This Summer of 2009, St. Aloysius Gonzaga English Language Institute (SAGELI, also known as SAG in Taunggyi) carried out an Outreach Program in the Diocese of PheKhon in collaboration with some different organizations such as Pyoe Khinn Education Center in PheKhon, and an Italian based NGO known as AVSI.
During the JCEAO meeting in Yogyakarta, and the 150th Anniversary of the Indonesian Province,Fr Paul Pollock, Superior of Thailand and Myanmar had several great visits with the scholastics. They are doing very very well, and Fr Paul was impressed how much of their Bahasa he could understand. In August they will all go to Jakarta, and then the new academic year there will begin.(Contributor: Fr Paul Pollock)
We invite all to share in the happiness of Fr Jean Barry (TAI), who was awarded a special recognition by Thammasat University, for his contributions to preparing well trained human personnel resources for Thailand. Congratulations, Jean! (Contributor: Fr Paul Pollock)
As the feast of St. Ignatius was celebrated last July, Jesuits from the Thai region recalled the numerous graces of the past year. Many, from the eldest to the youngest member, say they feel invigorated by the six-month communal discernment, which began in November 2008, and culminated with a retreat led by Fr Daniel Patrick Huang (PHI), Regional Assistant for East Asia and Oceania, in April 2009.
Progress was on the cards last week when representatives from Jesuit universities and colleges gathered at Canisius in Sydney for the 2009 General Assembly of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities in East Asia and Oceania (AJCU-EAO).
The assembly is held each year with the aim of trying to ‘better understand our shared educational mission, to dovetail our educational efforts, which often are very atomised, and to dovetail them more with the work of the Jesuit Conference of South East Asia and Oceania and the Society of Jesus’, said Fr Joel Tabora (PHI), Chairman of the AJCU-EAO . In addition, this year’s conference discussed its contribution to be made at next year’s World conference of Jesuit Presidents.
After the excitement of Fr. General’s visit and the festivities in conjunction with the Feast of St Ignatius, August seemed a quieter month. The sad demise of Mrs Corazon Aquino on August 1 brought an end to a chapter in the history of the Philippines. Her funeral on August 5 saw a number of Arrupeans taking part in the day’s event, having been given the honour, together with scholastics of the Philippine Province, to be marshals at the Manila Memorial Park in Paranãque City, where Mrs Aquino was laid to rest in the family mausoleum, next to Ninoy Aquino. It was raining for most of the week, a poignant reflection of the people’s sentiments at the passing of a heroine of our times.
Jesuit Refugee Service-Asia Pacific will hold its Regional Meeting on 26 – 30 October 2009 in Hua Hin, Thailand. Topics may include Strategic Plans of 2007-2010, Frontiers we are missing or could do regionally, Urban Refugee Issues, Solutions to the Burmese issue (Rohingyas), Priority Advocacy issues in the region, and Human resources and pastoral care of JRS staff. Participants are advised to confirm immediately with Fr Bernard Arputhasamy, JRS-AP Regional Director.
The JCEAO Consultation on Islam, held in Yogyakarta, July 21-22, gathered six Jesuits active in the study of Islam and engaged in solidarity actions with Muslims: Heru Prakosa and Greg Soetomo (Indonesia Province) hosted, Aloysius Mowe (Malaysia), Albert Alejo and Rene Oliveros (Philippines), Dan Madigan (Chair in Islamic Studies at Georgetown U) and Mark Raper, President of JCEAO.
The consultation proposed to build a network that will help Jesuits and companions of Asia Pacific gain a better understanding for Muslims and of the role of Islam in our region. Other goals include: engaging in dialogue with Muslims in ways that enhance our own faith and challenge our theological understanding; gaining greater understanding of religious fundamentalism and its strength in Asia Pacific; and supporting solidarity with Muslim brothers and sisters in Asia Pacific on behalf of human rights, peace and good governance.
From Georgetown University’s Woodstock Theological Centre, here is a short excerpt of a speech by Fr Jesuit Aloysius Mowe (MAS) on “Muslims and Christians: Where do we stand?”. He discusses the view that there are fundamental similarities in both faiths, but “the fact is that, there are many issues that do divide us Christians and Muslims, there are causes for concern”.
Jesuit Social Services (JESS) says that its program of giving scholarships to Thai girls helps them avoid the fate of many who are driven by poverty into the sex industry. Read more. . .