The International Formation Commission: Maria Emilia Peliz, (POR) chair; Natividade Invilua (MOZ), Ellen Marie Keane (EAP), Catherine Patten, (General Council), Rosa da Lima Pereira (BR), and Catherine Gough (Novitiate) welcomed new members Florence Muuka (ZAM) and Joan Treacy (WAP) at their meeting in Lusaka, Zambia, July 24-30.  We met at St. Patrick Center, the former novitiate of the Kiltegan priests.  We began with personal sharing about our own experiences of formation and growth in religious life.  All agreed that this was time well-spent!

We welcomed the Zambezi formation team (Virginia Mullane, Lelia O’Shea, and Coltridah  Mooyah) who spent a full day with us.  Both teams agreed that the opportunity to meet face to face and to discuss common preoccupations was valuable.  In both Zambia and Zimbabwe it is difficult to place sisters in courses for their professional formation near to our communities.  And that in turn raises the question of prolonging the time of temporary profession.  The IFC was clear that our norm is 6 years of temporary profession, but that exceptions can be made.  However, this question of professional preparation and formation is one that needs careful study in all parts of the Institute.

The commission thanked the team from Zambezi for the very strong program they have developed and for the great priority that all the sisters in the region are giving to formation of newer members.

The IFC spent time reviewing and assessing the work of the first three years, and sharing how the new Guidelines for Life-long Formation have been received in the different provinces/regions.  All reported that they have been well-received by the sisters and that many provinces/regions have integrated them into the community plans of life.  Then we considered two areas that we think need strengthening in the Institute as a whole—multicultural formation and the integration of JPIC into all of lives.  After studying and sharing together, we decided to send two articles, “Let Us Take a Good Look at Multicultural Formation” by Fernando Dominguez, MCCI and notes from a talk by Peter Henriot, SJ, on the 1971 synod document, Justice in the World, to the formation team in each province/region, asking them to study, share, and distribute them as they see fit.  The IFC also asked each formation team to meet with their JPIC animator to see how to further integrate their work.  Finally, we decided to ask Sr. Antonietta Abreu, Institute JPIC co-ordinator, to put some time on the next JPIC agenda to consider the question of formation.  The next IFC meeting will be in the Western American Province in July 2012, and this JPIC integration will be a strong focus at that meeting.

Although the time was short, we had a chance to visit some of our works in Lusaka—the Umoyo School for AIDS orphans developed by Sr. Edna O’Connor and the AIDS hospice where Sr. Pam Penkert serves as a chaplain.  We also enjoyed the most generous hospitality of the regional community!