Irish-British Province

KENYA
Vocation Promoters’ Workshop

The African Zone of the Society of Divine Word recently organized a workshop for Vocation Promoters. Participants were drawn from all the Provinces and Regions of the Zone.

The SSpS were represented by three sisters (from Ghana, Ethiopia and Mozambique). The workshop was held in our Common Formation Centre in Langata, Nairobi, Kenya from June 12 -19, 2005.

This Workshop forms part of the programme of on-going formation for the different sectors and dimensions of ministry in the Zone. The aim of this particular workshop was to equip participants with the necessary skills for the task of finding and accompanying suitable young men to our Society for the service of our divine Master.

In order to achieve this goal, participants were taken through topics like: sociological trends, psychological assessment, accompaniment of candidates, prayer of Healing, discernment of Brother Vocation (a problem specific to the SVD), discernment of motivation for SVD Vocation.

At the end of the Workshop participants worked out a ‘Guideline for Vocation Promotion in AFRAM’. In this Guideline, they outlined issues concerning the person of the Vocation Promoter; the presentation of the Society to the aspirant; initial contact with the aspirant leading to the ‘Come and see’ programme; the follow-up of the initial contact; and the selection and admission of the aspirant. A particular emphasis was laid on the promotion of Brother Vocation. Among the recommendations made by participants at the end of the Workshop was the resolve to promote vocations to the entire Arnoldus family. This was with particular reference to the presence of the Adoration Sisters in Lomé, Togo. (Emmanuel Kofi Fianu)

Source: Arnoldus Nota