Montfortian Formation and Encounter Days
[FR]
LEUVEN, Belgium – On 17th December 2022 about fifteen people amidst chilling winter participated in the Montfortian Formation and Encounter Days (MVOD) session facilitated by Fr. Frans FABRY, SMM.
In Belgium we usually offer people who have been touched by an aspect of Father de Montfort's spirituality (through a conference, a retreat, a pilgrimage, our magazine Mary, mediator and queen) to offer the possibility to continue and deepen their discovery. This activity was interrupted by Covid 19 for two years and we have just relaunched it. In the French-speaking part of the country, a Daughter of Wisdom sister with a very motivated lady used to organize formation days in different places each year. Because of their age, they have made it known that they cannot continue this apostolate, but soon the group of young fathers in Belgium will relaunch an appropriate formula.
In the Dutch-speaking part we organize two training days a year, one in the spring and another in the fall. The initiative was born from the ongoing formation offered to the confreres to which lay people were also invited. This has developed and currently especially those who have participated in one of our pilgrimages are invited. We have very varied forms of pilgrimage, and we plan each time the renewal of baptismal promises inspired by Father de Montfort. The activity is always published in our journal, and there are subscribers who subscribe to it.
We started this activity in our reception house in Banneux-Notre-Dame, we continued in a Foyer de Charité not far from Mechelen and now our days take place in Heverlee, near Leuven.
The Annunciates sisters offer us a very beautiful house, the only drawback is that it is in the center of the country and for many pilgrims it is far. We are aware of this disadvantage, but the enthusiasm of the participants is great.
Finally, we were able to resume the activity of pilgrimages and therefore we have just relaunched the training day. Due to special circumstances, the date chosen was very late in the year, December 17, and to make matters worse, winter had invaded the country. About fifteen brave people were present and they were very happy. In Dutch we call these days MVOD, which means ‘Montfortian Formation and Encounter Days’.
This organization is currently led by a team of lay people and Fr. Ghislain KASEREKA, SMM is the president of this team. MVOD began in 1975 when Fr. Frans FABRY, SMM was the Provincial Superior. This was with the aim of ensuring the permanent formation of the confreres.
Fr. Aimé KAMANDA, SMM
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