What do Pope Francis’ visit to Korea, interreligious dialogue, social justice, Jesuit formation, and religious life have in common? They are some of the significant moments for the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific in 2014 and the ones we have chosen to highlight in our 2015 annual report. As is our practice, we also have a reflection from our President Fr Mark Raper SJ on the year that has passed.
Ten tertians from nine provinces recently completed the 2014-2015 Asia Pacific Tertianship in Manila. For six months, from September 7, 2014 to March 6, 2015, the tertians were engaged in ministries, chosen with the guidance of their spiritual directors. These were varied and included working in prisons, migrant service, orphanages, parishes, high schools, hospitals, and with indigenous people’s ministry.
Scholastic Rui Muakandala SJ began his theology studies at Faculdade Jesuita de Filosofia e Teologia in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Here, he reflects on the challenges he and Sch Albino Gonçalves SJ are facing as East Timorese studying in a new country, continent, culture, and language.
Two months into 2015, there are already nine new Jesuit deacons in the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific – two Koreans, six Vietnamese and one Singaporean.
At Kanyintabin village, a community nestled on the bank of the vast Pyamalaw River, Jesuit Scholastic Cyril Nay Myo Htet, better known as Phocho, sat down with a group of farmers on a hot December afternoon, a mug of sweetened instant coffee in his hand. This was the time of the year when they harvested the yields of their toil and sweat.
Indonesian scholastic Anggun Sugiyono SJ left the recent Scholastics and Brothers Circle (SBC) meeting with a greater understanding of the universal mission and of himself. Now doing his Regency in Micronesia, Sch Anggun shares with us his reflection on the meeting.
Working as an Indonesian regent in Micronesia, I realize the importance of our universal mission as one Society of Jesus. This sense of universality became much clearer during the SBC meeting.
One of the things that drove Gregory Tan SJ to join the Jesuits in 2005 was a concern for the spiritual hunger he saw around him. As he ordained Gregory to the diaconate at St Carthage’s Church in Melbourne on November 29, Bishop Greg O’Kelly SJ said the young Jesuit was now more fully equipped to help people find sustenance in the Eucharist.
Young Jesuits are being invited to participate in a one-month programme designed to help them understand the lived reality of Islam in our world. The Asia Pacific Theological Encounter Programme (APTEP) was developed by the Jesuits in Indonesia to help the Society of Jesus respond to the challenges of the Church in the area of interreligious dialogue, especially in Asia. It will be held from April 20 to May 20, 2015 in Indonesia, which is home to the world’s largest Muslim population.
Jesuit brothers must live what they preach and be good role models if they want to attract new blood to the vocation. For Br Noel Oliver SJ, this was a key takeaway from the recent Brothers’ Circle Meeting themed “Vocation of a Jesuit Brother in a Diverse World”.
What is the mission of a local superior? Superiors and potential superiors from 11 of the provinces, regions and missions in our Jesuit Conference found themselves exploring and reflecting on this question during a recent workshop held in Seoul, Korea. The 36 Jesuits were participants in a Workshop for Local Superiors organised by the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific from October 4 to 10.