Effects of Coronavirus on the Formation Programme

Coronavirus Dent on the Formation Program Sr. Petronellah Musakanyi( L.C.B.L) Novice Directress, Harare

Every sphere and facet of which is moreover, proper life has been hit hard by the to the institute, that they fierce Covid-19 pandemic. experience the institute’s The formation of priests manner of living, that they and religious is not spared. be formed by mind and The smooth running of the heart by its spirit, and that programs of both initial their intention and suitability and ongoing formation be tested.” has been disrupted in To see to it that the above a big way. Seminaries purpose and objective is have been closed and accomplished, a formation various formation activities programme must promote cancelled or postponed. the formation of the Also the suspension of whole human person. the usual celebration of St Pope John Paul II Holy Mass, confessions in the Post- Synodal and pastoral activities has Apostolic Exhortation, Vita impacted negatively on the Consecrata, supports this formation programme. The idea that for formation to be formation programme is complete, it must include an essential tool because every aspect of Christian its implementation aims life. Religious formation at the holistic formation must therefore provide a of an individual. If certain human, cultural, spiritual elements of the programme and pastoral preparation are affected, then the which pays special end product is also attention to the harmonious compromised. This write up integration of its various focuses on the effects of the aspects. These aspects coronavirus pandemic on are addressed through a the initial stage of formation, planned program for the specifically the novitiate novices. The Covid-19 stage. pandemic has negatively affected the smooth running The novitiate is an important of the planned lessons stage of formation which and activities of the Little initiates one into the life Children of Our Blessed of the institute. Canon 646 Lady’s (LCBL) novitiate of Catholic Church Law formation programme. In specifies its importance: turn this sudden shift can “The novitiate, by which affect the integral growth of life in the religious institute the person in formation. The begins, is ordered to this that main challenges posed by the novices better recognize the coronavirus pandemic their divine vocation and one to the novitiate programme Mukai -Vukani No.77 | July 2020Mukai -Vukani No.77 | July 2020 | |

are: the absence of Holy Mass and confessions from 30 March to 21 June 2020, the postponement of intercongregational programs and the suspension of pastoral activities.

The two sacraments at the centre of Catholic faith, the Holy Eucharist and Confession, are vital for those who are in the path of becoming religious persons because they help them in strengthening their bond with Christ, the one who calls them. They are the most important ways, among others, that foster the spiritual life of those in formation.

The Directives on Formation in Religious Institutes stress on the importance of spiritual formation since whatever the insistence placed upon cultural and intellectual dimensions of formation by this document, the spiritual dimension remains a priority. It further explains that the principal purpose of formation at its various stages, initial and ongoing, is to immerse the religious person in the experience of God and to help them perfect it gradually in their lives. So those sacraments are the other ways by which the novices have a profound experience of God. 23

However, in order to keep the flame of faith and love for God burning there are still other ways that can be employed. Concerning the sacrament of penance, the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that if one cannot go for confession it is possible to repent in another way: through an “act of perfect contrition” which is sorrow for one’s sins based upon the love of God with an anticipation to do confession at the earliest possible opportunity. So even in the absence of a priest one can still ask God for forgiveness then go for confession later when the situation allows. Confession should not be avoided. As far as Holy Communion is concerned, many people in religious houses of formation without priests can do communion services.

Another challenge is on the cancellation or postponement of some intercongregational activities. This was due to “the social distancing and stay at home” calls which are quite necessary in order to curb the spread of the virus. The inter-congregational activities enable novices from different congregations to meet every year for lectures on different topics. This is done to complement the knowledge they receive while they are in their respective houses of formation and also to bring to their awareness

the importance of the collaborative function in the vineyard of the Master. The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated life and for Societies of Apostolic Life in Inter- Institute Collaboration for Formation state: “Where circumstances make it advisable, the interinstitute programme can contribute to the adequate doctrinal formation of those who are beginning their formation for consecrated life, helping them to define themselves in their own specific identity, as members of the church mystery – communion and mission and to act as such, developing in the rub of daily life, attitudes of fraternal co-responsibility.” Following the dictates of this congregation, the inter-congregational programmes have been going on for quite a time and have proved to be beneficial to the formees, the formators, the religious institutes and to the church at large. Also, in an effort to offer a broad spectrum of knowledge to the formees, some external teachers, priests, religious men, women or lay persons are invited in individual houses of formation to share their expertise in various aspects of formation. Due to the coronavirus pandemic it is not prudent to engage in inter-congregational programmes since that is a health hazard even if extra caution is exercised. So, it is quite evident that the coronavirus has negatively impacted on the formation activities. Again, in order not to be stifled by the covid 19 pandemic, our only refuge for participating in the daily celebration of the Eucharist at the moment is through the digital route. However, this might be a challenge due to the high internet data costs in the absence of WiFi.

The suspension of pastoral activities is another drawback to the implementation of the formation programme. This impacts on the apostolic formation of the candidates. During the second year of the novitiate formation, the novices are mandated to spend some time outside the novitiate community so that they may have an experience of religious life within an active apostolic community. In support of this idea, the Code of Canon Law, Canon 648, Article 2 states: “To complete the formation of the novices, the constitutions can determine one or several periods of apostolic exercises to be spent outside the novitiate community.’’ St John Paul II in the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Vita Consecrata added that these practical experiences must be prudently followed by the one responsible for formation. He also said that such experiments enable the candidates to test, in the context of the local culture

LCBL Sisters in various stages of Formation the skills for the apostolate, their ability to adapt and their spirit of initiatives.

The experiment period is vital as it gives the candidate a foretaste of the kind of life he or she wants to lead. As for the novices themselves, it is the time that they always look forward to with a mixture of both anxiety and excitement. The LCBL novices do community experiences in June/July every year. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19 the placement of the novices is constrained. As such the novices are not able to test their capacity to live outside the novitiate in a vibrant way. This is so because sending them out is like exposing them to the deadly disease. More so, in the missions where they are supposed to go, the schools are closed, pastoral work is suspended and the hospitals are no longer safe.

So in conclusion, in spite of these challenges mentioned above, formation work still needs to continue towards its full effectiveness. The future of religious life and hope for consecrated life in the Church lies in the work of formation. In a story entitled, ‘Pope Francis Shares his Vision for Covid

19 aftermath’ written by Gerard O’Connel in America Magazine, Pope Francis shed a ray of hope as he describes the present moment as a “propitious time” to be open to the Spirit, who can inspire us with a new imagination of what is possible. Therefore, it is noble to rise above the coronavirus pandemic and look for ways to implement the formation programme in its totality, notwithstanding the changing circumstances.