With the increase in the number of scholastics, the Vietnam Province started construction at St Joseph's. Everyone looks forward to 24 new private rooms, a laboratory and a small chapel, and two more big classrooms when the work is finished.
Two Vietnamese scholastics will be going to Rome to work at the Radio Vatican. A third one will be sent to Cambodia.
Fresh faces are filling up the novitiates across Asia Pacific. Last February, Korea accepted five novices. In March, Indonesia welcomed 12 and Australia has three. Philippines has added five. And by the end of April, three more will be in the Myamar Novitiate. Thank you God for these abundant gifts!
Jesuit Refugee Service Cambodia reports that the International Convention on Cluster Munitions has now been ratified by 30 countries, which means that it will become binding international law on 1 September 2010. The director of JRS Cambodia, Sister Denise Coghlan, had been lobbying tirelessly governments as part of the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC). (Source: Headlines 2010/02 News from the Jesuit Social Apostolate)
Effective mid-June 2010, Fr Maurus Irsan Rimawal (IDO) becomes the Novice Director of Santa Maria della Strada Novitiate in Taunggyi. It is expected that four new novices will be coming in by April 30. Fr Irsan has been called to final vows in the Society, with the date to be announced soon. Fr Wardi Saputra (IDO), the current director, will take a deserved break. Thanks so much, Fr Wardi, for the 11 years you have dedicated to our Jesuit Myanmar and Thai novices.
During the last two weeks of December 2009, JESCOMEAO, JesCom Philippines and the JCEAO Scholastics and Brothers-in-Formation Circle jointly conducted a communications workshop for 24 Jesuit scholastics.
2010 has much to look forward to, especially in movements of people. Fr Norris Seenivasan (MAS) will depart for tertianship, Fr William J Currie (JPN) is returning to Japan Province and Br Dinh Ngoc Tinh (ASL) is returning to Australian Province.
Helping society recover a sense of God and improving the formation of Jesuits are among a number of challenges Father General Adolfo Nicolás says the Society of Jesus will need to face in the coming years. Read more. . .
Four Jesuits were ordained as deacons in a joyful celebration at St Ignatius Church in Richmond, Australia on 3 December.
Korean Jesuits Shin-jae Youh, Jin-hyon Lee, and Jin-hyuk Park, were joined by East Timorese Jesuit Plínio Gusmão Martins at the ordination, with Bishop Greg O’Kelly presiding. Read more. . .
Fr Primativo Viray (PHI) invited Fr Pedro Walpole (PHI) to the Juniors’ Social Forum. The day’s discussions with scholastics raised significant questions about poverty and how those who are bound to the land are poor, since they receive no benefit from society for the quality of ecological services drawn from their areas yet destroyed by others. It also drew people to consider how they might better seek experiences in reading the signs of the times in what they want to do and analyze what could be just and effective action.
The fifth East Asia Theological Encounter Program (EATEP) will be held at The Seven Fountains Spirituality Center in Chiangmai, Thailand, on April 16 – May 19, 2010. Scholastics in theology should ask their rectors and/or provincials for permission to attend. Rectors and formation directors should decide who might profit from this program. For further information see the website http://freewebs.com/johnjshea.