Fr García Morcuende personally met each of his confreres, with whom he was able to talk about their personal situation, the atmosphere of the community and the house in general. In addition to this he shared some information about the Congregation and a moment of formation, presenting a reflection on the Salesian educator and pastor in the Educative and Pastoral Community.
The formation house has favourable conditions to carry out its irreplaceable and privileged function of initiation into Salesian religious life, and already at first sight it is possible to understand the seriousness with which this "founding" experience of Salesian life is carried out. The formators have a clear awareness of the specific nature of this experience, and are seriously willing to implement it well. The study of the Constitutions – the second fundamental book to be studied at the novitiate after the Gospel –, the liturgical life of the Church, personal prayer and fidelity to spiritual guidance are well taken care of.
The novitiate sees to integral formation, taking into account all the dimensions of the person in dialogue between spiritual and human life, without neglecting any of them: the relationship with God, with others, self. Adherence to the Lord and the gift of self must increasingly acquire the character of wholeness.
In practice, every novitiate in any Order or religious Congregation has the person of Jesus Christ at its centre, prayerful relationship with him, the formative work of the Holy Spirit, the accompaniment and support of the good Father in the figure of the novice director, and of the formative community. Difficulties ion the vocational journey are an opportunity to grow in integration between one's vocation and daily life; to look at and embrace discernment, which is the fruit of faith in the Lord during that journey.
In this context, the Extraordinary Visitor also positively assessed the contribution of the human sciences used in the Novitiate: it offers great help to formation as an auxiliary to other tools to accompany the gradual intertwining of human and spiritual dynamics.
Fr García Morcunede positively assessed the keen awareness of the unity of religious and apostolic life. The Salesian project of life includes charismatic ministry, which is as important an element as the vows or the common life insofar as this mission characterizes the Congregation and is its raison d 'être in the Church and in the world. In his opinion, the entire validity of the novice's formation depends on a healthy balance of these two things: the novitiate presupposes an equal sense of consecration and mission in a vital and articulated unity.
At the end of the visit, the General Councillor for Youth Ministry offered some recommendations to the formators, for them to help to continue to grow in fidelity to the Salesian vocation and mission.
