Province of Canada – partnership – training pathway

PROVINCE OF CANADA – PARTNERSHIP- TRAINING PATHWAY-.

The purpose of this communication from the Partnership Committee of the Province of Canada is to inform you of our way of working with people and groups who are connected to the community. Three fundamental elements have led us to a new way of working with our collaborators. Firstly, the decision of the General Chapter of April 2018 to breathe new life into the partnership in the Institute. Secondly, the fact that, for some years now, we no longer have the Montfort Gabrielite Associates. These existed for thirty years. There were more than a hundred of them divided into five groups and they met about ten times a year with a well-structured formation programme. The ageing of the members is the main reason why the Associates’ activities have stopped. Finally, the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, where gatherings were requested to be cancelled or reduced to a minimum. 

With this background in mind, the Partnership Committee set to work and it took several meetings before it was able to decide on a way to proceed in view of the availability of the brothers and also the ageing of the partners. The committee therefore chose to address the following people and groups: our employees, the laypeople involved in our committees and our boards of directors; the members of two groups: the former students of the Saint-Arsène Orphanage in Montreal and the Saint-Gabriel Network (an association which brings together people interested in making a just and fraternal world happen).

These people and groups who already know the community have not had or have received perhaps little information on the charism, spirituality and mission of Father de Montfort which inspire the three Montfortian communities, their partners and associates. To these people and to the members of these groups, we sent a letter or an e-mail to inform them of the objectives and the project of the Partnership Committee.

Project objectives :

• To provide information on the charism, spirituality and mission of Montfort, on the community of the Brothers of Saint Gabriel and also on the witness and commitments of people connected with the community.
• To create a family spirit around these themes in a communion of fraternal thought.
• To support, energise and grow our faith through our witness, our words and our actions on a daily basis.

What drives the community to intensify the partnership is that we are aware that we have received a gift from God that we must share with others. This gift is not only for the Montfortian communities, but for the people of God and for the world.

Proposed project for 2021-2023 :

At the outset, it must be made clear that this new impetus to the partnership is an invitation to which people respond freely. Some people will be interested in reading the information that we disseminate, others will use this information to make a training course and finally, those who do not wish to receive our communications are asked to simply inform us.

When partners receive a communication, they are invited to read the texts attentively at their own pace, to meditate on them and perhaps even to discuss them with others. After reading these texts, perhaps people will feel called to live their faith in the light of the Gospel with Montfort. We have informed the partners that the project will last for a certain period, from 2021 to 2023. Furthermore, we tell them that the documents they receive are free of charge.

Training pathway :

• 1st sending: October 2021: Summary of the life of Montfort.
• 2nd sending: February 2022 : The Brothers in the time of Montfort and today.
• 3rd sending: May 2022: Spiritual sharing on the foundations of Christian life.

For the year 2022-2023, we have chosen three themes: October 2022: Jesus-Wisdom; February 2023: Mary; May 2023: Baptism.

Each mailing includes a letter of introduction, a document on a given theme, a reply envelope and an email. People are invited to respond by post or email on the content of the texts: questions, comments and so on.

Conclusion:

The members of our committee are well aware that they are conducting an experiment and as such, they are attentive to the reactions of the partners and their suggestions.

Brother Yves Ladouceur, s. g. – By the Partnership Committee