One of the main themes at the recent General Assembly was the challenge of the generational gap in formation. Guided by Fr. Luis Fernando Falcó Pliego MSpS, a psychoanalyst with decades of experience, the participants were invited to reframe this gap not as a problem to be solved, but as a dynamic space for transformation.
Fr. Fernando began by asking formators to become “strangers” in their own formation houses. What do new members experience upon arrival? The responses to the Formation Survey offered a mirror to current realities, revealing a variety of feelings of among formandees. The initial reaction among the sisters was a wave of raw emotion—especially that of concern. However, Fr. Fernando guided the assembly to simply acknowledge these feelings, recognising them as the first step in a process of deep change, as mapped out in his “Theory U.”
The journey continued by identifying institutional and personal blind spots. Their honest reflection was presented as crucial for clearing the path toward genuine encounter.
A significant shift occurred when attention turned from what formandees lack to what they bring. The practice of “generative listening” builds bridges by recognising the gifts each person carries.
Fr. Fernando invited the assembly to move beyond formation focused mainly on rules and practices. True formation, he said, is about helping formandees discover their identity. The formator’s role is to accompany them as they recognise God’s action in their lives, asking not “What should you do?” but “What is the Lord offering you in this experience?”
This approach requires formators who are available, skilled in accompaniment, and committed to their own ongoing self-reflection. As the sessions concluded, participants were left with a renewed vision: formation is not about bridging a divide by filling it with content, but about creating a sacred meeting ground where, together, the Congregation can shape its best possible future.
