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ON-GOING FORMATION
The Responsibility of the Superiors
109. Marcellin Champagnat devoted himself to developing the gifts and talents of the first Brothers1. Following his lead, the major Superiors must make available to each Brother the suitable means of furthering or updating his formation in spiritual, doctrinal, and professional fields2.
109.1 The Brother Provincial sees to it that each Brother has the opportunities needed for his on-going formation. The Formation plan provides for programmes suited to the different groups and adapted to local cultures. (c 661)
109.2 Major Superiors have a duty to provide the formation required by men who serve in a position of authority.
109.3 In a process of discernnment with the Brother Provincial, the Brother selects the area of specialisation or study that best suits his talents and the apostolic mission of the Province.
109.4 Marist Centres of spirituality offer the Brothers the chance to re-discover their Marist vocation and to renew their apostolic enthusiasm. These Centres must respond to the needs of the times and the current hopes of the Church.
109.5 The Centre Champagnat is directed specifically to preparing formation personnel.
109.6 Our Lady of the Hermitage is the shrine of our Marist origins. The Centre d'Accueil offers the Brothers the opportunity of experiencing a renewal in the spirit of the Founder and of the first Brothers.
109.7 These various international Centres are organised by the Brother Superior General and his Council. (cf F, 26)
Personal Responsibility
110.In common with all baptised people, we grow towards adulthood in Christ1. Because of this, our on-going formation needs to be lifelong and to cover all aspects of our life. We have, therefore, the serious responsibility of continuing the work of our formation in order to respond to the ever-renewed calls of God and to live our vocation more authentically with our Brothers2.
To work at this, we make use of the ordinary means at our disposal - personal study, persevering prayer, and the review of our life in the light of the Gospels and of our own experience. In addition, we have recourse to dialogue with Superiors, spiritual direction, and the opportunities that community provides for mutual enrichment.
110.1 Community is the best setting for the exercise of co-responsibility in the on-going formation of each of its members. The mutual support given here encourages each Brother in his efforts to develop.
110.2 True to the Church's mission and to the mission of the Institute, we ensure that on-going formation stresses three priorities: catechesis, work for justice, and the cultural reality of the mass media in society today.
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