A formator should be able to draw on his own experience of reli-gious apostolic life and on-going formation and pass on what he himself has discovered and receivedÀThe action of the formator must be at the service of the action of God and the free will of the individual whom God desires to form. Thanks to what his own experience has taught him, a formator should understand that in all areas- spiritual, intellectual, communal and professional- formation does not depend primarily on a discipline imposed by authority; such a discipline is incapable by itself of producing a total commitment and giving a lasting shape to a character. The principle duty is to welcome a call and a mission which come from outside themselves and which nobody can presume to take on without such an external call.

Guide for Spiritan Formation, no. 10

1916 | Mauritius

The Pope confides the diocese of Port Louis to the Spiritans and appoints Fr. John Murphy (Irish Province) as bishop. Prior to this, he was Provincial of both the Irish and American Provinces.

1954 | Congo

Mgr. Michel Bernard, Vicar Apostolic of Conakry, is appointed Vicar of Brazzaville. He will live through many important events: the presidency of L'Abbé Fulbert Youlu (1958); independence (1960); the start of the Marxist regime (1963). On his replacement by Mgr. Mbemba, he becomes the first bishop of Nouakchott in Mauritania where he serves for the next nine years.

1982 | C.S.Sp.

Opening of the first meeting of Spiritan formators at Saverne in France.

1991 | Indian Ocean Foundation

The noviciate is transferred from Saint-Giles-les-Hauts in Reunion to Rose Hill and La Salette in Mauritius. It finally returns to Reunion in 2001.