There were many wonderful spiritual gifts that emerged from the Ignatian Spirituality Network (ISN) gathering held in the last week of April and attended by representatives from various provinces, regions, and missions across the conference. Several participants came directly from the International Conference on Ignatian Spirituality, Pedagogy, and Leadership at the Ateneo de Manila in Quezon City, Philippines. On a Sunday—without the infamous Manila traffic—a mere half-hour drive from campus took the group to the town of Angono, where the newly renovated Loyola Retreat House-Spirituality and Art Center served as the venue for the next five days.
The first day was devoted to settling in both physically and spiritually, beginning with a half-day recollection led by Fr Robert Rivera SJ of the Philippine Province. This session set the tone for the days ahead, which focused on sharing, planning, and deepening the understanding and use of discernment in common and synodality. The evening ended with a Mass presided over by Fr Christopher Dumadag SJ, director of formation for the Center for Ignatian Spirituality (CIS) Philippines. After dinner, Fr Dumadag also led a community prayer, which created an atmosphere of openness and understanding among the participants.
As Monday dawned bright and hot, network members reported on the different programmes, projects, and developments aimed at promoting and sustaining Ignatian spirituality in their localities. Asia Pacific, with its diversity of cultures, languages, and religions, requires creativity, zeal, and agility from those involved in this ministry. It is consoling to note that despite Christians being a minority in this part of the world, Ignatian spirituality is thriving in diverse settings and contexts.
The next few sessions were both insightful and thought-provoking. Fr Francis Alvarez SJ of the Philippine Province joined the group for an evening and the following morning to discuss how to promote spiritual conversation, discernment in common, and the synodal way using the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm. With clear and concise language and using easy-to-grasp and often humorous examples, Fr Alvarez took a “designer’s perspective” on applying the classic Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm— context, reflection, experience, action, and evaluation—to the teaching of Ignatian spirituality.
Fr Jun Viray SJ addressed the network for the first time as JCAP President, getting to know various members and their work. He delivered a talk on Deepening Discernment in Common, emphasising how the Society of Jesus can contribute discernment in common to the process of synodality. Fr Viray introduced a three-year programme emanating from the Jesuit Curia in Rome. The first phase, beginning in November, will see experts meeting in Salamanca. The second phase, in 2026 and 2027, will focus on training facilitators for discernment in common. The third phase, also in 2027, aims to build institutional strength and sustainable resource centres worldwide.
An interactive workshop on translating Ignatian spirituality texts using artificial intelligence (AI) tools was delivered by Vanessa Gorra and Ria Limjap of JCAP Communication. Thoroughly riding on the advantages of technology, Gorra was online as she introduced the basics of AI and its capability to help with translation. She presented some questions relevant to the network: Can AI be used for spirituality? Can it ably translate Ignatian terms like “discernment”? Is it capable of conveying the tone of prayer or spiritual direction? Participants compared several AI translation tools by translating a sentence on discernment into their own languages. The exercise showed that while AI is reliable for translation, the human element is still essential. This was perhaps most evident as participants helped each other, shared, and discussed their results, coming away from the session with a better understanding of the technology available to support their work.
The Philippine Province hosted this year’s ISN gathering, with the CIS Philippines team and Loyola Retreat House staff showcasing the uniqueness of Angono, considered the “art capital” of the Philippines. The town’s vibrant art scene and deep well of faith offered the ISN group a firsthand experience of how everyday life, spirituality, and creativity can flourish together, producing an energy that carries us onwards for the greater glory of God.
