The inter-Congregational temporally professed brothers and sisters falling under the Archdioceses of Harare, Bulawayo and Chinhoyi diocese gathered on 8 October 2022 for a workshop which was facilitated by Fr. Sthephen Nzyoki SJ at Holy Trinity College in Highlands. The norms, values and processes of internalization were among the topical discussions of the day.
It has become a norm that temporally professed religious come together every year for life-giving workshops that promote communion among young vocations. This year, the Holy Trinity College hosted the junior religious from the Carmelites missionaries, Spiritan congregation, Dominican, Little Children of Our Blessed Lady LCBL, the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary Sisters RSHM, Sisters of Nazareth, Franciscan missionaries and Oblates from Harare, Chinhoyi and Bulawayo dioceses under the theme; ‘From Norms to values and the process of internalisation’
The facilitator started the workshop with the first session in which he defined norms as rules or guidelines which guide ones’ behavior or attitude.
‘’Norms are good and useful principles which need to be internalized for positive growth. Norms help one to find his or her identity and enables one to belong, a member not by proclamation but by identity.’’ He added that internalization is a process through which something (norm, rules or actions) moves from outside the mind or personality to a place inside the mind or personality. Norms become part of an individual’s personality that guides his actions and behavior.
Fr. Sthephen highlighted that the process of internalization involves learning what rules are, understanding why they make sense and accepting the norm as part of ones’ personality.
‘’Prayer being the centre of everything, the end result of internalization is the identification in which there is we-feeling, a feeling of group solidarity, a feeling of belonging hence the mission blooms and become reproductive,’’ he said.
He said internalized norms are considered to be part of an individual’s personality and may be exhibited by ones’ moral actions. The outcome of the process of internalization is to carry out the demands of the moral rule in the absence of external pressure or in the face of oppositions, he added.
Father Sthephen encouraged the young religious to find something positive, something that keeps them going in their vocation. He encouraged the young religious to be focused and to respond positively to their mission.