The social apostolate needs to be approached from the perspective of Ignatian Spirituality, which provides a new way of seeing all things. Fr Patxi Alvarez SJ, Director of the Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat in Rome, made this point at the JCAP Social Apostolate meeting in August.
In his keynote address, Fr Paxti identified five characteristics of Ignatian spirituality relevant to the social ministry – gratitude, friends of the poor, interior knowledge, magis, friends in the Lord – and spoke of the tensions embedded in each, saying that “any fecundity comes from keeping the tension. It brings always some suffering, because there may be conflict in the tension.”
Fr Patxi’s presentation set the context for the meeting, and the five characteristics were recurring threads in the five days of discussions and workshops.
“It was a compelling reminder for all of us gathered on why and how we do the work we do,” said Sylvia Miclat, Executive Director of Environmental Science for Social Change (ESSC) in the Philippines. “I am starting to understand that placing the work in the context of Ignatian spirituality enriches and empowers, places gratitude at the onset and therefore humbles all of us, the bias for the poor, the need for interior knowledge and competence so that the best is always given, doing more because one can always do more, and that God is not just someone to re-acquaint with once a week, but is in all things.”
Sylvia was one of 33 participants and speakers who had travelled from Australia, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Thailand, Timor Leste and Vietnam for the meeting, which was held at the Seven Fountains Spirituality Centre in Chiang Mai, Thailand from August 20 to 24.
The meeting offered the participants much to reflect upon individually for their own organisations and as a group, especially in the area of capacity building. Presentations on the social context of our mission in Asia Pacific and on strategic planning were followed by the offering of two contrasting models of Ignatian social organisations – Jesuit Social Services in Australia and Casa Ricci Social Services in China. Concurrent workshops were held over two days – on leadership, communications, fund-raising, and research and advocacy. There was also rich sharing of situations and experiences from the Provinces represented and by JRS Mae Hong Son.
The participants also gained an understanding of social ministry in the Chiang Mai area through exposure trips. Three options were presented – visits to a women’s centre, a volunteer programme run by Buddhist monks and a vocational school for girls, and a visit to a Karen village to learn about their credit union activities.
Through reflection and discussion, participants identified five areas that require further development in the social ministries in the Conference – Ignatian identity and mission in relation to social ministry, strategic planning, leadership, ecology, and social analysis.
They also recognised the benefit of collaboration among Provinces with similar cultures, concerns and experiences. For example, Myanmar and Thailand can learn from the experience of Cambodia and Vietnam in refugee repatriation, and Korea, Japan and China could work together more closely.
In addition, the group voiced the need for greater strategic planning in the apostolate at the Province and Conference levels, and discussed how it might be possible to encourage scholastics and lay people to work more directly with the poor and marginalised. One idea raised was for more scholastics to do their regency in an established social centre that would serve as a “school for engagement with the poor” and provide the regent with direct work with marginalized groups as well as mentoring and skills-building.
“The meeting was fruitful,” said Fr Denis Kim SJ, JCAP Social Apostolate Coordinator. “Several participants said they felt reaffirmation of their social ministry, that they felt nurtured by the friendship in the group, and that new ideas and directions brought hope and energy to the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.
“There was also a strong affirmation of the need to be more deeply rooted in Ignatian Spirituality in the social ministry and to share this with collaborators. I found all this very encouraging.”