March 2010

2010 has much to look forward to, especially in movements of people. Fr Norris Seenivasan (MAS) will depart for tertianship, Fr William J Currie (JPN) is returning to Japan Province and Br Dinh Ngoc Tinh (ASL) is returning to Australian Province.

Former Jesuit Refugee Services International Director Fr Mark Raper has argued that all states share a responsibility to vulnerable people who cannot live decently in their homelands - whether due to climate change, natural disaster or war.

Fr Gerry O’Collins (ASL) writes: The story of my 54th book, Seek God Everywhere (New York: Doubleday) seems worth telling. In late 1975 at his Sadhana Institute (near Pune), Fr Tony de Mello SJ ran a course on the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius for seven Jesuit priests and seven religious sisters. Two or three times a week he gave hour-long talks that were taped. Several members of the group then typed out the talks and gave the others a carbon copy. Thirty years later one of the group made his copy available to me and two American Jesuits.

Development Officers’ Workshop, JCEAO Manila, 22-24 February 2010

As old ways fail, new paths open. Financial crises of recent years demonstrate that the Society can no longer rely on single sources of income such as investments, to fulfill its mission. Asia Pacific development officers, gathered for a workshop in Manila recently, explored alternative sources of support for the Jesuit mission. Being a new Conference network, they engaged in the exercise with enthusiasm and revealed considerable knowledge and skills. Many people in Asia, whether they are Christian or otherwise, do wish to contribute to our efforts, they affirmed. The challenge, and this is the core task of development offices, is to reach out to them and invite them to share in our mission. The workshop explored the practicalities of making and sustaining contact with our partners in mission.

From February 3 to 7, Tinnah, Amity, and I joined around 3,500 young people in the Manila Meeting of the Taizé Pilgrimage of Trust on Earth. Young people from all over Asia and other continents attended, to pray and share about their faith and life experiences with others. It was really an experience—praying for an hour or even more three times a day, being in silence with thousands of people, conversing with different people about one God, and listening to the reflections of the Taizé Brothers.

Effective mid-June 2010, Fr Maurus Irsan Rimawal (IDO) becomes the Novice Director of Santa Maria della Strada Novitiate in Taunggyi. It is expected that four new novices will be coming in by April 30. Fr Irsan has been called to final vows in the Society, with the date to be announced soon. Fr Wardi Saputra (IDO), the current director, will take a deserved break. Thanks so much, Fr Wardi, for the 11 years you have dedicated to our Jesuit Myanmar and Thai novices.

Last 25-28 January, the Jesuit Community in Phnom Penh hosted the JCAP meeting of Major Superiors. This was a chance for the community to welcome participants of the meeting to their new home, Prieb So (The White Dove) in Phnom Penh Thmey.

In early July 2009, eighteen Jesuit scholastics studying philosophy in Jakarta travelled twelve hours by road to an Islamic boarding school in Salatiga in the Province of Central Java. Accompanied by two Jesuit priests – Frs. YB Heru Prakosa and Greg Soetomo – they were on their way to living in that boarding house with Muslim Clerics. Is this kind of engagement significant? What is the purpose of involvement in the Muslim community?