Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity who serve the congregation in guiding those in discernment and our new members traveled to Malvern Retreat House, Malvern, Pennsylvania for a Council of Major Superiors’ Formators’ Workshop. Sister Theresa Feldkamp, Sister Mariadele Jacobs, Sister Mariella Erdmann and Sister Julie Ann Sheahan attended the gathering that provides a forum for vocation and formation directresses of CMSWR member communities to dialogue and learn from one another.
Presentations by speakers offered a chance to gain new insights and pose questions relevant to the formative process of religious life. Sister Mary Christa Nutt, RSM, addressed The Formation of Human Freedom in Religious Life while Sister Lynn Jarrell, OSU spoke about Mentoring a Person for Membership: Rights and Obligations within a Formation Program. Monsignor Peter Vaccari, rector of St. Joseph Seminary, Yonkers, New York, presented on Formators: Accompaniment in Freedom and Mutual Trust. On the final day, Father David Songy, OFM, a clinical psychologist, presented on Distortions and Obsessions: Limits to Freedom in Formation. 44 religious communities were represented in the audience.
Opportunities for Eucharist, praying the liturgy of the hours, and meals together are all part of the workshop experience. The 14 hour road trip included sunshine, rain, snow and wind, and we were blessed with glimpses of spring in Pennsylvania.
