Novice directors representing Myanmar, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, the Philippines, the Chinese Province, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam, together with Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific (JCAP) President Fr Jun Viray SJ and JCAP Formation Delegate Wardi Saputra SJ, came together for the Novice Directors’ annual meeting in Siem Reap, Cambodia, from 2 to 6 June.
The group was welcomed by Fr Simon Oh-Chang SJ, superior of the Jesuit Mission in Cambodia, and Sr Denise Coghlan RSM superior of the Metta Karuna Reflection Center. Organised and facilitated by Fr Fortunatus Parwoto, novice director of Myanmar, the novice directors gathered to share our experiences of consolation and desolation in our mission of forming our novices.
In particular, the group shared in the desolation of the provinces of South Korea and Japan, which have no novices this year. But we also found consolation in the increasing number of vocations in other JCAP provinces like Vietnam, the Philippines, and the Chinese Province.
Peace activist Tun Channareth shows the novice directors the “wheels of reconciliation” located along a pond hollowed by a cluster bomb at the Metta Karuna Reflection Center
The desire to have more vocations, and to help not only to promote but also to maintain them, was reflective of our desire to understand more deeply the present contexts and challenges faced by our young candidates and prospects. This was proposed as the main theme for next year’s meeting.
At the meeting, the group also received input from Fr Hung Pham SJ on the Constitutions of the Society of Jesus. As Fr Pham was in Spain for the Ignatian Immersion Course and could not attend personally, the sessions were done via Zoom. Nonetheless, the two days of input were much appreciated by the novice directors.
The novice directors also spent a day visiting the Jesuit school of Sisophon; some took the opportunity to visit the great temple of Angkor Wat. On the last day, Sr Denise introduced the group to Tun Channareth, who accompanied them around the Metta Karuna Reflection Center, explaining its goals and dreams for Cambodia and its people.
