The Foundation of Haiti has opened a new novitiate under the leadership of an experienced novice master: Fr. Julien Rainville, CSV, former provincial of Joliette and of Canada. Previously, Fr. Rainville served as novice master in Burkina Faso, with four groups of three novices. In Haiti, he takes charge of seven novices.
“I saw the possibilities of animation with a larger group,” Fr. Rainville says. “I accepted with enthusiasm!”
Despite coming from different backgrounds and some having different accents, the group came together, he says.
“Quickly, the ice melted,” Fr. Rainville says. “Trust has been established. After a few necessary adaptations, we started to have a beautiful experience.”
The preparations began. Fr. Rainville supervised the transformation of a student residence into a novitiate, complete with renovating the chapel, the dining room, meeting rooms and classrooms. He also recruited confreres to teach different courses.
Each one chose a subject according to his interest or skills, including theology of religious life, constitution, biography of Fr. Querbes, religious life in Haiti, liturgy, psalms and more.
(L-R) first row: Vladimir Lambert, Marc-Innocent
Prophète. Top row: Matherlikens Stanis, Dickenson Desrivières, Berlensky
Cambronne, Jean Mison Duc.
“Little by little, the novitiate took on an air of well-being,” Fr. Rainville says. “Not to mention the daily hour of soccer, for the health of this group.”
The definition of novitiate means an invitation into the religious life of the Viatorians — and a life of prayer that sustains daily life.
“Everything was set up gradually,” Fr. Rainville adds, “and after six months of community life and the departure of one candidate, we found a good cruising speed.”
One of their activities was to build a small library for the novitiate, replacing the one that existed before which was used by students who lived in the house.
“At the beginning, I offered them accessible and inexpensive books,” Fr. Rainville says. “They bit. Today they read with great interest the books that suit them or those that are proposed by various speakers.”
A characteristic of this novitiate is the discovery of the word of God. Every week, they prepare the Sunday eucharist on Monday, appropriating the gospel by studying the text and meditating on it throughout the week. In addition, five days a week they meet for a personal reading of the Bible.
“Everyone goes at his own pace,” Fr. Rainville says, “noting their questions and discussing them with the person in charge. Quickly, the Bible has become a living, accessible, nourishing word. You get used to a form of Lectio Divina.”
The novices and their teachers pray every day for the intentions of the Viatorian Community — in Haiti and around the world. In turn, they ask for prayers and support.
“I have the unique opportunity to lead a beautiful group of novices, who, in my opinion, take a full bite out of what is offered to them,” Fr. Rainville says. “They do not hesitate to make their suggestions. Life is happy, without too much occasional tension. I thank God for this opportunity.”