It was cold and chilly when the members of the International Commission on the Jesuit Brothers arrived in Rome. We were hosted by the General Curia, located right beside Vatican City and just a stone’s throw away from St Peter’s Basilica.
The composition of the commission is unique: along with me and the brothers coming from the USA, South America, Africa, Europe, and India, two women are part of the group—one layperson from Australia and one religious from the IBVM—along with two Jesuit priests. Of all the members, I only knew one Jesuit, American Br Jim Boynton SJ, whom I had met during the 2009 JCAP Brothers’ Circle meeting in Yogyakarta.
Father General’s letter establishing the Commission outlines a tripartite objective: to examine the identity, vocation promotion, and formation of the Jesuit Brother, with the hope of producing a document in three years. Fr Mark Ravizza SJ General Counselor for Formation, was designated to facilitate the group in addition to serving as a member.
Before our meeting began, we were blessed to meet with the Conference Presidents, who had just concluded their own meeting with Father General. Their awareness of the Commission’s meeting and offer of prayers was uplifting.
Fr General Arturo Sosa SJ opened the meeting by explaining his decision to appoint two women and two Jesuit priests to the Commission. He noted that, in the past, it was always the brothers’ discussing matters among themselves, but it has become increasingly valuable to broaden the discussion by including the perspectives of laypeople, religious, and priests. He stressed that this Commission would continue the work of the Brothers’ Assembly in 2022 and build upon past documents, such as those from General Congregations 32 and 34, which have shaped the identity of the Jesuit Brothers. He reminded us that the calling to consecrated religious life should be the motivation for all those entering the Society of Jesus.
For one week, the members engaged in spiritual conversations, sharing, and discussions on the three aspects of the Jesuit Brother. We heard from two invited speakers: a senior Jesuit brother, who provided a deep history of the Jesuit brotherhood, and a young Jesuit brother, who shared his perspective on how the vocation of brotherhood attracts a young person.
We were expected to come up with recommendations for Father General, but the spiritual conversations revealed the movement of the Holy Spirit among us. We were united in our thoughts and feelings on how to proceed with our task, realizing that the tripartite objectives are interconnected and require a holistic approach. To do this, we need to follow a listening process throughout the different levels of the Society of Jesus this year. We need to:
- Return to our foundational documents, understanding how earlier generations of Jesuits understood them.
- Listen to different parts of the Society of Jesus, learning how Jesuits and partners understand the identity of the Jesuit Brother and how to best advance its formation and vocation.
- Engage with the broader society, listening to the hopes and desires of young people today to better attract them to religious life.
We ended our first meeting with a Eucharistic Celebration in the chapel of the Camerette di Sant’Ignazio, a symbolic gesture of St Ignatius sending us forth on this new mission. We look forward to the work ahead in the next three years.
Br Raymund E Belleza SJ from the Philippine Jesuit Province is a member of the International Commission on the Jesuit Brothers (ICJB). He is currently the Director of the Office of Administrative Services at Ateneo de Naga University in Naga City. He participated in the inaugural meeting of the ICJB held from 20 to 25 June 2025 at the General Curia in Rome.