Formators from the initial formation houses of the AOS and AON Provinces attended a training session at the Gbodjomé novitiate on 15 and 16 May 2026, led by the General Councillor for Formation, Father Silvio Roggia, and the General Councillor for the Central and West Africa Region, Father Alphonse Owoudou.
The first day, led by Father Silvio, was devoted entirely to the presentation of the new version of the Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis et Studiorum. Through an interactive session, the formators were able to explore the key points of the Ratio: the interplay between formation and mission, pastoral accompaniment, understanding the screening process and admissions, and the formation of formators. The topics covered enabled participants to identify the various strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats specific to their context.
The second day, meanwhile, focused on a presentation by Father Alphonse on the theme ‘Building bridges between the stages of Salesian formation’. He centred his reflection on three key areas: the continuity of the person being formed throughout all stages; the irreplaceable pedagogical specificity of each of these stages; and transition – the art of passing the baton between formation teams without losing the living memory of the person. To these three areas, he added a critical reflection on the risk of psychologism as a false substitute for accompaniment, and a particular focus on the context of the Global South. He particularly emphasised the need for formators to work together to ensure continuity in initial formation whilst respecting the specific nature of each stage of formation. He strongly encouraged the formation teams from the different stages of formation to meet regularly.
These two days of meetings provided a valuable opportunity for the trainers to engage in discussions with the two members of the General Council.
Togo – Training session for trainers from the AOS and AON provinces