Course for Trainers and Vocational Animators

So that Christ the Shepherd may live in us: Forming to Form

The Formation Course for Vocational Formators and Animators has concluded, which began with the opening Mass on January 6, 2025, during which we Pastorelle of different Circumscriptions had the opportunity to spend our days in the “Casetta” which, in the early years of the Congregation, housed the novices, to return to the spirit of our Founder, Fr. Alberione, and to compare ourselves with our charism.

During this period, with the collaboration of our sisters and the Pauline Family, we had the opportunity to reflect on our history and to delve deeply into ourselves. Starting from the Spiritual Exercises, we had the opportunity to address and reflect on our life as shepherdesses. We studied in depth the biblical theme on Saint Paul, the charismatic passage of John 14:6, the theme of Christification in Don Alberione, Don Alberione's thought on the three vows, the study of the four wheels and the charismatic text Ut Perfectus sit Homo Dei, the contribution of the Pastorelle in the Church today, the testimony of Mother Celina on the beginnings of the Congregation, Christian anthropology. For each theme we considered, working in groups, how to apply them and live them personally and in community, and especially in our service as educators and vocational animators.

We also looked at the times and culture in which we live, reflecting on the social phenomena of gender, interculturality, digital and the sad issue of abuse, always trying to explore how we can integrate and live, together, these aspects in formation, in consecrated life and at an ecclesial level.

With regard to the specific theme of vocational pastoral care and formation, we were invited to look at the different perspectives of education and to grow in formative competence with the themes of the role of the trainer and animator, discernment, evaluation, accompaniment and formative communities.

We spent the pilgrimage in Alba which filled our hearts with gratitude for the grace that God has given us, through Don Alberione, and making our sense of belonging and our identity as Pastorelle grow in us. An experience that gave us strength to respond to our vocation as Pastorelle, in the Pauline Family, and to live our divine sonship to the full.

The variety of themes that were offered to us, the abundance of “life” that passed among us in these four months has above all strengthened the relationship of each one with God, with the Congregation and with the other sisters. It was also a tangible opportunity to practice accepting the differences that we experience in our lives and to realize that the richness of this diversity is a concrete way of living together as Pastorelle, as the people of God, integrating the diversity and differences that we experience in the accompaniment and in the formative journey.

A special thanks to the sisters of the General Government who organized and accompanied this time of renewal for each of us and for the future of the Congregation. A heartfelt thanks to Sr. Lucia Piai and Sr. Cristina Lee who on behalf of the GG accompanied us during these four months of journey. Heartfelt thanks to the Community of the Mother House, to the Provincial Community of Italy Albania Mozambique, to the sisters of the communities of Verona and Negrar that we visited before Christmas and to the sisters of the Community of the General House. They have all testified with prayer and with their presence during our journey to the beauty of the consecrated life of Pastorelle, becoming for us a gift from God that stimulates us to feel more and more the importance of the mission that has been entrusted to us. We also thank the Sisters of each circumscription who have made our participation in this period of formation possible.

And for everything we thank and give glory to God, who is the One from whom everything begins and in Him everything finds its fulfillment. May the Good Shepherd continue to shape our hearts with his love and may the Mother of the Good Shepherd intercede for us the grace of fidelity to the gift received.

With gratitude and prayer,

Participants in the Course for Trainers and Vocational Animators