South African Jesuit Lodewicus Barnard came to Taiwan in 2015 where he spent three years under the International Regency Programme of the Chinese Jesuit Province. He was ordained a deacon at the Holy Trinity Church in Braamfontein, South Africa on June 29.
Deacon Barnard was born into a Protestant family. In high school, he felt that his country was clearly divided according to religion, race and economic standing, so he tried to find out what the reason for this division was by exploring the origins of Christianity. Later, he read about Catholicism and gradually liked the ancient faith that unified people from diverse races and backgrounds, so he decided to join the Catholic Church at the age of 16.
He continued to read books about Catholicism. At that time he became very interested in religious life and began to feel God’s call. He felt that God had always invited
him to serve. This led him to join a diocese in South Africa; he studied philosophy and theology in preparation for clerical formation. He also did a lot of pastoral work. But in his heart, he had a great desire to be a missionary in Asia.
Later, a Jesuit helped Deacon Barnard to pay attention to this deep desire in his heart at an annual retreat, which was led by an Ignatian Spirituality center. The Jesuit priest accompanied him to discern what God wanted him to do and helped him to explore more deeply God’s call in his life. Although the priest did not mention the Society of Jesus, Deacon Barnard was deeply moved during the retreat and began to learn more about the Jesuits. He found Ignatian spirituality and the mission of the Society of Jesus to be what he had been longing for. He joined the Society in 2013.
Since Deacon Barnard liked Chinese culture from childhood, he applied for the International Regency Programme of the Chinese Province. In 2015, he came to Taiwan to learn Chinese for two years, and in the third year did pastoral work in Tainan.
It was not easy to move to another country. The most frustrating thing for him was learning Chinese! Nevertheless, he was not discouraged. He got up at 4 am every day to pray, swim and then study very hard. He believed that his Chinese would get better and better.
Deacon Barnard also recalls how when he first came to Taiwan, he was very happy to hear music coming from a truck on the street. He got his wallet and ran to where the music was playing wanting to buy an ice cream because that was the music played by the ice cream truck in South Africa. Unfortunately there is a huge difference between the ice cream trucks in South Africa and the trucks that play music on the streets of Taiwan: in Taiwan, that is the music to let everyone know it is time to take out their garbage!
Needless to say, Deacon Barnard made many friends in Taiwan. When he was ordained by the Right Reverend Duncan Tsoke, Auxiliary Bishop of Johannesburg, along with another South African Jesuit, Ricardo Da Silva, some of his Taiwanese friends flew to South Africa to witness his ordination. The joyful and moving atmosphere complete with the presence of his family, relatives, friends and members of religious communities filled the Holy Trinity Church.
His next mission is in Ottawa, Canada to continue his studies in Church Law, but he hopes to go back to the Chinese Province after finishing his studies to teach in the theologate and engage in pastoral work.
Deacon Barnard says the desire to serve people has been in his heart since he first felt God’s call. Although at times he was frustrated during his formation, his parents’ support and friends’ encouragement motivated him to continue to respond to God’s call. Quoting Psalms 63:2, he said, “God, you are my God, I pine for you; my heart thirsts for you, my body longs for you, as a land parched, dreary and waterless, so my soul longs for you.”