Accompaniment: India

Initial Formation in MSC Indian Province: Mysore, Warangal, Bangalore. Following my attendance at the APIA meeting and the MSC India province’s provincial assembly, I visited several formation houses in India. Unfortunately, I could not visit the MSC India Novitiate in Kerala on this occasion. However, I will endeavour to visit Kerala on my next visit. I want to thank all the confreres in India who assisted in making this visit possible.

Hridayalaya Mysore (4-6 Oct). I was in Mysore from 4-6 October. I met with the formandi (19) and the formators (John Peter, Victor Gerald, John Britto, James Robert, Ruben). The primary reflection in the accompaniment with the students was the central identity of MSC as a Religious Congregation. The accompaniment went well, with the formandi increasingly realising their vocation as candidates for Religious Life. In the meeting with the formators, they shared their experience in accompanying the formandi and the experience of working together in a team with fellow formators. They appreciated the Emmaus Document and started to apply it in their formation program. I took this opportunity to encourage them to realise that cooperation between formators is vital. It is one of the infrastructures in the formation house.

Hridaya Jyothi Warangal (7-10 Oct). The Hridaya Jyothi Warangal community consists of 10 community members (8 formandi and 2 formators). Here, I have enough time to do individual and group accompaniment. The formandi feel very at home living in the formation house. There is a positive atmosphere where they support each other, and the formators accompany them well. There are some challenges, such as intellectual and cultural aspects. I appreciated their high desire to go on mission and specifically serve the poor. The formators did their job well (Praveen Kumar and Julius Kumar). They realised that personal accompaniment is essential in formation. Hence, they did their best to be present with the students. Their pastoral experience in the parish enriches their work as formators. The formators suggested that the formation commission of the congregation should regularly facilitate meetings between formators (National and International).

Hridaya Bhavan Bangalore (11-12 Oct). This formation house is in the middle of a densely populated housing estate in Bangalore. There are 12 members of the community (9 formandi and 3 formators). Although not much time was available, I was grateful to have the opportunity to have individual conversations with the formandi and formators (Joshua Gopini, Joseph Chinnabathini, David Muntode). The formandi are aware of their primary vocation as religious and continue to strive to live out the basic principles of religious life in their daily lives. The formators shared their experiences about the blessings and challenges they experienced during the formation period. I was impressed by their openness. The accompaniment ended with a Eucharistic celebration in the afternoon and continued with a social might to celebrate Joshua’s birthday.

Bram Tulusan, MSC