“Carry your cross!” This was the challenge of Bishop Honesto Ongtioco to the 13 Jesuit deacons he ordained on September 14, 2013. The Jesuit ordinands included nine from the Philippine Province – Manases L Amanence SJ, Guillrey Anthony M Andal, SJ, Antonio M Basilio SJ, Eric Anthony S Escandor, SJ, Erik John J Gerilla SJ, Jose Emmanuel A Liwanag SJ, Ruben B Orbeta Jr SJ, Neupito J Saicon SJ, and Irmo Fracis A Valeza SJ.
Ignatian News Network provides a behind-the-scenes look at Hearts on Fire, an Ignatian retreat programme for young adults, which is offered by the Apostleship of Prayer in the United States. The day and a half retreat, for single or married people aged 18 to 39, is led by young Jesuit priests and scholastics. In this experience, the retreatants are led through the Spiritual Exercises and are given one-hour guided meditations.
Three Filipino Jesuits came up with an interactive version of the Spiritual Exercises for Ateneo de Manila University’s Ignatian Festival in July. Using installation art, Br Eric Esteba SJ, Sch Alvin Laput SJ and Sch Eric S Escandor SJ developed CONTEMPLATIO, a 45-minute prayer exercise designed mainly for young people who want to deepen their faith and enrich their Ignatian identity.
The Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific recently held its first Formation for Jesuit Formators seminar. Held from August 5 to 16 in the Philippines, the seminar is the first of three modules that will be conducted in three consecutive years. The 22 formators who participated are current and future formation directors and staff of novitiates, scholasticates and seminaries in the Conference. They hail from nine provinces and regions – Indonesia, Korea, China, Australia, Myanmar, Timor-Leste, Malaysia-Singapore, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
Fr Jose Quilongquilong SJ was inaugurated as President of Loyola School of Theology (LST) in the Philippines on July 5. He takes over from Fr Jose Mario C Francisco SJ who was LST president for seven years.
As vocations fall in many provinces around the world, the Society of Jesus continues to receive good numbers for vocations in Vietnam.
On May 31, the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 15 Vietnamese men took their first vows of chastity, poverty and obedience as Jesuits. Fr Provincial Joseph Pham Thanh Liem SJ presided over the vow Mass held at the Epiphany Church of the Society of Jesus. The celebration included 35 concelebrants, many Jesuits, family and friends of the men taking vows, benefactors and lay collaborators of the Society.
It was the moment in which the Society of Jesus finally came to life in Myanmar: the ordination of the country’s first ever Jesuit priest, Fr Wilbert Mireh SJ. Watching on among the throngs of faithful who packed Christ the King Cathedral in Loikaw, in Kayah State in the country’s east on May 1, Myanmar scholastic William-Paul gave quiet thanks for an event whose implications would reverberate far beyond the people who had gathered here to witness it.
Days after the ordination of Myanmar’s first Jesuit priest, three young men took their first vows in Taunggyi, reflecting the Jesuit revival that began when the Society returned to the country in 1998.
Novices John Bosco Oo, Saw John Paul Thurein and Peter Mwe Aung Seng were surrounded by their families as they took their vows at the Holy Infant Jesus parish in the grounds of Payaphyu, an orphanage and home for the handicapped in Taunggyi in Shan State on May 5. The Jesuit novitiate is located in the same compound.
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.
Korean Scholastic Benedict Kim Kundong SJ shares his encounters with people and places in a trip he made around Myanmar, after his regency in Yangon.