Claretian Formation

Chapter 5

Period between the years 1922-1966

SECOND PART

IV.Vocational and Formative Documents
1. Vocations
1.1. The Work of Claretian Vocations

The “scarcity of personnel” was the constant concern in the deliberations of the XV General Chapter of Castelgandolfo (1949). This theme would determine the opening of new apostolic fronts and the constitution of new organisms. “Fostering and increasing vocations” is insistently presented as a remedy and, among other things, it is decided:

“In order to attain these aims, the Vocation Work should be established in all Provinces with the co-operation of the Claretian Collaborators. In the General Curia the Vocations Secretariat should also be established to organise and stimulate the propaganda movement.”497

The Manual of Regulations of the Work of Claretian Vocations is published in Annales, in 1950.498 The Work is established in the Curia and, at the same time, also in the Curia, the “Vocations Secretariat” is created. As an important consideration, the Claretian Collaborators would be “like a powerful arm of the Work.”499

The General Direction of the Work publishes in 1951 a small treatise, The Vocation Recruiter, with very precise methodological orientations for vocational promotion.500

1.2. The Secretariat for Claretian Vocations

In 1962 a new Secretariat for Claretian Vocations is created, which, as it appears, tries to improve on what was previously done.501 Its brief Book of Regulations makes reference to the manual of regulations of the Work and adopts Fr. Schweiger’s circular on vocations (1955), quoted several times in the previous chapter, and the conclusions of the vocational encounters held around that time.

2. Postulants

In 1962, the General Prefecture of Formation published the Manual of the Claretian Seminarian.502 It is an update of the Espejo del Postulante [Mirror of the Postulant], which was becoming obsolete.

The manual consists of three parts “Espíritu” (formative lines), “Devocionario” (Devotional practices and prayers for all time and various circumstances) and “Cantoral” (with liturgical and congregation songs). Although the book still keeps some obsolete practices that would have been better to omit, however, it maintains some formative nuclei worth emphasising:

2.1. Strong Claretian Tone

From the very beginning, the manual introduces the postulant into the reading and meditation of the “definition of the missionary Son of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” and of the “consoling promise,” as a vocational and formative stimulus. It gathers typically congregational prayers and songs. And it presents old traditions and customs of the Congregation (praying the Hail Mary every hour, etc…)

2.2. Liturgical Spirit

Echoing the latest orientations of the Church, the manual stimulates the awareness of the importance of the formation and constant living out of liturgy.

2.3. Piety and Charity

In addition to other virtues (humility, chastity, modesty, etc…), the manual gives maximum importance to piety and chastity, in keeping with the tradition of the Congregation: “before and above everything else, they should be truly and solidly pious” and “as beloved Sons of the Heart of Mary, they should have a heartfelt devotion to their heavenly Mother.”503 And “as dearly beloved Sons of the same Mother, they should love each other, so that Jesus may recognise them as his own, the Mother may put her pleasure in them, and the Seminary may become an image of Paradise.”504

2.4. The Prefect and Spiritual Direction

The Prefect is “the immediate superior of the seminarians” and, therefore, the person responsible for their formation. The manual especially underscores the personal accompaniment. They should “frequently” have personal dialogues with him, open their heart to him and submissively listen to him.505

3. Novices

With the passing of years, the coming of the new Code of Canon Law and our particular law, the development of the Congregation and the changing times and circumstances of the formation, the need to write a new treatise for the formation of the novices became obvious. Very sensibly, the Superiors of the Congregation thought of drafting another work that would be “original and our own, containing the unmistakable spirit of our Fr. Founder and of the first Missionaries of the Institute.”506

Thus was born the idea of the treatise El Novicio Instruido, written by Fr. Raymond Ribera in 1931.507 The book, which also takes into consideration certain pedagogical aspects from other religious Institutes and Orders our
Congregation can benefit from, is deeply and totally Claretian. It contains abundant references to the Word of God, to the Heart of Mary and to the Congregation. El Novicio Instruido gives maximum importance to the practice of
spiritual life (methods of prayer, days of recollection, retreats, examen, spiritual reading, etc…); to living out the vows; to the practice of virtues; and to the internalisation of the Constitutions, life project of the Congregation, and
of the congregational traditions. These practices should be done in a community that fully and totally lives the Claretian life and knows how to transmit to the novice the experience of the congregational life.

The following could be highlighted as important formative aspects:

3.1. Objective of the Noviciate

In El Novicio Instruido, the noviciate is described as a time that precedes religious profession in order to test the vocation of the novice and to lay the foundations of all virtues. That is to say, a period

“for the Novice to discern if it would be convenient for him to embrace religious life, and for the Congregation to examine and test if it would be proper to admit the Novice among its members; also, so that during it, the foundations of all virtues may be laid (Const. P. I, ch. XXIV).”508

Under a different aspect, the Noviciate is also presented as a time during which the novices may be formed in the true spirit of the Congregation in order to be genuine Sons of the Heart of Mary, tireless apostles and heralds of divine glory.509

3.2. Personalised formation: self-formation

Fr. Ribera calls personal formation “self-formation.”510 When we speak of self-formation, we are not emphasising individualism.511 The other formation agents must always be taken into account, namely: God, the Superiors and the community.512 What is being emphasised is the novice’s personal implication in his own formation, always in line with the congregational project and in consonance with the orientations of the formators. Self-formation implies certain principles, such as:

“The first thing a young person needs in order effectively to co-operate in his own formation is knowing the psycho-physiological heredity he has received, to wit, his physical constitution and temperament, which are the natural basis and the most important element of his moral character;(…).”513

“The young novice should also reflect on the first education he received in his family, (…).”514

“It is important also that the young person in formation know the level of his talent or ability, of his capacity to understand the nature of things, of his memory to learn and to retain, of his attention and concentration;…).”515

“Self-formation comprises also the resolved determination on the part of each one to form or perfect in oneself naturally virtuous habits,(…).”516

“Lastly, we recommend, for the self-formation of our young novices, the attentive and frequent reading of some treatises of both intellectual and moral education,(…).”517

Consequently, the novices should totally devote themselves to laying the foundation of virtues with great desire and interest, eagerness and application, involving themselves in this task with all their spiritual energy, all the strength of their heart and all their personal capabilities. And in order that this determination may not be purely idealistic, they should give themselves to the practice of those virtues, using the most effective means for the consecution of their intended aim.518

3.3. Upright Intention

Fr. Ribera, speaking about upright intention,519 considers this spiritual dimension as a sanctifying element of the first order.520 The upright intention gives meaning to every dimension of the life of the novice, orienting it only
towards God, to doing his will and to being concerned about his interests. In this way, the novice will also grow in human maturity and affective balance, giving his life an optimistic and positive meaning, and seeking always the welfare of others.521

For the upright intention to be authentic, it must be purified from other intentions or motivations that may distort it. This may easily happen in the noviciate, because of the inexperience of the novice.522 In general, there are
three motivations that usually distort the upright intention of seeking the glory of God in one’s works: vanity or vain self-esteem, self-complacency and human respect.523

In order to form oneself, in a practical way, in uprightness of intention, the first step is removing the motivations that distort it, by means of continuous watchfulness and personal renewal. In the second place, offering all our actions to God from early morning. And thirdly, renewing this offering in each and every one of the actions we do, in our prayers and recreations, in manual labours, etc…524

3.4. Observance of the Constitutions

In addition to instruction and the study of religious life, one of the duties of a novice is the painstaking observance of the Constitutions. Other duties are the practice of the virtues proper of religious life, especially those related to the vows and those pointed out in the Constitutions, as well as the constant exercise of prayer and meditation. In the same way, with regard to personality, the novice should strive to acquire self-control and mastery of his judgement, will and passions, the reform of his character and of his external behaviour, in line with the spirit of the Congregation.525 The novice should learn to perform the spiritual acts proper both of the religious and of the Congregation.526 He should also strive to practice the missionary virtues that emanate from our condition as religious and from our Claretian vocation,527 and to behave in a manner worthy of a Son of the Heart of Mary.528

3.5. Instruction and Study

A very important act is the participation of the novices in ascetical conferences given them by the Novicemaster on religious life, the Constitutions and the Congregation. The aim of these conferences is:

“to instruct the Novice in everything that concerns religious life and the virtues that should enhance it.”529

It is necessary to attend the conferences (as well as the community sermons) with the same spirit of faith with which the Apostles listened to the instructions given by the Master, with attention, docility and desire to benefit from them.530

In keeping with what is prescribed in our legislation, it gives some orientations on the matters that should be studied in particular.531 In the first place, the novices are purposely not permitted to devote themselves to the study of sciences, arts and letters during the time of the Noviciate. They are only permitted briefly and moderately to review the sciences and subjects they may have learned in previous years. They should also memorise the holy Constitutions, at least the main chapters, and other selected spiritual documents. It is left to the judgement of the Novicemaster to decide which texts should be memorised. Normally, it was customary to make them memorise the chapters of the first part of the Constitutions that applied, or would later apply, to the novices, and almost the entire second part; also the Catechism and the common prayers. It was also desirable for them to memorise some texts from Sacred Scriptures532 and from the Church Fathers.

One of the objectives of spiritual reading is “to enlighten the intellect and nourish the spirit with fruitful truths that are the nourishment of the soul.” Hence, the following are recommended: first of all, the Sacred Scriptures, especially the New Testament; then ascetical works of sound doctrine and the lives of the Saints, especially of our Claretian brothers who were outstanding for their virtue, and of religious and missionary saints.533 Moreover, the reading of the works about the spirit of the Congregation is taken for granted.534

For all this, the Noviciate has been and must always be dynamically structured and organised to attain thisobjective, as a “school of experience” of religious and congregational life.

3.6. Virtues