Cistercian Formation

Report of the Central Secretary of Formation

Introduction

Thank you for welcoming me today.  This is the first opportunity to be with and speak with the superiors of the Order since I was asked to serve as Central Secretary of Formation following MGM 2005. I have had the privilege of being at several sessions in a few Regions and have a better sense of formation in the Order than previously. My talk today will have three parts: a report of major activities, some recommendations, and a request for a mandate.

Report on Activities

1. From the Acts of the General Chapters 2005: vote 15: A dossier on formation consisting of the conferences, reports and discussions on this topic at the last two MGMs of 2002 and 2005 will be prepared by the Central Secretary of Formation.

I submitted the Dossier to Dom Bernardo in May of this year.  The document runs 147 pages bringing together all texts from the minutes of the MGMs of 2002 and 2005 with reference to formation, including the presentation of Sr. Marie-Pascale and those of Dom Bernardo. The departure of numerous solemnly professed in recent years and the circumstances surrounding some of these departures prompted concern, questions, and reflections.

Several themes are evident in the texts from MGM 2002 including the following:

a.     Recruitment—what means are being used and with what results?

b.     The crisis of vocations in some Regions.

c.     Reception of new candidates—how do we do this? How are they integrated into the larger community?

d.     The influence of particular cultures, both weak points and positive contributions. How do these affect recruitment and formation?

e.     What does each Region offer to the Order as a whole?

f.      What is the nature of regional programs of formation? Can regions learn from each other?

g.     Themes related to the young professed: how are they integrated into the larger community; how they are helped with affective maturation, especially the experience of falling in love; better formation for formators (this may be a priority); role of a mentor; regional programs for the young professed; good initial assessment of candidates; ways to meet the need for catechesis of those in formation—longer periods of initial formation being one; the interface of the real needs of the community and the formation plan; juniorate/monasticate period seems more crucial now; the role of the community in formation; the importance of relationships; formation to solitude; distinguish accompaniment (spiritual direction) and formation to the monastic life; difficulty in understanding conversion as essential element in monastic life; acceptance of external reality; studies outside the monastery and the problems that arise; education to interior freedom; danger of placing certain expectations on the young, i.e. seeing them in terms of the future of the community, future superior, formator, since this leads to a distortion; what is the formator’s primary competence—is it at the level of ‘being’?; place of tools such as the Internet for formation; stimulate people to center life around Christ; differences between women’s communities and men’s; importance of regular accompaniment; care in the choice of work assignments; flexibility in the duration of the stages of formation; formation on work; role of teams in formation;

h.     The experience of God is primary.  What is the role of formation in this area?

i.      What is the metaphysics that influences candidates coming to us? How do we relate to this?

j.      Capacity for compunction

k.     Stages: solitude, immersion in community, communion

l.      The relationship of a person and community – there are cultural differences here.

m.   Taking responsibility for one’s own formation. How is this conceived in relation to a community?  Likewise, self-motivation for studies.

Perhaps there was a shift of focus at MGM 2005 prompted by Dom Bernardo’s presentation. Some themes emerging from the first part of his 2005 paper included:

a.     Discernment of vocation.

b.     The importance of spiritual accompaniment.

c.     The education of desires within a school of charity—how can we do this?

d.     Formation of formators.

e.     Spiritual formation—is it being built on sand or stone?

f.      Balancing the cloister of the heart  (or inhabited heart) with positive interpersonal relationships.

g.     Questions about our methods of formation: How much attention do we give to the human experience of desire in the process of formation? Is formation more intellectual than experiential? Is formation being sacrificed to the work needs of a monastery?

h.     Cistercian humanism of the 12^th century included the positive place of desire; some cultures have limited expressions (verbal and otherwise) of the world of desire and some have very rich and nuanced expressions of the world of desires. How do we as formators/superiors experience desires? Do we talk of these with those in formation? How do we help those in formation to discern their desires?

i.      Superiors and formators first learn to accept their finiteness, absence, and incompleteness before they are able of helping others in the area of education of desires.

The exchanges that followed the second part of Dom Bernardo’s paper were deep and rich in content, and almost impossible to summarize. I would recommend careful reading of pp. 81-102 of the Dossier. Likewise, the Dialogue on “Work as a Place of Formation of the Person and of the Community” and the general conversation that followed (pp. 111-119) are worthy of review.  For the purpose of this report I will repeat one quotation from Dom Bernardo (Olivera) and one from Dom Peter of Guadalupe:

Dom Bernardo: It was my intention to bring up questions about our method of formation.  The deeper question is the following: How much attention do we give to the human experience of desire in the process of formation?

Dom Peter: Responding to the question, While not forgetting the formative aspect of manual work, what is the satisfactory way to earn our living these days? , he said: I don’t have an answer, but a reflection: I think that the very fact that we have to earn our living is at the very centre of the spirituality of work.  It puts us right in touch with reality, as every other man and woman is put right in touch with reality, because we have to earn our living.

            I would offer two observations at this time, the first about the young coming to communities in 2008 and one about work.

            Monasteries located in the northern hemisphere have received fewer new candidates in recent years and this has been a concern. I have noted, though, an increase of candidates in the United States in the last few years.  I am not speaking primarily of our monasteries, but a few select religious communities at large.  In looking at these communities, mostly women, though at least one of men, there seems to be some common traits.  These communities emphasize Eucharistic devotion, Marian devotion, community prayer, common table, and a strong sense of community. In addition they seem to have a clear sense of mission and are also very welcoming to the young. These traits are likewise a part of our tradition and so I think would be, to use a current expression, “on the screen” of the young who are seeking. Perhaps, though, we could question ourselves on the clarity of our sense of mission in the Church in the 21^st century and our manner of welcoming.  Do we emphasize testing, trying, and somehow not convey a sense of welcome, not withstanding Chapter 58 of the Rule of Benedict?

            I was struck by comments about work and facing reality. One capitular present in this assembly speaking in chapter at Wrentham told us that whatever the failing of an age might be, we could expect to see it in the monastery and that the failure of our age was that of failed relations. (This is how I remember her talk). I would add that our age experiences a whole complex of work related issues: having no work, having too much work, being responsible for work, not being responsible for work, etc.) All of these can be found in our monasteries. What can be to our advantage is that work is a part of our spirituality and perhaps that is the door to enter to help us.

2. The Meeting of Regional Secretaries of Formation at Tre Fontane (June 10-19 2008).

This meeting, the first of the Regional Secretaries of Formation in about 20 years, was summarized in a letter sent by the participants to the superiors and formators of the regions and accompanies this text as well. In preparation for the meeting I had sent to the Regional Presidents and the Regional Secretaries of Formation a questionnaire. Each Regional Secretary gave a report to the assembly at Tre Fontane based upon this questionnaire and any other pertinent information they wished to share. After these initial presentations each participant summarized what he or she heard and three participants prepared summaries of the summaries.  This process of successive distillation was to lead us to the points in the letter.

            Two comments: First, I am aware that some had serious questions about undertaking a review of the Ratio. I don’t know, but wonder, if the questions came more from a generation that worked so hard to bring into being the present text.  They would know all that had be considered, what had been accepted, what had been omitted. And this is very understandable.  None of the Secretaries gathered at Tre Fontane knew the whole history of the text and some came with serious questions about the text as whole or at least parts of the text.  As the letter indicates, we came away with the majority affirming the fundamental structure of the Ratio.  So for us there was an educational component to the sessions: we learned from Dom Bernardo about the history of the text, especially as we considered paragraphs that were problematic at least to some, and as we considered the basic orientation of the text. As a group we are better able to help implement the text in the regions. In this case questioning and review lead to affirmation. Questions can do that as well as critically tear down.  Let us not fear questions.

The participants came to think more in terms of the Order and not just in terms of their own Region.  When someone can say in that forum, that though their own opinion was A, but hearing that the group as a whole favored B, then that person would let go of A and move with the group on B, then we have experienced community and a seeking after the common good. We, as a group, are in a position to collaborate more fruitfully.  This, I believe, will benefit the Order.

Secondly, I considered one question of the questionnaire to be the most important. It is this: How do we initiate newcomers into a mystical tradition? Or into a wisdom/sapiential tradition.  The starting point for this question is St. Paul’s epistles and his writing on “the mystery”. A second source of inspiration is the Catechetical and Mystagogical Orations of the Fathers of the Church. This question is related to the comments/questions of MGM about how we do formation.

3. Internet initiatives.

            I spoke of these at the meeting of the Central Commission and look forward to talking with some of you here about these.  The web initiatives are very much at a beginning stage and need further work and collaboration with others in the Order.

Recommendations

I have five recommendations; the first three come from the letter from the Tre Fontane participants.

a.     That paragraph 42 of the Ratio (on monasticate studies) be adapted to correspond to the reality of our present situation. In the letter we indicate our suggested approach to the adaption. And that other minor adaptations of the Ratio be considered.

b.     That the Regional Secretaries continue their work to prepare texts to accompany the Ratio for the benefit of the communities and formators, presenting the texts in three languages, to the Regions within the next year for the consideration and use of the Regions.  (A committee from the Tre Fontane meeting does have a working draft of what this could be.)

c.      That the themes prioritized by the Tre Fontane meeting we given serious consideration by the MGM and the Regions.

d.     That a meeting of Regional Secretaries of Formation be planned for June of 2014.

e.      That future studies of formation be forward looking, that is proactive. We have spent a great deal of time on concern for departures. I have followed these discussions for ten years, first as USA Regional Secretary, and now as Central Secretary. I suggest we invest more of our creative energies now on formation for the future.

Request for a Mandate

The future is before us with its challenges and its blessings. In order to contribute as Central Secretary of Formation to the future of formation in the order, I ask for a mandate from the Chapter to

a.     Work towards a meeting of Regional Secretaries of Formation to be held in 2014,

b.     Coordinate and collaborate with the Regional Secretaries in collecting and distributing papers to supplement and complement the Ratio.

c.      Continue to develop Internet resources for the Order in the area of formation.

d.     Visit Regions whenever possible especially those in the southern hemisphere

Conclusion

            Thank you for the invitation to address the Chapter and to report on my service for the last 2-½ years. It has been a privilege and a blessing.   I would like to conclude with a passage from Abbot Gilbert of Hoyland, one that some of you may have heard me quote before:

'Strive then for the better gifts' daughters of Jerusalem, but especially that you may love. Let this striving ever impel you forward. Let this commandment ever be new for you. And new it is, unless in your affections sweet Jesus has grown old. May he always be young in you and may the lapse of time in no way lessen his grace. Yes, your Jesus is young in you. He is always new, but he is not a strange God. Truly new is he for whom you always sigh with restless love. In a word, you have only one longing, that he may please you ever more! How much does one please, when one cannot please enough? By no means can you be pleasing to yourselves more than if he is pleasing to you.  He wants your spirit and seeks nothing else. (Sermon 19.2)

Is not Cistercian formation about helping each other know that Jesus is new and young in us?

Sister Pamela Clinton

Wrentham