In September, 20 pilgrims from Australia will walk the 640 km pilgrim route taken in 1522 by Íñigo López de Loyola (who later became Saint Ignatius of Loyola) from his home in Spain’s Basque country to Montserrat and Manresa.
July 31 is the feast of St Ignatius Loyola, who died in 1556. Ignatius is known as the founder of the Society of Jesus but, as his feast day approaches, I am reminded that he founded the Society in concert with two others – Francis Xavier, who we in this Conference hold especially dear for he crossed the known world to Japan and reached the shores of China, and Peter Faber (Pierre Favre). The three – Ignatius, Francis and Peter – shared a room during their studies at the University of Paris, and co-founded the Society of Jesus.
The Jesuit Post interviewed Father General Adolfo Nicolás SJ during MAGIS 2013 in Brazil. The interview has been divided into five video clips, focussed on Youth Ministry, New & Social Media, Silence, Vocations, and Pope Francis.
On the Youth Ministry
On New & Social Media
This issue of Promotio Iustitiae (PI 111, 2013/2) aims to help us find in Ignatian spirituality, and in Christian theology more generally, the inspiration we need to develop new and better ways of relating to the natural world so that we are able to love, respect, and protect its integrity more effectively. Five perspectives that explore the spiritual roots of our commitment to the environment are presented. This exploration will hopefully stimulate us to become more decisively involved in the human task of “reconciliation with creation.”
Fr Michael Hansen SJ says he hopes the launch of his new book will help open up even more people to a model of spirituality that harkens back to Ignatius’ earliest ministry.
The First Spiritual Exercises: Four Guided Retreats, published by Ave Maria Press, was launched at Campion Retreat Centre in Melbourne on May 24.
Energised and inspired by its first experience of MAGIS in Madrid in 2011, the Korean Province is deep into preparations for MAGIS-World Youth Day (WYD) 2013 in Brazil. Fr Joseph Songyong Choe SJ shares their preparations with us.
The Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific has published its 2013 annual report, Jesuits in Asia Pacific 2013.
The document offers Jesuits, collaborators and friends a report by Conference President Fr Mark Raper SJ on 2012, articles on four key areas for the Conference that year – education, formation, spirituality and international works, and a brief look forward to 2013.
This year, 167 children, many from ethnic minority tribes in the hills of northern Thailand, will get help with their education costs from the Seven Fountains Scholarship Programme.
Ignatius insisted that the identity of the Society should be intimately linked with the name and person of Jesus. As the first day of January celebrates the name given to Jesus, the beginning of each new calendar year has greater significance for Jesuits. It is a major Jesuit feast. “When eight days were completed … he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived…” (Luke 2:21).
Two American Jesuits recently discussed the genius of the Spiritual Exercises in an interview with America magazine. Fr Roger Haight SJ and Fr James Martin SJ recently published books on the Exercises. Fr Haight’s book, “Christian Spirituality for Seekers”, was published this summer, and Fr Martin’s “