The Good
Shepherd Sisters – Philippine Province was host to the third module of the Asia
Pacific Formators' Session held in Maryridge, Tagaytay City from August
25-September 30, 2015.
Photo: AP participants
At total of 58 formators
from the units of Central East India/Nepal, East Asia, Indonesia, Northeast
Asia, Philippines, Singapore/Malaysia, Southwest India, Sri Lanka/Pakistan,
Kenya and the Isles participated in the sessions.
17 lay mission partners and 12 sisters
involved in Good Shepherd Partnership joined the group for certain sessions, from September 8-12 while province leaders
joined from September 24-Sept. 29.
Photo: Sisters from the Philippines:Standing, Srs. Susan Montano, Laarni Bongato, Malou Castro, Betty Therese Ramos, Imelda Fuentes, Tess Figueroa, Emma Marzan, Regina Kuizon. Seated: Josefina Stella, Cielo Matuloy.
The goal of the Formators’ Session is to enable the
new formation teams to draw up the Unit formation plans in the light of the
2014 Congregation Formation Guidelines.
The
training which uses the experiential and co-learning model included topics on the Person of the Formator,
Evolution and Spirituality, Accompaniment, and Discernment. Resource
persons invited were Clare Nolan and Linda Lizada (Cenacle sister).
Sr. Elaine
Basinger together with Salomi Cruz and Josita Corera will co-facilitate the
session. Srs. Susan Chia and Elaine facilitated the first two modules held in
the Philippines, Oct. 17-Nov. 22, 2011 and Nov. 7- Dec. 7, 2012. For health reasons, Sr. Susan was not able to co-facilitate
the third module of the formators’ program.
Photo: Cultural Night, song and dance from East Asia
The
Asia-Pacific Formation core team is composed of Emma Marzan (Philippines),
Melania Jung (North East Asia), Florence Soe (East Asia), Imelda Fuentes
(CGS), Fransiska Sri Wahyuni (Indonesia), Preethi Joseph (South West
India), Mariam Kulangara (Central East India/ Nepal), Josita Corera (Sri
Lanka/ Pakistan) and Salomi Cruz (Singapore/Malaysia who is the present
coordinator). Sr. Tess Figueroa, Filipina missionary to Kenya, and
member of the international formation that helped plan the formators’ program for
all the regions of the congregation, also came as part of the team.
Europe-RIMOA Formators’ Sessios were held from July 24-August 14, 2012 and April
8-May 23, 2013
in Kenya, while The Americas
Formators’ Sessions took place in Chile from Feb 20-April 2, 2012 and
Feb 4-March 4, 2013.
Photo: Salomi, Josita and Elaine
These activities were part of the implementation of the 2009 Congregational Chapter
Direction Statement that calls us to “respond to the urgency to nurture new life through holistic and relevant formation
that prepares, renews and sustains us for the challenges of today’s realities.”
See related story: Susan Chia