Recalibrating our response to the call of the Eternal King

posted in: JCAP News | 0

Recently I was called to Rome for two meetings, the first was a two-week meeting of the Coetus Praevius (Preparatory Committee) for General Congregation 36, and immediately following that, the six Conference Presidents stayed on for our annual meeting with Fr General. The backdrop to our time in Rome could not have been more apt – Syrian refugees were arriving in Europe by the tens of thousands. What I heard from JRS Syria director, Fr Nawras Sammour, about the conditions in Aleppo, Homs and Damascus remains with me still today.

Jesuit universities boost green initiatives

Jesuit schools in Asia Pacific are committed to growing green campuses in response to the Society’s growing ecological concern.  As a group, the members of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities in Asia Pacific (AJCU-AP) recognise the need to develop ways to reduce consumption of waste material and to find a means to recycle them. They deem it essential to lessen the consumption of energy, paper and water, and instead make use of clean energy to minimise the emission of greenhouse gases.

A first conjoint Arrupe Month for the “chopsticks” Jesuit Provinces

posted in: Formation, Province News | 0

To foster collaboration at various levels between the Chinese, Japanese and Korean Jesuit Provinces, the three provincials have decided to set up an annual conjoint summer Arrupe Month. The first conjoint Arrupe Month was held from July 16 to August 8, 2015 at the newly built Franciscan spirituality centre in the small and quiet historical township of Daxi in Taiwan, 30 km south of Taipei.

Kicking up a storm with “The Tempest”

posted in: Education | 0

After almost 30 years, Shakespeare returned to the stage in Kuching thanks to the students of St Joseph’s Private School, a Jesuit-run institution in Malaysia.  The 100-strong cast and crew dazzled audiences at the Archdiocesan Curia and Cathedral Parish Centre (ACCPC) of St Joseph’s Cathedral with their performance of a modern English version of William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”.

GC 36 – Responding to new calls and urgent needs

posted in: General Congregation 36 | 0

The Preparatory Commission (Coetus Praevius) for GC 36 met in Rome from Monday, August 31 to Saturday, September 12. The task of the group, which included Fr General Adolfo Nicolás SJ and the Conference Presidents, was to draw up an agenda for the upcoming General Congregation.

Postulates

The group examined the 146 postulates that had come in from all over the Society of Jesus. Topics included the renewal of our community and individual lives, our mission, and governance of the Society.

JRS urges Australia to increase humanitarian intake

posted in: Migration, Province News, Social Justice | 0

The impact of the Syrian refugee crisis in Europe has jolted Australia into realising that it needs to respond more urgently and generously to the humanitarian disaster caused by the Syrian conflict. Jesuit Refugee Service Australia (JRS) welcomed on September 8 the Australian government’s determination to provide further assistance to those fleeing conflict in the Middle East.

JRS urged the government to increase immediately the current annual humanitarian intake from 13,750 to at least double that, given the scale of the current crisis.