This year marks the 25th year of the establishment of Arrupe International Residence (AIR) as a formation house in Manila for Jesuit scholastics across Asia Pacific. The house was built in 1990 when Fr Daven Day SJ was President of what was then the Jesuit Conference of East Asia and Oceania. It grew from a felt need for a common Juniorate in this part of Asia and began as a house for philosophers, theologians and a couple of juniors. This continued to be the composition of the AIR community until 2012, when the Juniorate programme was moved to Indonesia. Shortly thereafter, the decision was taken to turn AIR into a house for theologians and so the philosophy programme has been gradually phased out. Now there is only one scholastic in philosophy in the house.
These 25 years saw five rectors from different provinces. Fr William McGarry SJ (NYK-MIC, 1990-1996) was the first rector, followed by Fr John Mace SJ (WIS, 1996-2005), Fr Martin Suhartono SJ (IDO, 2006), Fr Koichi Matsumoto SJ (JPN, 2006-2010) and its current rector, Fr Renato Repole SJ (PHI, 2011 to the present).
Located within the Ateneo de Manila University, the history of AIR is marked by the blood of its two “martyrs” – Richie Fernando SJ, a scholastic from the Philippine Province, who died from a grenade blast while trying to restrain a troubled student in Cambodia; and Fr AT Thomas SJ from India, who was killed for his commitment to just land reform.
At present, AIR has a community of 49 Jesuits from 18 Jesuit Provinces, Regions and Missions within the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific (JCAP) and beyond.
The Silver Jubilee celebration began on July 13, the anniversary of the blessing of Arrupe House by the late Cardinal Jamie Sin and ends on February 5, 2016, the death anniversary of the late Fr Pedro Arrupe SJ, after whom the house is named. Among the activities for the celebration are the Community Annual Retreat in July, the JCAP Diaconal Ordination in September, and a Sportsfest and Pastoral Day in February 2016. The Thanksgiving Mass and Dinner was held on November 14, the 108th birth anniversary of Fr Arrupe.
In his homily at the Thanksgiving Mass, JCAP President Fr Mark Raper SJ remembered the late Sch Fernando and Fr Thomas, and recalled the recent refugee crises in Europe and violence in Baghdad, Beirut and Paris.
“Whatever public or personal tragedy we witness or experience, there are times when we may feel the world has ended or will soon end. In this case why carry on? Why trust God’s love? Why risk loving?” he asked.
Responding to his own question, Fr Raper spoke of how in the Gospel reading (Mark 13:24-32), Mark showed he understood the people’s predicament and offered them a message of hope: “your suffering will all be over soon, have courage and stand firm”.
He also offered the example of Fr Arrupe, who he said did not allow the difficulties he faced to dissuade him of his conviction in faith that God was constantly present in his life. Fr Arrupe is believed to have said in his last talk to the Fathers and Brothers at the 33rd General Congregation: “True, I have had my difficulties, both big and small, but never has God failed to stand by me. And now more than ever I find myself in the hands of this God who has taken hold of me.”
To AIR Rector Fr Repole, the Silver Jubilee celebration is a “remembering with gratitude” all the blessings that AIR has received from God through its friends and benefactors for the past 25 years. “It celebrates the gift of Jesuit priests and brothers who are now serving in various capacities in the vast vineyard of the Lord,” he said.
Read Fr Mark Raper’s homily here.
Related stories: Reflections by past and present members of the AIR community
Diversity was something we celebrated by Philippine Jesuit Provincial Fr Tony Moreno SJ, who was a member of AIR’s first community
Warmly welcomed halfway across the world by Fr Ignatius Tambudzai SJ of the Zimbabwe-Mozambique Jesuit Province.
Photo caption: The current community with the new sign in front of Arrupe International Residence (July 31, 2015)