The group of formators gathered in Rome for the ongoing formation course visited the formative community of Porta Pia – Nomentana – on Saturday 7 September.
By Josephat Mwanake *
Since the course began on 2th September this was the first time the group got out of the busy schedule and engaging program taking place at the General House. The visit was contemplated in the program as a moment of familiarity between formators and formees residing in our houses within Rome.
The community of Porta Pia was officially opened in 2015 and later in 2022 was constituted as a house of specialization where the temporary professed members after their basic theology come to continue with their final step of formation while pursuing specialization in various theological fields from different pontifical universities in Rome. Currently, the community is composed of 9 students, 3 deacons who are completing their specialization programs and 3 priests. Two of the pioneer members of this community have already been ordained priests: Fr. Yowasi Tumusiime on 10/08/2024 in Uganda and Fr. Henrinques Mario Juma on 01/09/2024 in Mozambique. Fr. Yowasi has been destined to Taiwan while Fr. Henrinques Juma has been destined to Argentina.
The meeting started with the evening prayers (first vespers) followed by benediction and then eucharistic celebration. The Church of the community which is known as Corpus Domini is open to the public and this gave the group of the formators an opportunity to interact with the Christians and animate them through singing and also in the celebration of the eucharist. It was a moment to share the formative activities of the Institute around the world with the community. It was an opportunity to know all the places in our missions where we have formation house.
In breaking down the word of God and especially the gospel which was presenting the episode of a deaf man who was accompanied to Jesus by his villagers to be given the power of speech and hearing, Fr. Antonio Rovelli, who was the main celebrant explained that the work of the formators is that of accompanying the formees to meet Jesus who opens them up to his mission and gives them the power to hear his word and speak to it others in their evangelizing ministries as missionaries. He emphasized the fact that it is Christ who acts on the formees just as in the case of the deaf man. After the deaf man was presented to Christ by his people, it is the action of Christ that empowered him to regain his hearing and speech. It is Christ who through his action prepares and empowers his ministers He urged the formees to be open and docile to the action of Christ so that he may mould them to his desired instruments.
After the sharing at the table of the Lord, the community together with the visiting group of the formators gathered around the table to share a meal. It was a joyful moment not only of familiarity and sharing a meal but also of re-uniting since some of the formees had passed in the hands of some of these formators in the previous phases of formation (novitiate and basic theology).
* Father Josephat Mwanake, IMC, Porta Pia Formative Community in Rome.
