Questionnaire. Novice's answers

A) From “Pesaro 1999” conclusions

1. First priority: “A deep experience of God” (Pesaro ’99 n. 5)
“A deep Christian experience of God is the only real vocational motivation that can sustain the life and the work of a Comboni Missionary” (Pesaro ’99 n. 5). “The priority of spiritual life appears ever more as the axis that unites and vivifies the whole formative structure” (VdF 38).

Try to make a personal evaluation of your life with regard to the practice of the following means of growth in your spiritual life:
· Fidelity to the daily hour of personal prayer 1 (0) 2 (36) 3 (30)
· Daily Eucharist 1 (0) 2 (12) 3 (54)
· Frequent celebration of the sacrament of reconciliation 1 (2) 2 (39) 3 (25)
· Regular celebration of the liturgy of the hours 1 (2) 2 (24) 3 (40)

1. I have not acquired a habit in making use of such means and I don’t feel motivated to grow in that direction.
2. I think that I am making some progress towards fully acquiring this value.
3. I have acquired a regular and stable habit concerning the use of such means.

a. Which aspects of Comboni spirituality you think as more relevant in your journey?

- (27) spirituality of the Heart of Jesus, the Good Shepherd
- (23) spirituality of the Cross
- (17) love for the poorest and most abandoned
- (11) Eucharist
- (9) mission, first evangelisation
- (8) dedication to prayer
- (4) love for the Church
- (3) community life, gratuitousness, service
- (3) devotion to Mary
- (2) justice and peace
- (2) martyrdom

b. How do you express concretely such aspects in your daily life?

§ (22) faithfulness to daily prayer
§ (11) availability in pastoral work
§ (10) gift of myself in the daily routine; life witness
§ (7) trying to share one’s life and experiences with the others
§ (2) obedience and respect to the formators
§ acceptance of the community challenges as a source of strength and a way to God
§ willingness to embrace the cross as part of one’s life; sacrifice
§ meditation of the Word
§ Eucharist
§ To learn to be criticised: to find in this something useful
§ adoration (weekly)
§ detachment from material things: “pocket money”, cellular phone, camera, etc.
§ trying to show charity even through misunderstandings
§ detachment from those things that are most dear to me: family, parents, friends
§ it helps me to be patient towards others
§ to pray the rosary (4 times a week)
§ the Angelus
§ faithfulness to manual labour

c. In which concrete ways, in your personal and community formative journey, the Word of God has become your central reference point?

§ (11) in my daily prayer
§ (7) in the Lectio
§ (6) in the daily Eucharist
§ (6) in the sacrament of reconciliation
§ (5) it is the inspiration of my plans and activities
§ (4) in the sharing
§ (2) in doing a pastoral work that is based on the Word of God
§ a means to reflect on my life, past and present; to find meaning to one’s history and culture
§ the measuring yard to evaluate the goodness of one’s activities
§ in fraternal correction
§ in moments of difficulty
§ from the encouragement I find in the formators’ example

d. What would you suggest to foster a “deep experience of God” in the formative stages?

§ (11) one of the formators should exclusively do Spiritual Direction
§ (10) to value the sacrament of Reconciliation
§ (9) to insist on the centrality of prayer: to observe the time set aside for prayer, personal as well as community prayer
§ (9) participation in the Eucharist
§ (8) to observe the silence necessary to create a prayerful and recollected environment
§ (7) meditation on the Word of God
o (6) the sharing of experiences
§ (5) attitudes: let ourselves be challenged by the Word of God; humility
§ (3) make a comparison between our faith and our life
§ (3) reading of the writings of the saints
§ (2) regular retreats, renewal at all levels of formation
§ balanced emphasis by the formators concerning the negative and positive traits of those in formation
§ find time to organise “forum” – occasions for those in formation to discuss at length and in details about prayer and pastoral work
§ possibility to have male and female directors (religious and diocesan priests, religious sisters) outside the novitiate’s structure
§ input on the methods of prayer
§ a more radical pastoral work

2. Third priority: To form community-focussed people (Pesaro ’99 n. 7

a. Point out, beginning from your own experience, what in your formative journey has helped you grow in the attitude of living in community.

§ (18) acceptance of one another; to appreciate the other’s gifts as a gift for us; attention to the person
§ (12) spirit of dialogue, sincerity, sharing, straightforwardness
§ (8) sense of belonging, of family, fraternal love
§ (5) attitudes of openness towards the community
§ (5) respect and listening to one another, trust
§ (5) fraternal correction
§ (4) community prayer
§ (3) community actions: meals, manual labour
§ (3) faithfulness to daily activities
§ (2) simplicity of formators; they know how to be with those in formation
§ my family background
§ to realise that we are on journey with the others and to help one another

b. What do you think has been a hindrance?

§ (7) little trust, lack of effort in quickly accepting the other
§ (6) lack of communication, little dialogue, little knowledge of the other
§ (5) too many activities, waist of time and energy, schedule too tight
§ (4) too many intercultural groups
§ (4) too much criticism, prejudices, egoism
§ (3) bad examples
§ (3) closing into oneself, individualism, attachment to one’s own culture, nationalism
§ (2) inferiority or superiority complex
§ sense of betrayal
§ competition, pride
§ weak link with the community
§ one’s own human weaknesses
§ formators’ attitudes that cause fears
§ “separation” between the formators and those in formation, which result in suspicion and interior hate
§ the fact that we come from different places and cultures
§ discrimination, favouritism
§ large structures

c. What would you suggest to change?

§ The language: too make a clear distinction between jokes and serious talks
§ Attitudes of perfectionism
§ To have to cover up someone else’s mistakes
§ Frequency of community meetings: to have more to favour an environment of friendship and trust
§ Schedule: more flexible
§ The formators’ accompaniment: that they may encourage and bring out people’s personality
§ Attitudes like: “It’s tradition, therefore it cannot be changed”
§ At the meetings the formators are always present: to have also meetings just among novices
§ Discriminatory attitudes
§ Lack of respect for other cultures: better preparation towards interculturality
§ More silence and listening, greater openness
§ To accept and appreciate more the other
§ Less structures

3. Fifth priority

A) Personal assimilation of these values (Pesaro ’99 n. 9))

a. What would you suggest for improving the gradual growth and the continuity when passing from one formative stage to the next?

§ (12) personal commitment and life witness
§ (8) better attention to the last period of each stage: a more intense preparation in view of the next stage
§ (6) more communication among the formators of the various stages
§ (3) sufficient time to orient the candidates to the important things that they have to deepen in the next stage
§ (2) more time of introduction at the beginning of each stage

§ to continue during the novitiate the experience of exposure of the postulancy
§ the candidates should be allowed to carry on with the same Spiritual Director
§ the Spiritual Director should neither be one of the formators nor the Novice Master
§ to promote more formative meetings and spiritual direction
§ to create moderate methods (flexibility and openness) to help the candidate to journey on
§ to appreciate, motivate and encourage the candidates an to make them feel welcome in the family
§ before beginning the novitiate, to give to the candidates the possibility of a community experience in the mission, followed by a period of holidays
§ dialogue and openness between the formators and those in formation
§ to give to the postulants a time table that prepares them for the novitiate
§ the novitiate time table should be decided together, in dialogue with the novices.

b. In your experience, in what way were the gradual growth and the continuity lacking when passing from one stage to another?

§ (4) little dialogue of the formators
§ (2) concerning spiritual direction: the change of Spiritual Director, who is also the formator
§ (2) insufficient time to favour a gradual transaction
§ (2) the introduction to the new reality done quickly
§ (2) the various types of formation styles
§ responsibility: when freedom is denied in the novitiate where there are so many “no”
§ a structure (but already from the postulancy) that favours personal prayer; without just leaving it to the candidates to organise it
§ an experience that prepares to the next stage: like an experience in the mission
§ community’s support and formators’ assistance
§ in a community experience
§ in the schedule
§ in the change of emphasis: from the human development (in the postulancy) to spirituality (in the novitiate), putting aside the work done in the postulancy
§ in the use of money
§ in the moments of evaluation
§ excessive missionary animation

c. Try to identify one or two values that have been presented to you in one of the formative stages and which were not there in the following stages? What do you think is the reason for this.

- Value: study
Cause: in the novitiate prayer is valued more than study

- Value: freedom
Cause: to treat the novices as people who “beg” rather than to strengthen them

- Value: trust, openness, dialogue
Cause: lack of freedom

- Value: a quarterly financial contribution by the postulants
Cause: in the Novitiate it is not required, perhaps because we learn to depened from God’s Providence

- Value: the use of material goods
Cause: lack of introduction to financial responsibility

- Value: detachment from thing
Cause: personal privations

- Value: silence
Cause: personal privations



B) From the 2001 document “Revision of Formation” (VdF)

4. First proposal: To focalise the formative stage (VdF 30-53)
In the Novitiate: to stress Christian maturity.
In the Scholasticate/CIFs: to stress Comboni missionary maturity - attention to Mission.

a. In the formative method during your novitiate, scholasticate or CIF what was that helped you achieve the specific aim of that formative stage?

§ (17) spiritual direction
§ (16) personal and community prayer
§ (14) formation meetings
§ (10) daily Eucharist
§ (10) structure to be at the service
§ (7) sacrament of reconciliation
§ (7) community life
§ (6) formators
§ (5) pastoral work; my pastoral work in hospital, with street children and sick people
§ (5) the interiorisation of the values put forward during the period of the desert
§ (3) silence
§ (2) God’s Word
§ (2) the community members (confreres)
§ (2) an environment of listening, acceptance and sharing
§ knowledge of self
§ fraternal correction
§ good, peaceful and favourable environment
§ the Institute’s history
§ openness to other cultures
§ St. Ignatius’ retreat, days of recollection
§ Manual labour

b. What do you consider was an obstacle?

§ (6) difficulty with the formators
§ (5) oneself, lack of maturity, of docility
§ (5) prejudices
§ (4) comforts
§ (3) the negative influence of confreres, bad examples
§ (2) detailed time table that takes away any free time
§ (2) programmes that take us from a task to another contain the verb “must”: we feel that it is a word too formal and strong, as if we were an automatic machine
§ (2) my fears and insincerity
§ (2) not taking initiatives, monotony
§ having an elderly formator in the house of formation and having just one team of formators in a house adjoining that of formation
§ to be too long closed within the walls of the novitiate and too little outside: to have more direct contact with the mission
§ to have the same persons who give the conferences throughout the entire week
§ psychological reading of the Word of God
§ lack of openness and trust
§ the use of too much psychology on the part of the formators

c. Could you suggest one way or a practical initiative to help achieving such aim?

§ (5) greater contact with the mission and the missionaries
§ (4) reciprocal attitude of openness and help between the novices and the formators
§ (3) working constantly on human maturity
§ (3) the spiritual director to be different from the formator
§ (2) to lighten the time table of the novitiate; to let the novices pray in their own time
§ responsibility and personal commitment
§ to expose the novices to the reality of the world
§ to establish a dynamic programme
§ more emphasis on personal prayer
§ an attitude of openness
§ there must be a balance of formators
§ flexibility on the part of the formators
§ the formators have to learn to accept the novices as they are
§ the formators have to accept their own shortcomings
§ greater attention to the reaction of the candidates concerning the time tabe, etc.
§ to have outside persons to present different approaches to Christian maturity
§ not to use psychology to judge people
§ better selection of the candidates

5. Second proposal: To present the new values of Mission and to educate to simple living (sobriety) (VdF 54-60; see also the second priority at Pesaro ’99 n. 6)

a. In your novitiate, scholasticate or CIF how was the initiation to the forms of apostolate specific to the Comboni charism (commitment to justice and peace, missionary animation, solidarity with the poor first evangelisation…) implemented?

§ (18) pastoral work: with street children, elderly people, people in prison, in hospital, in slums, parishes, youth
§ (9) mission promotion in the schools, parishes
§ (4) contents and sharing
§ (4) simple and of modest means lifestyle
§ (3) apostolate in the sector of justice and peace
§ to learn the language spoken by the people

b. Concerning this point, what would you suggest to change or to add in the formative method?

§ (6) strong apostolic experiences: with the poorest and most abandoned
§ (5) a more self-restrained lifestyle
§ (3) to review the geographical position of our houses of formation
§ (3) strong experiences of Comboni life
§ (3) to make room for a commitment for justice and peace
§ (2) to do more in mission promotion and not just on Sundays
§ there should be no pocket money
§ to update the contents of the catechesis
§ to organise a workshop on the Comboni charism and spirituality

§ more time given to pastoral work
§ to extend the area of pastoral work up to the university
§ to start pastoral work with the prostitutes, the women who are poor and live in today’s cities
§ to give, in pastoral work, priority to spiritual formation
§ to do first evangelisation especially in populated areas like the slums
§ to develop and deepen our involvement in the commitments already undertaken
§ the apostolate has to get also the rich people involved

c. In what sense is simple living (sobriety) a value to you? What practical value would help you to achieve?

§ (15) it helps me to show solidarity with the poor, to get nearer to them, to get to know them and to make common cause with them
§ (9) it helps me to live with simple means, to grow in humility and self-restrain
§ (6) it frees my heart from worldly worries, leaving me free to spend more time and energies for God and the exercise of charity
§ (5) detachment from material goods
§ (5) my identification with the poor and needy
§ a means to grow in confidence towards God’s Providence
§ it identifies me with Christ poor, it shapes me into his likeness
§ it helps me to identify with simple people
§ it helps me to verify how I use energies and time in non-essential things
§ it attracts people of different social levels towards those who practise it
§ to be content with that we have

d. What are the actual ways in which you practice this simple living (sobriety) at personal level?

§ (6) in the way I dress, talk and eat
§ (6) I reduce my personal needs
§ (4) to be satisfied with what I have and treasure it
§ (2) by eating what people eat, the food that it is served in the community
§ (2) I give from what I have to people in need
§ (2) I do not keep money
§ I give my clothes to those in need
§ if necessary, I save up for others
§ I have given up having a cellular phone, radio, camera, etc.
§ not having what is superfluous
§ by putting my talents and gifts at the service of the community
§ I go for pastoral work on foot rather than to take a taxi

At community level?

§ (12) we make use of simple means and material and take care of them, responsibility
§ (9) my availability for the services that are needed
§ (8) transparency
§ we do not watch the news on television; we just read the newspapers one or two days later
§ simple and not expensive meals
§ manual labour
§ we do not have expensive means of communication
§ no exaggerations for the celebrations
§ I share my things with the others
§ I let the others have first what they need out of what is provided by the community
§ We have less employed people (workers), as the work is done by us novices
§ I offer my services to the community

What more could be done at personal and community level?

§ (3) To reduce the structures: smaller houses, less employed people, less cars
§ To be inexpensive
§ To have the following attitude: to use what we have not as mans in themselves
§ To build up a spirit of abnegation and sacrifice
§ To just use the resources and the means that are necessary and at our disposal

e. The VdF (n. 60) foresees “a critical revision of the practice of giving ‘pocket money’ in the light of the vow of poverty.” What was done about it at the time you were in the novitiate, scholasticate or CIF?

§ (9) it is not a possibility available to us novices; the community provides for all
§ I never heard talk about this
§ In the second year, the novice receives an amount of money for his travelling needs, of which he gives an account

Would you have any suggestion concerning ‘pocket money’?

§ (11) pocket money to be given in the second year novitiate
§ (7) to give to the novices the possibility of having pocket money so that one does not have to go to the Novice Master every time and also to make him more responsible
§ (4) there should be no pocket money
§ (2) The pocket money should not be an option for the novices, to encourage the value of detachment from material goods
§ If the novices have to have pocket money, let it be according to the need of the “person” (not to be a high amount) and according the the situation of the area
§ If the community does not provide sufficiently, then one can give the novices pocket money
§ There must be an education on the use of money, goods and on how to handle them

f. Try to examine yourself and your community concerning the following practical ways of living the type of poverty suggested at Pesaro ’99, n. 6.2.b:
· To respect “the law of work” 1 (1) 2 (19) 3 (30)
· To do manual labour 1 (1) 2 (16) 3 (36)
· Fasting and other forms of self-restraint 1 (6) 2 (24) 3 (17)
· Participation in supporting the community by getting involved in looking
for financial means and by sharing the offerings received 1 (16) 2 (17) 3 (15)
· Transparency in financial reports 1 (0) 2 (15) 3 (31)
· Co-responsibility in handling the community expenses 1 (4) 2 (19) 3 (20)
· Introduction to the basics of financial administration 1 (15) 2 (11) 3 (13)
· To offer a practical experience during the holidays 1 (8) 2 (10) 3 (18)

*1.This value is not present.
*2. Something is being done, but there is room for improvement.
*3. This value has been put into practice.

6. Third proposal: To improve the personal accompaniment (VdF 61-64)

Have you had the possibility of making use of the following resources foreseen by VdF?
Autobiography YES (55) NO (0)
Personal profile YES (48) NO (6)
Life project YES (44) NO (10)

a. If you have made use of the above resources, how have they helped you in your formative journey?

They have helped me to…
§ (20) to be in contact with the various stages of development in my life, with my abilities and my shortcomings, to see the challenges and the areas of growth.
§ (9) to constantly evaluate my formative journey.
§ (4) to become reconciled with my past and to see my personal history as history of salvation.
§ To discover my origin and personality.
§ To look at my history of salvation through the eyes of faith and to see the various events of my life as God’s salvific interventions for myself and for others.

b. How frequently do you make use of the formative talk?

§ (17) twice a month (for the II year)
§ (10) once a week (for the I year)

c. Do you have a spiritual director who is not one of the formators?

§ YES
§ (12) NO: because the norms of the novitiate do not allow us; i would very much prefer so
§ I had one in the postulancy

d. What would you suggest concerning the distinction between formative talks and spiritual direction?

Formative Talk
§ it is useful to remind me of my areas of growth

§ Spiritual Direction
§ a help given by someone (priest, Brother, Sister, catechist, etc.) to another person so that he/she may become the person God wants them to become
§ someone with whom one can talk freely

§ Comments
§ there should be the possibility and freedom of choice
§ the distinction id good

e. Based on your experience of the personalised formative accompaniment, try to express:

- What has helped you?
§ (9) trust in and openness with the formators
§ (7) the openness and trust of the formators in my regard
§ (4) transparency and sincerity
§ (3) isolation from the outside world
§ initiative on my part
§ the positive attitude of the formator
§ the guidelines given to me by the formator
§ to keep a diary
§ the sharing of the formators’ experiences

- What has caused uneasiness or difficulty?

§ (9) lack of trust by the formators
§ (5) the too frequent meetings (every week)
§ (3) when the formators likes to hear what he likes and not what I want to say
§ (3) the fact that many things have already been decided and my reasons (contributions) are not given room
§ when the formator shows doubts during the meeting
§ the feeling of being drawn to accept a personality that I do not think it is mine
§ when the formators take advantage of my weaknesses
§ when they use the information I have provided against me
§ an uncomfortable method of catechesis
§ the fact that my formator and my spiritual director are one and the same person
§ whenever I am misunderstood
§ as soon as I arrived, the formator was already asking me to open up and share deeply
§ the fear to open myself up
§ to make me do things, out of obedience, that I do not like
§ too much psychology

- What you would suggest to change?

- (13) two have two different persons to help us distinguish between formative talk and spiritual direction
- (4) I prefer that they are done, though keeping the distinction between them, by the same formator to have greater knowledge and, consequently, greater help
- (2) the Spiritual Director should not be a member of the community
- the formative talks may be planned, but to leave it to the candidates the freedom of spiritual direction
- lack of trust on the side of the formators: they have to grow in trust and openness towards differences, avoiding favouritisms
- the frequency of the meetings: to reduce them to once or twice a month, not more, so that the candidate has time to evaluate himself well
- modality of formation:
- formation has to be flexible in time and to adapt to the different personalities
- there must be confidentiality in the formators
- the formators have to be more flexible, patient; they should let the candidates talk and show trust towards them, helping them to open up to the formators
- some decision should be taken in dialogue with the novices
- they should be like “fathers” to the candidates
- to balance the psychological dimension with the moralistic one
- the way to do catechesis

7. Fifth proposal: Inculturation in formation
(VdF 70-72; see also the fourth priority at Pesaro ’99 n. 8)

a. Could you suggest “new paths of inculturation in the field of formation?”

§ (15) sharing at community level in the various cultures through culture meetings, celebrations…
§ (8) to help the candidates to feel at ease in their own culture
§ (7) to learn the local languages
§ community sharing of cultural beliefs regarding community
§ more acculturation than inculturation
§ to have someone to help with an introduction to the culture of the place where the candidates live
§ to insert in the formative programme occasions for showing the various cultures and to see how their values can be integrated in the community life
§ the novitiates should not only be international, but also intercontinental
§ to close each semester with a cultural evening
§ the formators should know Africa and love the Africans

b. In your experience, what helps one to grow in the sense of “acceptance of cross-culturalism”?

§ (13) openness and interest towards other cultures
§ (8) to pay more attention to the values of other cultures rather than to the negative aspects
§ (7) identification with one’s own culture
§ (6) courage to tolerate the other by accepting him without dispising him
§ (6) to overcome one’s prejudices concerning the others
§ (3) to learn to share one’s experiences
§ to bear in mind the limits of one’s culture
§ constantly meeting people of other cultures
§ humility when faced with other culture, without making judgements
§ to avoid ethnocentrism
§ to find Christ’s image in the people belonging to other cultures
§ avoid considering one’s culture superior to the others and vice versa
§ a good understanding based on love for the others

c. What could be an obstacle?

§ (10) prejudices, negative attitudes towards a particular culture
§ (9) to consider one’s culture superior to the others; a sense of pride
§ (8) lack of openness; narrow-mindedness
§ (3) not to learn the culture of the formator
§ one’s narrow-mindedness: refusing to see the positive points of the other’s culture and to appreciate them
§ to take one’s own culture and to use it to measure the others
§ not to challenging oneself to meet a new culture
§ racism
§ fear of being criticised

8. Other suggestions, observations, proposals…

Suggestions
§ To break the chains of a rigid formation.
§ To appreciate more the aspect of inculturation.
§ More emphasis on programmes and activities that train people to have move a communitarian attitude in view of an efficient witness among the people we serve. If we leave aside this aspect, we risk of being no longer a “cenacle of apostles”.
§ Let us not regard the formators as gods.
§ Balance in formation.
§ Our formative programmes lead us to dependence from benefactors, rather than to autonomy. I suggest that we begin some income generating projects and practical skills. I feel that the candidates are in contact with the concrete life of the people around them.
§ There must be better preparation to a radical way of living, greater sense of renunciation.
§ To have the same lifestyle in the houses of formation, especially in those on the same continent. For instance, why is it forbidden to the novices of Namugongo to listen to a radio, while it is allowed to the novices of Lusaka?
§ I feel that it is important to always have in the community confreres who are not directly involved in formation.
§ The Brother candidates of countries that do not have houses of formation specific for them – like, for instance, Kenya and Sudan – to go to Uganda for a solid and focused formation.
§ Basic formation is too long; a number of years look like a waste of time without anything concrete to do. We could evaluate the length of basic formation.
§ Our formative programmes are too spiritual and do not touch on concrete situations.