Following the launch of A Profile of a Formed Jesuit in late 2011, Jesuit Houses, especially houses of formation, have been studying how they can incorporate it into their programmes. Arrupe International Residence (AIR) is one of these.
Rector Fr Renato Repole SJ said that some reflections have been held on aspects of the Profile and, in February, a workshop focused on psychosexual and affective integration, one of the six interrelated dynamics of a contemplative in action. The other dynamics are interiority, conversation, critical thinking, universal perspective and discerned action.
Fr Renato said that psychosexual and affective integration is recognised as very important especially in our time when, as stated in the document, “many tend to put whole classes of human beings beyond the horizons of their concerns, while at the same time identifying love with eroticism and hedonism and exploiting such an identification to fuel financial gain and human degradation“.
AIR invited Ms Eva Galvey of Emmaus Center Manila to conduct a whole-day seminar-workshop on Sexuality on February 11 and opened it to whole community, even though some Arrupeans, like those who did the Arrupe Month, had already covered similar ground in other workshops.
Among the areas explored in the workshop were the difference between Sex and Sexuality, Stages of Sexuality in a Person, Sexual Identity, Homosexuality and Intimacy.
“Through exchanges and sharing of experiences, the participants were happy to realize how their horizons were widened and how they came to appreciate who they are as embodied, sexual human beings who have dreams, passions, desires which they can channel into fruitful activities in their ministries,” said Fr Renato.
The feedback received from the scholastics and Fathers who participated in the seminar showed a greater appreciation of the gift of sexuality and an awareness of how this aspect of the human person is so powerful and promises so much fruitfulness in terms of service for others.
“(The seminar) has deepened my insight/knowledge on sexuality in general, made me familiarize myself with the terminologies used, what it means to be psychosexually mature, the difference between “intimacy” and “romanticism,” said one participant.
Another participant said that the activity “was very useful in that it helped me to reflect on my religious life and acquire a meaningful knowledge of sexuality that I can apply both in community life and the apostolate.”
The workshop is the beginning of a series of modules that will try to give flesh to this dynamic of formation. Specific modules are being conceived for the Philosophy and Theology levels of formation.
Said Fr Renato: “All of this is in view of preparing the Jesuit scholastic at AIR to be a future servant who appreciates his truly being human, free to love, free to serve.”
A Profile of a Formed Jesuit is a detailed document released developed by the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific on formation for Jesuits in this part of the world. It details the groundings for a contemplative in action – six interrelated dynamics that the Jesuit in formation in Asia Pacific finds himself at the centre of and which, if he is open to the process, have the potential to form him as a contemplative in action. For more information about the Profile, click here.