Formation Course of Brazil and Southern Cone Conference

From April 14 to 25, friars from Brazil and the Southern Cone gathered in Petrópolis (Brazil - RJ) for the first in-person stage of the Course for Formators, Animators, and Guardians of the Brazil and Southern Cone Conference. Organized by the Conference’s Secretariat for Formation and Studies, the course was attended by 17 religious, including two Franciscan sisters from Amparo. Of the Franciscan Entities within the Conference, only the Custody of the Seven Joys and the Province of the Most Holy Trinity of Chile did not send formators.

The formation program was structured as a hybrid format. Following these two weeks of in-person sessions, weekly online meetings will take place from late April through mid-August to explore topics in greater depth. The second in-person phase will occur during the last two weeks of August. From September through November, participants will be guided in the preparation of a final paper, delving deeper into a topic of particular interest. The course concludes on November 27.

The advisory board is diverse: it includes Franciscan friars of the Order of Friars Minor, Conventual Franciscan friars, other men and women religious, as well as laypeople, most of whom have extensive academic experience and expertise in the field of human formation. Since some participants and some advisors are Spanish speakers, participants are required to have a basic understanding of Spanish (for Brazilians) and Portuguese (for Spanish speakers).

The in-person sessions were organized in a progressive manner. In the first session, one week was dedicated to updating and deepening the constitutive elements of Franciscan consecrated life, and another to the role and identity of the formator. In the second in-person session, the first week will focus on candidates arriving at the houses of formation, culminating in a reflection on formation for mission.

The decision to include at least two in-person sessions is intended to foster interaction, camaraderie, and mutual understanding among participants. Although the online format offers advantages, nothing can replace face-to-face interaction and the direct sharing of experiences. With this in mind, social activities were organized, such as a visit to the Christ the Redeemer Shrine in Rio de Janeiro and to the Parish of Our Lady of Boa Viagem in the Rocinha favela, where friars from the Province of the Immaculate work. There, participants spoke with the faithful, visited local chapels, and gained insight into the daily challenges faced by impoverished communities in large cities. Other opportunities for fraternal fellowship, beyond the classroom, are planned throughout the in-person sessions.

At the end, upon submission of the Final Project, participants will receive a certificate for the Extension Course, awarded by the Franciscan Theological Institute of Petrópolis. It is hoped that this formation will help prepare Formators, Guardians, and Animators who are conscious of their mission, enlightened by the content they have received and, at the same time, challenged by the difficulties that drive human growth and maturation. May they, on the path of discernment, have the wisdom to accompany, the patience to wait, and the courage to form in freedom. And may their lives, following the example of St. Francis of Assisi, become a living Gospel for all those entrusted to them.

Fr. Sandro Roberto da Costa, OFM
Secretary for Formation and Studies - Conference of Brazil and the Southern Cone