With the theme “Missionaries of Hope, Tracing Paths,” the meeting of the Consolata seminarians (inter-formandi), held in São Paulo from September 5 to 7, promoted sharing, prayer, and fraternal living among young missionaries.
By Júlio Caldeira *
Known as “Interformando,” the gathering aimed to strengthen bonds of communion, share life and mission, and nurture the family spirit and prayer that inspires the missionary journey.
With the theme “Missionaries of Hope, Tracing Paths,” 20 students, accompanied by their formators, took part in the event. They came from the Propaedeutic and Philosophy communities (Curitiba), the Novitiate (Manaus), and Theology (São Paulo) of the Consolata Missionaries (IMC) in Brazil. The group included young men from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, and Uganda—an expression of the international, intercultural, and fraternal dimension that characterizes the Institute.
During the event, the young missionaries emphasized the richness of living together and of cultural diversity. For Mathew Karisa Masha, a Kenyan theology student at João Batista Bísio Seminary (São Paulo), “the experience was marked by the sharing of ideas, life, and formation, and I hope this spirit of communion will continue in the future in the mission.”
Philosophy student Alberto Bruno Silva da Rocha, from Consolata Seminary (Curitiba), highlighted “the value of intercultural moments, which revealed diversity lived out as fraternity and the opportunity to better understand each other’s cultures and the journey of every formative stage.” Colombian novice John Anderson Useche, from Santo Óscar Romero Novitiate (Manaus), emphasized that “Interformando was a concrete experience of the spirit of family desired by Blessed Joseph Allamano, seen in the integration of the formative stages, in fraternal living, and in intercultural joy.”
Community life, prayer, and reflection
Living together across different cultures fostered openness, fraternity, and preparation for a missionary life marked by solidarity and dedication.
On the first day, the young men shared the journey of their formative communities in Brazil. Father Paulo Mzé, IMC Regional Superior in Brazil, shared motivations for living the mission in the country and presided over the Eucharist. In the afternoon, Michel Musulin Soeltl, professor of Theology at the Pontifical Catholic University (PUC-SP), presented his thesis, “Missiology in the Time of Artificial Intelligence,” reflecting on the challenges and opportunities of faith in the digital age.
The second day was marked by moments of communion, prayer, and reflection on the family spirit, inspired by Blessed Joseph Allamano, Founder of the Institute. This moment was guided by Father Mauricio Guevara, who reminded: “Allamano teaches us that the community is not a tribunal, but a house of consolation and reconciliation,” with “the capacity to love, forgive, and always begin again.” The Eucharist was presided over by Father Diego Gonzaga, a priest of the Diocese of Santo André, who completed part of his formation within the Consolata family.
Father Júlio Caldeira, IMC, Novice Master in Manaus, Brazil.
