose of ongoing formation is to offer each Servant of Mary the possibility and the means to live to the full their own identity with an ever renewed dynamism of authentic fidelity in response to the urgent needs of the Church and the Congregation.
Means: In this lifelong process the Servant of Mary has very efficacious means to help her reach her fundamental goal:
- Sacramental life centered on the Eucharist and frequent reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation
- Personal and liturgical prayer, spiritual direction, interviews with Superiors
- Annual Spiritual Exercises and monthly day of retreat
- Daily spiritual reading
- Reading, study and reflection on the Documents of the Church and of the Holy Father
- Annual renewal courses and 30-day Spiritual Exercises
- Courses on religious, apostolic and professional topics, etc.
- Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Fraternal life and community reunions
- Regular visits of Major Superiors
- Apostolic service of caring for the sick