The Jesuit spirituality centre in Singapore turns 25 this month. The Centre for Ignatian Spirituality and Counselling officially opened on October 21, 1990, two years after Fr Paul Tan SJ, then Regional Superior of the Jesuits in Malaysia and Singapore, decided to convert the students’ hostel at Kingsmead Hall into a Jesuit novitiate and spirituality centre. Singapore was changing and growing rapidly, and the Jesuits saw in this the need to provide for the spiritual needs of the people. The centre’s first director, Fr Hilario Fernandez SJ, decided that it would focus on giving retreats and days of recollection and spiritual direction, as well as offer counselling.
In 2013, the centre was renovated to provide more facilities for individual spiritual direction and counselling. The name was changed then to the Kingsmead Centre for Ignatian Spirituality and Counselling.
The renovation was part of a gradual process of renewal.
“The primary goal of this renewal is to provide a safe, hospitable, and conducive spiritual space for people to encounter God. And we do this through our premises, programmes, and people,” said Fr Christopher Soh SJ, the centre’s director from 2012 until October 1, when he became parish priest for the adjacent Church of St Ignatius.
Fr Soh said that the main focus in the last year has been on renewing programmes, particularly in providing resources for people “to connect not just with God in prayer, but also to bridge the perceived gap between spirituality and social issues”.
In the last few years, the centre has expanded its offerings to include themed retreats, discussions and seminars, and there has been a notable increase in interest in its programmes. These are conducted by its team of Jesuits and lay spiritual directors and counsellors, as well as Jesuits and lay spiritual directors from abroad. For example, Margaret Silf has conducted talks and retreats on spirituality, and Fr Matthew Linn SJ has given several talks and retreats on healing.
This year, Fr Peter McIssac SJ gave several seminars on social ethics, and peace and justice in September and, in recognition of the sizeable Filipino population in Singapore, a day of recollection for Filipino friends and a Filipino weekend retreat, conducted by Fr Lester Maramara SJ, were held in July.
The centre has also been building collaborative connections with groups such as Caritas Singapore, the Archdiocese’s social mission body; and Earthen Vessels, a prayer community of singles and families interested in offering family retreats.
The renewal has led to a pleasant surprise. In the last quarter of 2014, the Kingsmead Centre found it was able to cover its costs. It is now trying to maintain financial self-sufficiency, when in the past its practice was to raise funds at the Parish of St Ignatius once every two years.
However, the process of renewal has its challenges. Fr Soh said that one such challenge is that of guarding against the dangers of consumerism, taking care not to let the services and programmes the centre offers become another commodity among many sought after by members of a consumeristic society. Another significant challenge is that of convincing its collaborators of the need for change, hence the need to communicate better with and offer formation to those already part of the spirituality ministry, and to cultivate new collaborators.
“This will take time, but we are encouraged by the growing number of lay people expressing interest in exercising the ministry of spiritual and retreat accompaniment,” said Fr Soh.
Fr Charles Sim SJ took over as director of the Kingsmead Centre on October 1, 2015.
For more information about Kingsmead Centre and its programmes, visit www.kingsmeadcentre.sg or its Facebook page.