Jesuits in Africa Reviewing Formation Program to Suit Current Mission Trends

Explaining the need to come together as Jesuits to deliberate about the preparation of candidates for their society in the face of changes in society, Fr. Anyeh said, "We need to see how this formation affects young people and how to improve on what we already have. A lot has been done, and a lot can still be done and the society in the world today is shifting demographically." 

During the Assembly, participants deliberated on topics around personalized formation for each Jesuit, the need for men in formation deepening their sense of Jesuit identity as they proceed with their probation, the input of lay collaborators into the formation process and discerning ways of aligning formation with the Universal Apostolic Preferences of the Jesuits, among others.

In an interview, Fr. Anyeh underlined the concept of “probation” in the process of Jesuit formation saying, “Formation is not just training, going through an educative process but it is probation and that is the specificity of Jesuit formation.”

“If someone enters in the society later in life, with already a career and already specialized with a degree, the tendency is to shorten formation,” he noted and added, “There is more to general formation than just preparing for priesthood, the whole idea is forming the religious in us, preparing us to engage in the mission of the society of Jesus.”

On his part, the General Counselor of the Society in Rome, Fr Mark Ravizza, said that the idea of probation is not about “getting it right” but that a man in formation gets a sense (of) whether the Society of Jesuits is right for him.

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“Formation isn't about trying to push, stretch and squeeze men into a Jesuit mould,” Fr. Ravizza said and added, “This image sees the formators being in control, instead of God. Christ is the formator and the invitation is to discernment, both on behalf of the formators and of the men in formation.”

He emphasized the need to “see formation as a process of transformation” and therefore aim toward holistic formation that brings “together our academic, spiritual, communal and apostolic spheres of life.”

While making his presentation on renewing Identity, Mission and Profile of Jesuits in Formation and Formators, Fr Mike Lewis said that formation of young Jesuits should not be “exclusively on academic formation” and that it should pay “attention also to emotional and psychological needs.”

In this regard, Fr. Lewis noted, “professional and psychological input” should be used where necessary and formators need to have creativity, imagination and depth in the face of the mega trends in Church.

“Men in formation are afraid of being dismissed if they do not fit into the Jesuit mould. So, they are afraid of talking of particular problems they might have. Through pursuing a personalised model of formation which responds to each person's needs, formators would be encouraging an environment of transparency,” Fr. Lewis said.