Jesuit brothers must live what they preach and be good role models if they want to attract new blood to the vocation. For Br Noel Oliver SJ, this was a key takeaway from the recent Brothers’ Circle Meeting themed “Vocation of a Jesuit Brother in a Diverse World”.
What is the mission of a local superior? Superiors and potential superiors from 11 of the provinces, regions and missions in our Jesuit Conference found themselves exploring and reflecting on this question during a recent workshop held in Seoul, Korea. The 36 Jesuits were participants in a Workshop for Local Superiors organised by the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific from October 4 to 10.
The recent Formation for Formators programme module turned out to be a time of grace for the participants. Fittingly the theme for this second module was “Spirituality and Formation”.
Module II of the JCAP Formation for Formators programme began with an overview of the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific to give context to the significance and importance of ensuring that the quality of Jesuit formation remains high.
On August 23, 2014, family, relatives, friends, and Jesuits gathered at the Ateneo de Manila University’s Church of the Gesu to celebrate the diaconal ordination of nine Jesuits, one from the Vietnamese Province (Joseph Pham Din Cu), five from the Korean Province (Seokbae Andrew An, Hyungsik Francis Jo, Do-hyun Paul Kim, Min Kim, Jaesang Jason Bonaventura Lee), and five from the Philippine Province (Ambrosio Faustino Flores, Alvin Dagooc Laput, Mark Peter Ledesma Lopez, Arnel Te Ong, Henry Cogal Ponce).
The Society of Jesus in Vietnam celebrates nine new Jesuit priests. Fathers Joseph Mary Cao Gia An SJ, Dominic Vũ Duy Cường SJ, Francis Joseph Nguyễn Mai Kha SJ, Martin Nguyễn Đình Khải SJ, Peter Nguyễn Đình Khánh SJ, Joseph Bùi Quang Minh SJ, Michel Bùi Hà Ngân SJ, Joseph Vũ Uyên Thi SJ, and Thomas Vũ Ngọc Tín SJ were ordained to the priesthood on August 21, 2014.
Solid formation of Jesuits is critical for the Society of Jesus to effectively carry out of its mission. It was with this uppermost in mind that 20 Jesuits came together in the annual JCAP Formators’ Circle meeting held in Singapore from June 27 to 30. The Jesuits were mainly Formation Delegates of the provinces, regions and missions within the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific as well as rectors of colleges and other key personnel in the area of formation.
The Society of Jesus in Korea celebrates five new Jesuit priests. Fathers Andrew Sung-gyoon Lee, Simon Mon-hoi Kim, Benedict On-dohk Kang, Thomas Min Han and Igwan Su-yun Park were ordained to the priesthood on July 2 at Myeong-dong Cathedral in Seoul, South Korea. More than 1,500 people participated in the ordination mass concelebrated by Most Rev Peter Chung Soon-taek OCD, Auxiliary Bishop of Seoul, and 80 priests.
On May 31, a Cambodian national, Chour Damo, 29, pronounced his perpetual vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the Society of Jesus, which signify his formal entrance into the order. He is only the second Cambodian to become a Jesuit, after Ham Toeun, who is presently doing his regency in Svay Sisophon, Cambodia. Damo made his vows at the Sacred Heart Novitiate in the Philippines, and is now a Jesuit scholastic.
Deacon John Joseph Zhang SJ from the Chinese Province shares his experience of the East Asia Theological Encounter Programme (EATEP) 2014 held in Chiangmai, Thailand from April 28 to May 17.
Happy Feast of the Ascension of our Lord!
In today’s Gospel from Matthew, our Lord sends his disciples to the ends of the earth with a mission of love and service. Within their lifetime those disciples, despite their simple backgrounds, had overcome all obstacles to tell their story and to share their dramatic message of conversion with peoples at the very edges of the known world. What courage and initiative they showed, strengthened by his parting words – “know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time”.