Fr Renzo De Luca SJ has been appointed Provincial of the Japan Province of the Society of Jesus. He succeeds Fr Yoshio Kajiyama SJ, and assumes office on March 1. An Argentinian by birth, Fr De Luca enters into his work as provincial with a long history of engagement not only with the Japan Province and in the context of its origins dating back to St Francis Xavier, but also with the concrete issues facing the Society around the world today.
The Vietnam Jesuit Province recently celebrated the profession of final vows of Br Vincent Phạm Đức Tuấn SJ and the ordination to the diaconate of four Jesuits.
Br Vincent pronounced his final vows on January 18 in the chapel of Saint Joseph Jesuit Scholasticate in Saigon, Vietnam. He entered the Society of Jesus on September 9, 1997 and will be celebrating his 20th year as a Jesuit this year. At the end of the ceremony, Br Vincent asked those present to pray for him. “Pray that God grant me a lot of love and grace to live my vocation as a Jesuit filled with happiness.”
Father General Arturo Sosa, Superior General of the Society of Jesus, has appointed new Presidents for the Jesuit Conferences of Africa and Madagascar, Latin America and Europe.
The Asia Pacific Tertianship programme includes a two-week Christmas exposure programme during which the tertians spend two weeks with various communities. They offer this joint reflection on the experience.
Barnabé Hounguevou is a scholastic from Benin, West Africa staying in Arrupe International Residence. He was one of 39 participants in the Scholastics and Brothers Circle Workshop held in Seoul, South Korea from December 19 to 28, 2016.
Jesuits in two Jesuit Conferences have agreed to collaborate on a research project to promote better understanding and dialogue among Muslims and Christians in Asia. The 10 Jesuits from the Conferences of Asia Pacific and South Asia came to this decision during the meeting of the Jesuits among Muslims in Asia (JAMIA) held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from December 26 to 30, 2016.
On January 13, Father Arturo Sosa SJ, Superior General of the Society of Jesus, joined the community of Centro Astalli (Jesuit Refugee Service Italy) in commemorating the International Day for Migrants and Refugees at the Church of Gesù, the Mother Church of the Society in Rome.
“This moment presents an important invitation to the Society of Jesus to accompany, with its few resources, and to share in the anxieties and hopes of the refugees here in Italy and everywhere in the world,” said Fr Sosa at the event.
In the two years since it was set up, Jesuit Social Service (JSS) in Timor-Leste has embarked on several projects to promote community development and empower the poor to become self-sufficient. Water and sanitation is one of four priority areas and a key project aims to provide communities with access to clean water.
The Justice in Mining Network is conducting a survey of mining activity and related issues in communities where Jesuits have a presence either individually or through institutions. The survey, which is open to Jesuits and Jesuit institutions, seeks to identify the key concerns around mining and its related impacts in areas where there is a Jesuit presence.
The documents from the 36th General Congregation (GC 36) of the Society of Jesus have been published. The 17 documents which include two formal decrees – one on Mission and the other on Governance – will be the basis of a discussion to be held this week by the JCAP Major Superiors and Directors and Secretaries of Works. They will review and reflect on GC 36 and its implications for the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific at the province level and on its Apostolic Plan 2014 to 2019.&n