Report on the 2 Day Regents’ Meeting

In June, 2005, three of the newly First Professed who are assigned to assist in our formation communities as regents, participated in an orientation meeting.

In the photo are (fm L) Showe Reddy, Abraham, Fr. Martin, Fr. Teja, and Michael.

The following report was written and submitted by Br. Michael:

We started the meeting with a short prayer. Then Fr. Teja officially welcomed us, as newly professed members to this special task of regency, on behalf of the district council. At the very outset of the meeting, Fr. Martin asked us about our reaction when we first heard that we are appointed as regents. The three of us, Br. Abraham, Br. Showe Reddy & Br. Michael, expressed how we felt on hearing about our appointment as regents. After this sharing Fr. Teja explained briefly about this regency as the year to learn, to develop and to deepen and gave us a short questionnaire and asked us to reflect and to share. They are as follows:

a. Write out the knowledge, skill, and attitude that are needed to perform this task of regency, where my primary duties would be to educate, to inform and to motivate?
b. What is my expectation from this program?
c. What fears/worries if any, about this regency program?

After a short reflection we shared our views and both of the fathers were pleased with our sharing. Then Fr. Martin defined regency as ‘give and take’. Here we receive more than what we give. He also gave some useful instructions for us in order that we may do this task more professionally.

 Be a prayerful person yourself
 Give priority to the least among the students
 Be friendly with the students but don’t be the friend of students
 Have a positive tongue i.e. don’t badmouth about the community or the members you live with.
 Maintain the secrecy of the community.
 Have a good spiritual guide.

In the evening session Fr. Teja explained to us some of the vital points from the ‘Ratio Formationis’ for the regency program. They are as follows:
It’s a period of time during initial formation which is set aside for full time ministry. It’s an integral part of the formation program. It is intended to reinforce and to deepen the formation given prior to regency. It’s to provide pastoral formation for ministry.

Purpose:
 To continue formation in a setting that is less structured than the seminary, thereby challenging the brother to act from his convictions and values.
 It is more focused on service and ministry rather than study, thereby challenging the brother to focus on the needs of the Church and of others.
 It is a reflective time, thereby enabling the brother first to understand God’s saving mission in cultures and religions different than his own.

 Enable the brother to understand the ways in which God wants him
 To understand people and cultures different from his own.
 It enables the brother to understand how he can be formed by these people.
 To understand and accept what they can teach us.
 To understand and to communicate what they are ready to receive from us.

 To introduce to the brother the forms of ministry that reflect our district’s ministerial orientation in order to discern and deepen his commitment to the congregation.

Duration: The length of the regency is one year allowing the time for vacation and retreat.

Supervision: The rector of the major seminary will be the coordinator of the regents. He approves program for each regent.

Regent Director:

 Meets with the regents every two weeks to reflect on the items under purpose.
 Do an evaluation at the end of each semester with the regent.
 Speak with the person in charge of the regent’s ministry.

Personal time: The regent is to have one day free in a week, free from responsibility which can be used according to his need.

Before the end of the regent year, the regent has to present a report about his reflections on the year, at least in 1000 words.

Through this meeting we have come to know the significance and various implications of the regency year. It has also enabled us to know what it means to be a regent. Finally, both the fathers wished us best of luck for this special year. And with a prayer we brought this fruitful meeting to an end.