Br Paul Noonan Formation Centre, Tamale: A bit of forgotten history

Sunday, June 27, 2010

A bit of forgotten history

(Taken from our Educational Record of 1919 from an account entitled A bit of Forgotten History written by Br J Ward.)

In 1875 a National Synod of the Irish Hierarchy, held in Maynooth, issued decrees binding on ‘Brothers who conduct schools.’ The decrees, aimed specifically at our congregation, were of such a nature as to destroy traditions and long-standing customs of our Institute, and in the opinion of the Brothers, to alter materially our Constitutions.’

When the decrees were published in 1877 the Superior General, Br. Aloysius Hoare, sent two Brothers, Anthony Maxwell and Austin Grace to Rome. Among clerical friends they met there were the Redemptorists, Frs Douglas and Morgan who were both strong promoters of devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. Fr Morgan was very active in helping with the presentation of our case and both priests insisted in placing the whole case under Our Lady’s protection. The Superior General directed all Brothers to make a novena to Our Lady. Subsequently Fr Morgan wrote to Br Anthony urging him to: ‘Have real confidence in Our Lady of Perpetual Succour and, if you think well to do so, make her a promise to put one of her pictures in every one of your schools, and to promote devotion to her among your pupils if you win your cause- and it will succeed.’ This course was pursued and on Dec. 3rd. 1878, the appeal was decided in our favour.

However, early in 1879, the Bishops reopened the case. Fr Morgan’s faith did not falter: 'Our Lady of Perpetual Succour will take care that you do not lose. She will protect the good cause, so confidence.’ Again ‘Try to weather the storm bravely under the mantle of Our Lady. She will protect you and bring all things right.’ Again Our Lady won the day and, on March 14th. all former decisions were reconfirmed.

‘Glory be to God in the highest, and everlasting thanks to our Lady of Perpetual Help.’

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What do we want this novitiate to be?

There is a saying that goes something like this: “If we don’t do what we believe in, then we’ll end up believing in what we do”. Without a vision that is authentic and alive to guide our actions, then we can settle for rationalizing the status quo or what is convenient and comfortable.
One of the first things the new team in Tamale did was to spend time beginning to articulate its vision of a novitiate beyond the basics laid down in our Constitutions. Here are some elements of what we came up with:
Novitiate is a journey, a process that involves KNOWING, EXPERIENCING and CHOOSING.
It is an INITIATION into Christian Brother religious life, so a “rite of passage” into a new identity, a time of learning and testing.
Novitiate confronts the novices with the Brother’s vocation as a call to brotherly solidarity and community, not to privilege, status and security.
It involves exploration of the basic values of faith and vocation, and the challenge to embrace these out of personal conviction and free choice.
Novitiate means understanding that a religious vocation makes a claim on the whole of the person and his life, including his inner life, his relationships and his professional activity (ministry). Furthermore, it challenges the novice to see the dynamic inter-relationship of these areas and to learn what their integration means.
Novitiate is a time of DISCERNMENT. The novice learns more deeply who he is, and what this Christian Brother life is. There is a constant back-and-forth movement between these two poles as an answer is sought to the question, “Is this where I am meant to be? Is this the life that will enable me to find my true self in God?”