This year’s celebration of the Feast of St Alphonsus Rodriguez on 31 October was a memorable occasion for the religious brothers of the Society of Jesus, not only because it was the feast of our patron saint, but also for our global gathering. Some 109 Jesuit brothers from all over the world participated in the virtual meeting hosted by the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific (JCAP). It was special, indeed, but we realised that for some of us it was very early in the morning, and for others very late at night.
Br Jeff Pioquinto SJ, Coordinator of the JCAP Brothers’ Circle, began by welcoming all the participants. He opened the Jesuit Brothers Gathering with a prayer and a video presentation of the poem, The Hands of a Brother, written by Fr Julius Gomes SJ, who was the Novice Master of brothers in Bombay (now known as Mumbai) in late 1959 and the 1960s. Some of the participants of this gathering had been his novices.
Very special for us was the opening address of Fr General Arturo Sosa SJ conveyed through a recorded video message. We prayed for the repose of the soul of his dearest mother, Margarita Abascal, who had passed away just a day before our meeting, at the age of 97 in Caracas. Our prayers are with him.
In his recorded address, Fr General welcomed all the brothers warmly on the Feast of St Alphonsus, a brother who was very special in his accompaniment of St Peter Claver in his discernment. He thanked God for all that the brothers are doing for the Society, the Church, and the world, and said that he was praying for each one of us.
Fr General Sosa presented us with some very important points for reflection. He said life and our mission go hand in hand. The vocation of the Jesuit brother is prophetic… today more than ever, he said. Prophetic for the marginalised and those cast aside; prophetic in that it helps the youth find hope; prophetic for the care of our fragile common home; and prophetic against clericalism, ambition, abuse of power, riches, honour, and pride.
He reflected on the Jesuit brothers who had influenced his own life. He was truly grateful as they were men of compassion and courage, wisdom and humour, inner freedom and integrity. They were witnesses to religious life in its essential value in following Jesus poor and humble. Serving humanity in whatever ways are needed is the fundamental call whether we are ordained or non-ordained.
Br Jeff thanked Fr General for his message, which was very edifying and inspiring. While the brothers were requested to send by chat their impression of Fr General’s address, Br Raymund Belleza SJ was invited to share his response. He said he was moved by Fr General referring to our vocation as prophetic. Br Raymund himself saw brothers active in so many different and diverse works in their witness to Christ. Our vocation is not unique but a gift from God. He concluded by thanking the steering committee for all they had done to make this gathering possible.
We were also asked to share with the group our personal reflections. Some brothers gave their responses in Spanish and Portuguese. A few of the reflections from those who spoke in English were:
- We need to know the way, show the way and also go the way;
- With Churches, especially in the USA getting empty, we have a lot to do;
- The whole world is our vocation, and we have to go on the way in the footsteps of Our Lord and Our Lady;
- The challenges today are many;
- The need to assist the poor in a way that respects their dignity;
- Finding creative ways in doing vocation promotions for brotherhood;
- Vigour and zealousness in being with the young for accompaniment and vocation promotions;
- The support given to refugees and migrants in simple ways, for example, teaching them English for their future.
In closing, Br Jeff expressed his sincere appreciation to all who generously shared their time and presence to grace the occasion. He also thanked all those who generously helped make this event of coming together a real success. He thanked the core group/steering committee of the Jesuit brothers and the Ateneo de Zamboanga University CITS for their technical help, and also our translators, Silvanna Zimmer for Spanish, and Br Davidson Braga SJ for Portuguese. Br Jeff hoped to continue communicating with one another to create a stronger bond and deeper appreciation of the complex, yet profound, and shared vocation of the brothers in this least Society of Jesus.
It was very consoling, indeed, meeting all brothers around the world who come in different sizes, generations, contexts, and cultures. We spoke different languages, and at times we got lost in translation. Even though for most of us it was our first time meeting each other, during the gathering it seemed that we had known each other for ages already. Probably because we share a common identity and language – our Ignatian/Jesuit heritage.
Noel Oliver SJ is a Jesuit brother from India, working as a missionary in Cambodia for almost a decade.