Pauline Vocational Animators

Ever Onward with joy like Fr. Alberione

2006-11-26T20:03:00.000-02:00

On this beautiful day , on which we celebrate with the entire Church and the Pauline Family, present in all the world, the Feast of Blessed James Alberione, we have concluded our Meeting and we leave, enriched from this experience.We share with you some of the convictions and priorities which have emerged for Vocation Animation and we are certain that these will help us realize, with the grace of God, on a gradual journey, the ‘turning point’ to which Sr. M. Antonieta Bruscato had invited us in her opening message: 1. To center our life and the ministry of Vocational Animations in the Person of Jesus Master, who reveals the love of the Father, is the model and foundation of all vocations. We assume His pedagogy in awakening the vocational process of the youth, following the golden rule: “Come and See.” 2. To always open our hearts and our communities to welcome with love the youth whom the Lord allows us to meet and to accompany them to the light of the Word of God. 3. To involve collaborators, Pauline Cooperators, the laity and our families, so that they will also collaborate in the vocational awakening in the hearts of the young people. 4. To organize and to program our Pastoral Vocation, avoiding improvisation; to work with youth movements, vocational groups in the parishes, dioceses, inter-congregations and Pauline Family in the Church.
By now we have ended our meeting and we thank each one of you for your prayers, participations, fraternal closeness and for demonstrated the affections expressed in different ways. We really felt accompanied by all of you. As we returned to our communities, the Galilee of our life, fill with faith and enthusiasm, where our Master and the youth await us. We are certain that “He who has begun this good work in us, will bring it to completion.” Through the intercessions of Fr. Alberione who accompanies and blesses us from heaven, we offer to God the conclusions and specially the priorities that we assume together, that we will be able to put them into practice.

Community and Pauline Mission: Places of Awakening, Proposal and Vocational Growth

2006-11-23T18:27:00.000-02:00

“To look at you, Vocation Animators, is to renew our hope!”
With these words, Sr. Elide Pulite, fsp, began her session on Community and Pauline Mission: Places of awakening, proposal and vocational growth.
Sr. Elide put forward to the participants some particular questions:
What is the vision of the Pauline community of America of the youth today? Do they know who are the youth for whom they pray, suffer and offer themselves? Do these communities view the youth as ‘possible vocations’?

The meeting of the young with the community sisters should be a moment of synergy, where one feels the force of communication and dialogue, the beauty of the meeting, of the inter-communication and of the exhcange that brings about communion in the Spirit.
It is in this moment that convergence is conceived and gives rise to the syntony between the community and mission.
It is an experience of communion with God and with the sisters that arouses the desire to consign life to God and to the people, in community.

The mission demands a special pedagogy so as to be ‘revealed’ gradually to the young people.
The reflection on the essential elements of the mission should lead us to communicate it to them with enthusiasm, in simple and accessible language, before demonstrating the complexity of the technical means used in the apostolic activity.
The mission as ‘place of proposal and vocational growth’ does not refer only to those moments in which we bring the young people to places of our apostolic activity, it could be something sufficiently reduced.
It is important to enhance the communication of our pauline vocational experience with the narration of meaningful apostolic experiences and the history of the lives of Pauline sisters , priests and brothers who have left witnesses and examples of apostolic holiness; to share important words and motivations of Fr. Alberione and Thecla Merlo in relation to people, to nations; to speak of the force of the Word of God and of the Eucharist for the Pauline mission, on the characteristics of prayer and of Spirituality.

The community and the Pauline mission become places of vocational proposal when the sisters live the essential elements of the pauline vocation. It is not sufficient to organize a beautiful visit, to decorate the house, have some communitarian and apostolic activities, if the vocational life and the mission do not really passionately ‘move’ each member of the commuity and pierce them with boldness, faith, joy and love in the adventure of the following of Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life.

To Listen Well and In-depth -- an Art and a Learning

2006-11-21T19:50:00.000-02:00

Sr. Ninfa Becker, fsp, treated the theme:
Accompaniment and Vocational Discernment.

The objective of accompaniment is to help the young woman and to journey with her in this search of the project of God in her life, to accompany her till she makes her choice as a believer. John the Baptist is a model of vocational accompaniment; not attracting the people to himself, but leaving them free, showing them the way towards Jesus.

Sr. Ninfa presented the figure of the Samaritan woman and her meeting with Jesus, an unedited and authentic vocational dialogue which leads the woman to live through three movements:
- towards herself, to come to discover the truth about herself,
- towards Jesus, to welcome Him as the centre of her life, that quenches her deep thirst for truth and true Love,
- towards others, becoming a communicator and testimony of Love that she has experienced in her encounter with Jesus.

Speaking of accompaniment and vocational discernment, Sr. Ninfa Becker stressed that dialogue does not exist if there is no listening. When we are self-centred, we are unable to truly listen.

Listening is a true art to learn every day, which requires an attitude of profound empathy. There can be no dialogue if there is no listening that goes beyond words, as Jesus did with the disciples at Emmaus. He first approaches them, walks with them and listens to what disturbed them, their reality, their difficulties, etc. After that, he addresses their questions, helps them to enter into themselves and to re-read their personal histories and the events in the light of Scripture. With new vision, they discover the plan of God, their hearts on fire, they feel understood, helped, they open their hearts and receive Jesus into their house, and they recognize him in the breaking of the bread and leave immediately towards the community, to announce to the others the presence of the resurrected Jesus.

Workshop: two situations of vocational accompaniment

The person of the Pauline Vocation Animator

2006-11-19T11:54:00.000-02:00

Sr. Milagros Miranda, fsp, treated the theme of the person of the Pauline Vocation Animator from the human, spiritual and charismatic point of view.Sr. Milagros oriented her presentation according to 4 themes:
The person of the Pauline Vocationist as:
- Consecrated woman: donation of herself
- Easter Woman: joyful
- Woman communicator of love like Mary Magdalene
- Woman who remains in the Word

The vocationist who has entered and walks in the dynamic of an integral growth is one who with the passing of years, is always overwhelmed by the gift of the Spirit and therefore transforming herself towards the Pauline goal: until Christ lives in me.

For Fr. Alberione, the Pastoral Work for Vocations is the apostolate of all apostolates. This affirmation is important, taking into account that at times Vocation Work is not considered as an apostolate but rather a waste of time. With respect to this he said: "At times it seems that taking a sister from propaganda is a harm, but if one is taken from propaganda for seeking vocations, it is not a loss, but on the contrary it is of maximum utility. What does this means? That if one finds five vocations, while she is one, one day there will be five more to work. Therefore, the work of propaganda has not lost in any way.... "

Group work:

The sisters creatively represented the different situations that express some characteristics of the service of the Pauline Vocation Animator today.

Living Our Personal Christian Vocation

2006-11-17T09:36:00.000-02:00

Incardinated in the Church of Brazil from 1959, Fr. Alfonso Garcia Rubio, Spanish diocesan priest, obtained his doctorate in theology from the Gregorian University (Rome). He is the Writer and Professor of Theological Anthropology and Christology in the Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro.

Fr. Garcia Rubio introduced the theme:
The Vocation: Anthropological and Biblical foundation

Fr. Garcia Rubio presented to us the prospective of an integrated Christian anthropology. His point of departure is elaborated in the following conviction and experience:

Every human being is called to welcome and develop the constitutive richness of her being person, which is her personal vocation received from God. To assume and live it means to be herself, this is the first and fundamental vocation of every human being.

It is more important to allow ourselves be loved than to love. Only on receiving the love of God are we capable of loving.

The human person is rather complex. When one does not succeed to integrate the distinct dimensions of herself, it is easy that one almost suppresses one dimension in order that another grow or develop, for this motive includes the continuous temptation that we have to fall into a dualist reductionism. The dualist vision, assumed by the Fathers of the Church, from neoplatonism and stoicism, has left wounds in the church, but it was also a product of the culture of time. So, for example, we see how the spiritual dimension was excessively stressed in comparison with the physical or bodily dimension, the importance of reason to the detriment of emotions; by desire for heavenly life depreciating earthly life, and as a result esteemed religious life greatly with respect to that of the world.

In postmodern time, these realities or dimensions are reversed but dualism tends to continue. Currently, there exists another type of persons who feel the need of spirituality as much as that of activity, but did not succeed in integrating the two realities.
To have integrated programs for pastoral vocations, we have to seek to be integral persons who live with openness to God, to others and to the reality of today.

Meeting of the two rivers of the Amazon: Rio Negro and the Solimoes.
An example of integration?

Accelerate your steps!!

2006-11-15T20:57:00.000-02:00

Fr. José Lisboa Moreira de Oliveira, priest of the pp.Vocationists, doctor in theology through the Gregorian University, Rome, author of many books and dozens of articles on vocational themes, Director-president of the Institute of Pastoral Vocations (IPV), lecturer in the Sector of Vocations and Ministries of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil

Fr. Lisboa treated the theme of the methodology and pedagogy of Vocation Promotion.
“The invitation of Jesus, «Come and see» (Jn 1:39), is the golden rule of pastoral work for promoting vocations, even today. Following the example of founders and foundresses, this work aims at presenting the attraction of the person of the Lord Jesus and the beauty of the total gift of self for the sake of the Gospel” (John Paul II, The Consecrated Life, 1996, no. 64)

In his talks, Fr. José strongly provoked us by posing some questions which generated in the heart of each one of us, an anxiety and at the same time a strong appeal that reawakened in us the passion and the desire to put the person of Jesus at the centre of our life. We share with you some of the questions:
a) In their contact with us, what impact do we make on today’s youth, who belong to a culture of images?
b) In what way does the Congregation have to “die” to be “reborn”? What needs to be changed in me, in my community, in my circumscription, in the Congregation, in order to be reborn, to live with joy, enthusiasm and hope, our pauline vocation? How do we rediscover and communicate the prophetic and courageous dynamism of the Pauline Charism in the Church and the society of today?

Chasity has to be fruitful or productive and able to give birth to new “sons and daughters”. In this sense, the work of Vocation Animation starts with the animation of every sister of the institute, in a way that each one of us, in any situation or place in which we find ourselves, feels always the responsibility to “give birth to new sons and daughters.” And as the community is the motherly womb of every vocation (c.f. A. Cencini), the weakening of fraternal life, leads inevitably, to the decline of vocations.

If we love our Pauline vocation, none of us will die without leaving behind at least one ‘daughter’ to continue after us!

Before resuming to work

Garden of the Città Regina House

A Glance at the Society

2006-11-13T11:14:00.000-02:00

Sr Ninfa introduces Professor Cecilia Barone from Argentina, university lecturer of Sociology and Pedagogy, who speaks to us about the world of the juvenile and of the new technologies with its challenges and perspectives.

Theme: The world of the youth and new technologies: challenges and perspectives.
There is nothing that challenges us more than the actual context, that which does not crush us but gives us new force to continue with a strong commitment: to follow and work towards a more just society… The mission is to communicate the values and to generate a culture with an integral vision of the human being.

The world on the Net changes our experience of time. In every network, every individual is virtually connected with all the others, in any instant and in any place anyone can be found immediately from wherever and by whomever. We seem to be always available, always accessible.
This new era implies an eternal present which tends to impose itself in all spaces of existence, individual and collective, lessening the times considered ‘empty’, but instead necessary for growth, for personal formation, to work, to relax ourselves, to think, to pray etc.

The Net Generation (youth connected on the Internet): possess more knowledge about the use of the Internet than their educators. Internet is considered by them as an important element of intrinsic motivation, which provides an optimistic sensationalism, personal and social, in relation to their own degree of technological competence.

With enthusiasm and hope

2006-11-12T18:34:00.000-02:00

General Program

Place of the Meeting – Citta’ Regina, Sao Paolo, Brazil

10 November 2006

We are 37 fsp coming from United States-Canada, Colombia-Ecuador, Brazil, Venezuela-Puerto Rico-Dominican Republic, Perù-Bolivia, Mexico, Argentina-Uruguay-Paraguay, Chile along with the sisters of the Animation team: Ninfa Becker (General Councillor), Sara Schena and Pina Riccieri (SIF)

On 11 November, we have had the joy of being “newly” called by name from Jesus who had invited us to share His Meal. With Fr. Mario Pizetta, Pauline priest, we had a beautiful Eucharistic celebration, in which he invited us to be closer to the youth and be credible signs of the disciples of Jesus, so that like Him, we may mingle with the new generations and reawaken in them their desires of a generous commitment.

Sr. Ninfa welcomed us and introduced us to the works of our meeting. Sr. Eide (Provincial superior of Brazil), made us feel at home with the following words: “during this year we have had the great grace to receive Sisters for the International Meeting of the Apostolate and International Meet for those working on the Internet, and now we have the joy to welcome the sisters of the American continent who are dedicated to the apostolate of all apostolates, the promotion and animation of vocations, to help youth of today in their journey to their vocational response.”
Sr. Sara presented to us the synthesis of the various Formation meetings held in the American continent.

Sr. Pina presents the methodology that would be followed in the meeting.

Thank you for your closeness through the numerous messages, with your prayers and wishes which are most welcome!

"For the Sake of Jesus", to evangelize the Continent

2006-11-10T19:32:00.000-02:00

To think of the Continent of America means to feel itself wrapped in the cultures, languages, races and various and meaningful social realities.

Our continent is formed of 67 nations, which enjoy the beauty of nature, full of the wonders of God, our Creator.

The vocational space of our continent is great. Many families are well structured and healthy; they live the faith, many others seek the essential values of human and spiritual life. The people are open, generous, hospitable, with exceptions, it is clear, but in general we can count on many positive aspects.

There are vocations for the church and all the congregations of the continent, to realize the mandate of Jesus, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all nations.” We are called to be missionary communicators of the Word of Jesus who is the Master, Way, Truth and Life.

Welcome to all the participants and to the team that will coordinate the meeting for the Vocation Animators of the American Continent. We in Brazil receive you with great joy and with a lot of affection, in the certainty that the Vocation Animation will be definitely assumed by each one of us and so we will be instruments with which the Lord can “touch” the heart of many youngsters.
Sr Eide Bortoli, Provincial Superior, Brazil.