Soon we celebrate the Ascension of Jesus, the end of Easter time. “Go, make disciples of all nations”, Jesus instructed after his resurrection, giving his followers a universal mission.
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.
Development officers across the Asia Pacific Conference recently gathered in Seoul, Korea to share experiences and discuss plans for the coming year.
In conjunction with World Water Day on March 22, the Reconciliation with Creation taskforce in Asia Pacific conference has called for Jesuits and collaborators to be more aware of our responsibility to the world that God created. The need to focus on water is clear as 2013 has also been declared by the United Nations as the Year of Water Cooperation.
This year’s East Asia Theological Encounter Programme (EATEP) will be held from August 1 to 24.
EATEP is a Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific programme that adds to the theological formation of young Jesuits. It focuses on Asia theology, inculturation of the Catholic faith and inter-religious dialogue, and includes an immersion experience in Buddhism. It is held at the Seven Fountains Spirituality Centre in ChiangMai, Thailand.
The Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat has released “Promotio Iustitiae no.110”, a document dedicated to the Global Ignatian Advocacy Networks, which are centred on five areas – Ecology, Right to Education, Management of Natural Resources and Minerals, Migration, and Peace and Human Rights. “Promotio Iustitiae no.110” provides an introduction to the networks, a theological grounding for Ignatian advocacy, a possible model of collaboration, and position documents on each network, including objectives, and plans for future action.
If the JCAP major superiors needed a reminder of the extent of and differences in our Conference, the last two locations for our biannual meeting certainly provided that. The island Republic of Palau, population 20,600, is a vastly different locale from that of our previous assembly held last July in Macau, a part of China, population over 1.4 billion.
Jesuit scholastics and brothers from across the Conference gathered in Cambodia at the end of the year to reflect on healing a broken world. Mark Lopez SJ, Chairman of SBC 2012 Core Organising Committee, provides this report of the meeting.
The Jesuit Conference Asia Pacific (JCAP) continues to seek venues to strengthen reflection, and network through participation in formation programmes, and institutional and province reviews. In Asia Pacific, there are continuous challenges of social and environmental injustice, limited basic education for the poor, and the needed revision of values in a culture of consumerism.
Colégio de Santo Inácio de Loiolá, the new Jesuit secondary school in Timor Leste, is on track to open as scheduled on January 15, with its first batch of students in Year 7.
On December 15, 79 boys and girls were informed they were successful in their application to the school. They had undergone a three-stage selection process that began in August.