Following last summer’s wonderfully successful MAGiS08 event at World Youth Day in Sydney, MAGiS initiatives are springing up in many countries and regions.
MAGiS09 Africa is one – an Ignatian program for young adults in Kenya and Tanzania in August this year. MAGiS09 hopes to draw young people not only from the East African countries but also internationally.
The MAGiS08 Experiments in Cambodia gave an added impetus to Ignatian Spirituality in this Jesuit mission. The seeds that were sown in July 2008 have germinated into seedlings in the generous hearts of young Cambodian Catholics.
MAGiS has launched an extensive, worldwide review of the MAGiS08 programme, inviting participants of the World Youth Day Ignatian programme to take part in it. By gathering together comments, stories, and memories of MAGiS08, the ministry hopes to build an invaluable archive of the programme and to acquire guidance for the ministry’s direction.
Three MAGiS08 Experiments were held in Cambodia, at Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Battambang from July 5 – 11.
With just over two months to go before the arrival of pilgrims in Sydney for World Youth Day, the Ignatian World Youth Day program, MAGiS08, has almost filled its registrations with young adults from 26 countries around the world. The MAGiS Provincial Delegate, Fr Edward Dooley, says he is thrilled that the East Asia and Oceania Assistancy will be well-represented during World Youth Day.
The community of Xavier Hall is happy to welcome Fr Maharsono Probho. He has been involved in university student chaplaincy for several years now; he was assigned to our parish in Bang Saen, and appointed to be the diocesan university student chaplain. Last October he took over as our Jesuit national university student chaplain, overseeing and coordinating the work that we do for university students. He has been doing a very good job, and he is totally immersed in this.
There are now eight groups, five student groups and three groups of ex-students most of whom are working. The first group started in 1999. While the groups are young and fragile, there are some very dynamic young Cambodian Christians involved. There are also some Korean Jesuits, diocesan priests, a Filipino sister and a Hong Kong lay missionary involved as guides.