The Asia Pacific Tertianship programme, which started in Manila last September, comes to an end on 1 March. A diverse group of Jesuit priests and one brother from the Philippines, Slovenia, Lithuania, Spain, South Korea, the United States, and Vietnam have completed the final period of their formal religious formation, during which they made the full Spiritual Exercises again. Here, in their own words, they reflect on this significant journey.
Br Le Cao Tai, Peter (Vietnam)
Br Peter Le Cao Tai from the Vietnamese Province entered the novitiate in June 2002 and professed his First Vows in 2004. In 2007, he was sent to be a missionary in Laos, renouncing his Vietnamese citizenship to obtain Lao citizenship. He graduated from the Lao National University in 2013, studied theology in Vietnam from 2016 to 2019, and later returned to Laos to study the country’s literature. Before Tertianship, he worked in the social apostolate for two years.
Br Peter says his Tertianship experience filled him with gratitude and affirmed his vocation as a Jesuit brother. “During the 30-day Spiritual Exercises, I cried a lot with joy and happiness because I felt that I was loved by God in a special way, even though I was a sinner, not worthy of that love,” he says. “Feeling God’s love for me helped me to courageously live my vocation, serving God and others unconditionally.”
He also deeply valued the international aspect of the JCAP Tertianship programme, having never lived in an international community before. “I felt the warmth of brotherhood in the community life. We had many opportunities to live together, share with each other during sessions, and spend time together in Mass, meals, and vacations. We shared about our countries, previous missions, joys and sorrows, consolations, desolations, difficulties, and challenges. Although we come from different countries, we feel connected to each other in the universal body of our Society of Jesus.”
Fr Joel Liwanag SJ (Philippines)
Fr Joel Liwanag SJ from the Philippine Province joined the Jesuits in 2003 and was ordained in 2014. In December 2023, he returned to the Philippines after completing his studies in the UK, where he earned a Doctorate in Psychotherapy and Counselling from the University of Edinburgh. His most recent assignment was as the province vocations director.
Fr Joel particularly appreciated the dynamic of the group. Despite their diversity in background and experience, he notes the openness and trust among them. “This is particularly evident when we talk about our personal experiences both in our sharing sessions as a whole community and in less formal small group gatherings,” he shares. “[It] has made me appreciate not only the universal character of the Society of Jesus, but also the value of being friends-in-the-Lord.”
Fr Vaidas Lukosevicius SJ (Lithuania)
Fr Vaidas Lukosevicius SJ of the Central European Province was born and raised in Lithuania. He joined the Society of Jesus in 2000 and was ordained in 2008. Before Tertianship, he worked in a Lithuanian parish in the United States for over four years. Before that, he was in Johannesburg, South Africa, serving refugees in the Jesuit Refugee Service.
Despite more than 20 years as a Jesuit, Fr Vaidas is still amazed at the immense richness of the Society of Jesus, saying he came to the Philippines eager to know the Society of Jesus better. “I am grateful to my province for allowing me to do my Tertianship in the Philippines, being so far away from my homeland, Lithuania,” he says. “I feel at home here. The people are very friendly and very religious. I was especially happy when I did the Christmas service at the Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe.”
A lover of nature, Fr Vaidas was moved by the beauty of the north. “The mountains, rivers, and rice terraces; the genuine smiles and love of the people made me realise once again that faith in Jesus is a universal language. [It] helps you understand without words, and no matter where you come from, who you are, or where you are, you feel that we are all brothers and sisters to each other.”
Fr Roberto Quiros Tomas (Spain)
Fr Roberto Quiros of the Spanish Province joined the novitiate in San Sebastian and was ordained five years ago. He studied humanities and philosophy in Salamanca and pursued theology in Madrid and Boston. Before joining the Society of Jesus, he studied special education and worked as a teacher in a school for autistic children. Prior to his Tertianship, he was a campus minister, teacher, and high school tutor at the Colegio Nuestra Señora del Recuerdo in Madrid.
Fr Roberto treasures two key experiences in his Tertianship: living in an international Asian community and immersing himself in the realities of the Philippines. “At the beginning, we were living with a Filipino family in the diocese of Kalookan, celebrating the Eucharist, blessing the sick, and helping in feeding programmes for the children. At Christmas, I had the opportunity to help with the diocesan clergy with the Masses in Pasil in the province of Kalinga, where, besides celebrating dawn Masses, I got to know the traditions and the living faith of the wonderful people who made me feel like I was a part of them.” He describes these experiences as “true encounters with the risen God, through so many faces that the Lord puts in our lives”.
Fr Michael Rossmann SJ (United States)
Fr Michael Rossmann SJ of the USA Midwest Province joined the Jesuits in 2007— right after graduating from college—and was ordained in 2017. He served as province vocations promoter before pursuing a doctorate in missiology at the Gregorian University in Rome. Known online for his popular One-Minute Homilies, he continues producing weekly videos even while in the Philippines.
Fr Michael cites the full 30-day Spiritual Exercises as the highlight of his Tertianship. “I also made the long retreat as a Jesuit novice, but it was much more meaningful this time after many years of Jesuit life and much more experience with Ignatian prayer,” he says. He also enjoyed the “beautiful diversity” of the Tertianship group and how “spending this time together also reveals how much we share as Jesuits, regardless of our country of origin”. An American Jesuit who considers himself fortunate to have lived in Europe, Africa, and South America, Fr Michael “was drawn to getting to know the Church and the Society of Jesus in a part of the world where I had never lived before”.
Fr Chester Yacub SJ (Philippines)
Before joining the Jesuits, Fr Chester was an electronics and communications engineer with a degree from the University of the Philippines. Before Tertianship, he completed his PhD in the United Kingdom, specialising in International Relations, a subfield of Political Science that extends beyond domestic politics to encompass global affairs.
Reflecting on his years as a Jesuit, Fr Chester likens his formation to a construction process. “The main pieces were there; they only had to be assembled. Personal and psycho-spiritual formation ensured my structure was sound, reinforcing my core so I would not collapse under pressure. Studies in philosophy, theology, and the social sciences built my navigation systems, allowing me to see and understand the world with greater clarity, read the signs of the times, and discern the right trajectory. Community life provided the necessary support, the scaffolding that kept me upright when I wavered. Apostolic work—teaching, research, community engagement, priestly ministry—was my test firing, the controlled environment where I was stretched, challenged, and refined. These trials revealed my strengths and the areas where I still needed reinforcement.”
He continues: “Tertianship is where the One who has built me, guided me, and sustained me conducts the final checks. This is where I go deep, where my systems are tested one last time. Am I ready? Not just in skill, but in faith. Not just in knowledge, but in trust. The tests now are not about my capabilities alone but my willingness to be sent—my openness to embrace the unknown.”
He knows this is where he is fuelled, not just with ambition or ability, but with His grace. “This is where I let Him strip away anything that does not belong, anything that might cause me to falter in flight: sinfulness, self-doubt, attachments, fears. I go down, deep down, not to question my vocation, but to touch its very core—to remember that I am not my own, that I belong to Him, and that my mission is not about my success but about His greater plan.”