Academic Visitation in India (2016-2017)

Academic visitation is a time to witness the fraternal formation offered to our younger brothers, to remind the formators of our priorities and appreciate them in the name of Br. Mauro our General and his Council. It was an interesting and enriching experience for the academic visitators namely Brs. Christy Vattakuzhy, Jaime Rey, Albert De Souza, John Paul and Charles Alphonse to visit all the nine major study houses in India (Philosophates and the theologates), run by our Capuchin Friars in India.

As per the objectives the visitators had a face to face dialogue with both the staff and the student friars in each of these houses of formation. They also made a study of the formative realities which included academic programmes, documents, formative structures, credentials of the professors, daily and weekly schedule, publications, seminars, Economic structures, library and other formative facilities.

They inspired the staff and student community with insights from Bologna Process, Franciscan Contemplation, Canonical insights about recent challenges, Ratio Formationis, affective maturity and fraternal life. At the end of the visitation they also met the staff together and gave their feedback in general about the formative process. A detailed report about this visit with the suggestions to improve further the quality of our Capuchin Formation in India will be sent to all the Major Superiors. And after getting their feedback it will be presented to the General Council.

It is so encouraging to see so many young men preparing themselves to serve the Lord in our Franciscan Capuchin Way and it also calls for a deeper commitment to accompany them in their formative journey. Any Major Superior who takes into serious consideration ‘the formation of the young men who come to join us’ is truly responding to God’s call to prepare the Order for the future. By choosing Ratio Formationis as the central theme of the next General Chapter, our General Minister and his Council are intending to further sharpen the focus of our brothers towards a well updated and integral formation programme for the entire Order. Let us support their initiatives.