Course in Franciscan Spiritual Accompaniment

Porte Alegre (Brazil). The XXII Course in Franciscan Spiritual Accompaniment (AEFRAN) was hosted by the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Aparecida, in the São José neighborhood of Porte Alegre. The course is held each year around this time.

This year’s course was a full six weeks of work, beginning on January 21 and ran until March 2. The purpose of the course is to prepare its participants to offer spiritual direction to the religious and laity who request it. The seven men and nine women religious who participated in the course were from all over Brazil. There was also a participant each from Angola and Mozambique. Among the total were six Capuchins, one Conventual friar, and two Poor Clares.

Anyone who wishes to be a spiritual guide must first have his own authentic experience of faith. For this reason AEFRAN is a very experiential course and demands an integration of the Franciscan tradition, the Word of God, and psychology in the journey of faith.

Br. Sergio Dal Moro, General Councilor