Fr General Arturo Sosa is making his fourth official visit to the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific (JCAP) in the coming weeks. The Jesuit Superior General will be visiting the Australian Province from 21 January to 2 February and the Timor-Leste Region from 2 to 4 February.
His previous visits, spanning the Korean, Chinese, and Japanese Provinces in 2019, the Vietnamese and Philippine Provinces in 2018, and the Indonesian Province, Malaysia-Singapore Region, and Cambodia Mission in 2017, underscore the broad scope of his engagement with Jesuit communities and collaborators. Central to these visits is Father General’s mission to deepen his understanding of the Jesuits and their diverse apostolic works across the conference.
During his stay in Australia, Fr Sosa will be visiting Jesuit communities and works in Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide. A significant part of his trip is participating in the JCAP Major Superiors Assembly from 22 to 26 January at Peter Canisius House in Sydney, where JCAP Superiors will gather for fruitful discussions and reflections on their mission.
In between, Fr General Sosa will meet with Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP and engage with benefactors of Jesuit Mission Australia, as well as Jesuits and partners. A visit to the city would not be complete without a boat tour of the iconic Sydney Harbor, followed by a barbecue dinner.
Moving to Melbourne on 28 January, Fr Sosa will have private conversations with local Jesuits. He is also set to meet with Archbishop Comensoli, visit Jesuit Social Service, and partake in gatherings at Xavier College, fostering connections with both Jesuit and lay collaborators.
His journey continues to Adelaide with a stop at Sevenhill, the birthplace of the Jesuits in Australia, where he will engage in conversations with South Australia Jesuits. He will meet with Archbishop O’Regan before participating in a Jesuit and lay gathering at the Mary Glowrey Centre.
On 2 February, Fr General Sosa will fly to Timor-Leste, where he will be welcomed at the Centro de Formação João Paulo II in Dili. This visit provides an opportunity to witness the Jesuit missions in Railaco, including the community, parish, school, and social outreach programmes.
His trip to the capital city further includes a courtesy call to President José Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão and an encounter with the Jesuit education project in Kasait, namely, the Jesuit secondary school, Colégio de Santo Inácio de Loiola, and Instituto São João de Brito (ISJB), a teacher education institute. He will preside over the graduation Mass of ISJB, and deliver opening remarks to the graduating class.
His agenda also includes a visit to Archbishop Virgílio do Carmo da Silva SDB and a moment of prayer at the tomb of Jesuits in Taibessi, paying homage to the significant contribution of the Society of Jesus to the country’s independence and nation-building. He will end his day with a gathering at the Centro de Formação João Paulo II, bringing together Jesuits, families, friends, collaborators, and benefactors.
Father General’s trip culminates on 4 February with Mass and a meeting with Jesuit novices, scholastics, candidates, and the Magis youth group before returning home to Rome.
Related story: Accompanying change: Fr General Arturo Sosa addresses the JCAP Major Superiors