AGENTS OF FORMATION F. The Spiritual Assistant

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AGENTS OF FORMATIONF. The Spiritual Assistant

• The Spiritual Assistant through the
• witness and sharing of his/her
• own life is a key agent of
• Formation.

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What do the General Spiritual Assistants
have to say?

• In a new manual they have recently
• written, they state among the duties
• The assistants specific area is
• spiritual
• Fostering communion with the Church
• Bearing witness to Franciscan Spirituality
• To co-operate in formation
• and to nourish the Christian life of the
• fraternity.

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He/she may serve in one or more of the following
areas depending on the needs of the fraternity.

• As a member of the Formation Team. Initial and
  On-Going.
• 2. As a resource person for the
• Formation Team.

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• As an educator of the Initial and On-Going
  Formation Team.
• 4. As an evaluator of the Formation programs,
  both Initial and On-Going.

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G. The SPONSOR

• The sponsor is a professed member,
• suitably qualified, who walks with
• the candidate through the studies and
• activities during the time of Candidacy.

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• The sponsor may be chosen by the
• Formation Team or by the candidate.
• The sponsor becomes a most valuable agent of
  Formation because of the personalized attention
  given to the candidate.

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Sponsors as Agents of Secular Franciscan
Spirituality
Plants Gospel Seeds By Holy Manner of Living
Available Model Open
Releases And Appreciates The Fragrance Of the
Other
Nurtures Growing Spirituality
Walks with Prays with Shows special Interest
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H. Higher Levels of Fraternity

• Higher Levels of Fraternity
• (Regional, National, International)
• also participate in the formation and
• updating process of individual
• members and of local fraternities.

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• They may
• provide guidelines for the
• formation programs
• suggest styles and techniques of
• teaching
• recommend resources and
• bibliography
• and may also evaluate processes of
• formation used on local levels, and
• suggest improvements.

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• In situations where there is lack of
• personnel prepared for formation at
• the local level, several options are
• possible
• a) A Formation Program held in
• common with several near-by
• Fraternities may be organized

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• b) a travelling Formation Team
• might be responsible for the
• local Formation until a
• Formation Team is organized
• c) a program to train Formation
• Teams may be established.

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• 3. Where these or similar alternative types
• of formation are used, there must be no
• minimizing of the fundamental
• relationship between the candidate and
• the local Fraternity to which he/she
• belongs.
• The candidate must always be
• an active part of the local Fraternity, and
• the Fraternity must always be an
• important agent in the candidates
• formation.

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St. Francis RegionSpirituality Investment Co.

• MISSION STATEMENT
• We bring a
• spirituality economy
• to your fraternity

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St. Francis Region Construction Co.

• MISSION STATEMENT
• We repair houses
• that have fallen
• into ruin.

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DISCUSION QUESTIONS

• 1. In your fraternity, how could a/the
• Spiritual Assistant help you?
• 2. How could you improve the teamwork aspect of a
  council and Spiritual Assistant in your
  fraternity?
• 3. How do you understand the sponsor program?
• 4. How do you understand that the SFO is a
  hierarchy with levels of governance?
• 5. Have you surrendered to your vocation as
  brothers and sisters of penance?