In September, the young Sisters without vows from Spain and Italy and those from the interprovincial Seminary had the opportunity to attend a formation meeting in Madrid that started on the 3rd and ended on the 22nd.
The formation course was aimed to deepen the identity of the Daughter of Charity and the journey each one makes to be configured to Christ. The various interventions have contributed to addressing different aspects of our life: spirituality, service, community life, affections, sexuality, social doctrine of the Church, new technologies…
Father Corpus Delgado (CM) opened the formation by speaking of the vow of chastity. To introduce us to the topic he presented some aspects of the reality of today’s world with respect to sexuality, and then continued with an in-depth discussion on how to live chastity and celibacy today. Balance of life, affective maturation, the healthy experience of solitude and fraternity lived in community are anchors for a Daughter of Charity who wishes to live this vow to the full. Always under the guidance and help of our Mother, the Virgin Mary.
Joaquin Gonzalez (CM), Provincial Director of the Daughters of Charity of the Province of España Centro, introduced us to the theme of the Church’s social doctrine in the light of the encyclicals Laudato Si and Fratelli Tutti and the apostolic exhortations Evangelii Gaudium and Praise Deum of Pope Francis, a theme that directly challenges us as Daughters of Charity. He has invited us to realize the dream of a universal, inclusive and integrating fraternity of the poorest through three paths proposed by the Holy Father: the path of the poor, the path of the Gospel and the path of creativity.
With the help of Sister Ángeles Infante (Daughters of Charity, España Centro Province) we entered the reflection on our identity as Daughters of Charity. She began by exposing the sources of our identity: the light of Pentecost, Marguerite Nasau and the Constitutions. Then she spoke about the elements of our identity: fidelity to baptism, the sense of belonging, total and communal dedication to Christ in the service of the poor, the virtues of humility, simplicity and charity, availability and being a servant.
We also reflected on the tools to follow the Lord with the help of Father José María Nieto (CM), who proposed four fundamental reading keys to discern with respect to discipleship. It must in fact be understood as a gift from God and a life option; we have to think about it in community and in the Church; lived as discipleship; in favor of mission and service.
In this formative meeting, there was also time to talk about technology, social networks and their impact on our lives. Sister Sara Encinar (Daughter of Charity España Centro) and Sister Clara López (Daughter of Charity España Este) were tasked with proposing an interesting and innovative workshop on the identity of the Daughter of Charity on the Internet. We have understood the importance to evangelize through the net, following the indications of Pope Francis and the conclusions drawn in “Digital Synod” which invites us to have “a full presence” in it.
In addition to these topics presented by members of the Vincentian Family, two religious women accompanied us to discuss specific issues of human formation: First, Soledad Marcos (IT) spoke to us about Sexual Affective Education in consecrated life; for his part, Rosario Ríos (ODN, Order of the Company of Mary Our Lady) focused on the theme of community life, examining two essential aspects: spiritual conversation and intercultural and intergenerational relations, as stated in the Inter-Assembly Document.
It was, in short, a meeting in which we enjoyed both the formation and the human wealth. In it, we were able to discover and deepen fundamental aspects of our vocation, an opportunity, and a gift for which we can only be deeply grateful.
The young Daughters of Charity from Spain and Italy
