The Interprovincial Novitiate in Ciorani is born anew
A meeting of the Major Superiors from Rome, Naples, Madrid, Lisbon and France, convoked by the Coordinator of the CRE, about the new Interprovincial Novitiate in the CRE, took place in Rome on 5 April 2017. The new formation requirements set out by the decisions of the Superior General in 2015 are connected to the profile of the Redemptorist confrere, shaped by the new vision given by the last two General Chapters.
The Coordinator of the CRE Fr. Jacek Zdrzałek, Fr. Gianni Congiu, Fr. Serafino Fiore, and Fr. José Luis Bartolomé were present, while the Provincials of Lisbon and France, who could not participate, expressed their willingness to take part in this international project.
In reality for many years these Units have worked together to have a common novitiate in Ciorani – the place recognized as the Mother House of the Congregation. Many Redemptorist have had their novitiate in Ciorani because it was the house of Novitiate for the former Region of South Europe.
The newness lies in the fact that during this meeting in Rome, the participants prepared, according to the decisions given by the Superior General, the new “Directory”, with a new structure of the Novitiate Council. Fr. Serafino Fiore, as the Major Superior of the location of the novitiate is at the same time the president of the Interprovincial Novitiate Council.
The present Ratio Novitiatus will be revised and updated, so that the formandee will be better prepared for the challenges of the twenty-first century.
This “new” profile of the Redemptorist will make it possibile to interact with confreres from other countries, cultures, mentalities and languages. The novices will have a wide vision of the apostolic priorities of our Conference of Europe and it will help them participate in the worldwide mission of our congregation.
The Interprovincial Novitiate in Ciorani will start on 1 September 2017 with the presence of novices from the Provinces of Naples and Madrid.
Fr. Giovanni Congiu
