The annual Meeting of Formation Assistants and Rectors of East Asia and Oceania was held on the Ateneo de Manila University campus this year. It was organized by Fr Jose Magadia, Rector of the Loyola House of Studies, of the Philippine Province. The meeting focused on Psycho-Spiritual Formation, and looked more closely at the Philippine Province experience in this area. Among the resource persons for this meeting were Ms. Eva Galvey, Executive Director of the Emmaus Center, and Fr Nilo Tanalega, Executive Director of the UGAT Foundation. Emmaus is involved in the formation of religious, and UGAT is a counseling center, focusing on families and overseas workers.
Held from August 5 – 7, 2006 at the Center for Family Ministries (CEFAM) Building, this year’s conference gathered 20 Jesuits representing formation houses in Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines, and the Arrupe International Residence, to discuss issues and to share insights from their individual and collective experiences in the formation of Jesuits. Fr Orlando Torres, Father General’s Counselor for Formation, was present for this gathering, and shared some of the more recent developments in formation from other parts of the world.
The meeting likewise gave Philippine Jesuits who reside on the Ateneo campus the opportunity to come together at the Loyola School of Theology to listen to input and reflections on Jesuit Mid-Life by Fr Torres.
