Jesuits in Korea and Japan confront ethnic reconciliation
27 Sep 2016

Jesuits in Korea and Japan confront ethnic reconciliation

by | posted in: Migration, Province News, Social Justice | 0

August is a symbolic month dedicated to peace movements in Japan. Seventy-one years have passed since the defeat of Japan in the Second World War, but the dropping of the first two nuclear bombs on Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (August 9, 1945) are still vividly remembered.

A group of 34 Jesuits, half of them from Korea and the rest from Japan gathered in Shimonoseki, in the west of Japan from August 23 to 26 to heal wounds occasioned by the worst historical relationship between both countries and to search for closer cooperation.

Serving the City, Serving the People
26 Sep 2016

Serving the City, Serving the People

by | posted in: Education, JCAP News | 0

Thirty-eight students from Jesuit universities in four Asian countries gathered in Yogyakarta, Indonesia for this year’s Service Learning Programme (SLP), hosted by Sanata Dharma University.  The theme this year – Serving the City, Serving the People: Developing Youth Social Movement within the Urban Communities – was inspired by a growing concern that city development is happening without citizen involvement.

The programme employed the Ignatian Pedagogy Framework of Context-Experience-Reflection-Action-Evaluation.

Gathering as Magis Asia Pacific in Poland
23 Aug 2016

Gathering as Magis Asia Pacific in Poland

by | posted in: JCAP News, Spirituality | 0

It was a bright sunny Wednesday afternoon that saw about 160 Magis/World Youth Day delegates from Asia Pacific gather in the courtyard of Ignatianum University in Krakow.  For many, it was a happy reunion of friends met at the first Magis Asia Pacific held last Christmas and for others, an introduction to the new Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific Youth Ministry.
 

Finding gratitude in MAGIS
15 Aug 2016

Finding gratitude in MAGIS

by | posted in: Province News, Spirituality | 0

The two and a half weeks of MAGIS and World Youth Day have greatly influenced my spiritual mind and my point of view of the world. When I first saw the poster for the meeting, I was in Paris, France studying as an exchange student. Thinking that it would be difficult to attend since I was not with the Korea group, I envied those who could participate in it and quickly forgot about the event.

Doing, giving and seeking the “more” in MAGIS
27 Jul 2016

Doing, giving and seeking the “more” in MAGIS

by | posted in: JCAP News, Spirituality | 0

More than 200 young pilgrims from provinces and regions within the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific (JCAP) have just spent a week learning what it means to be Magis. MAGIS is a Jesuit-organised international meeting of young people from all over the world held in conjunction with World Youth Day. The MAGIS programme helps to prepare them for the experience of World Youth Day by offering them an opportunity to share in a unique experience on three distinct levels: individual growth, relationships with God and others, and intercultural dialogue.

Three new Jesuit priests in Korea
26 Jul 2016

Three new Jesuit priests in Korea

by | posted in: Formation, Province News | 0

The Society of Jesus in Korea celebrates three new Jesuit priests: Fr Kim Min-cheol John, Fr Yeo Myoung-mo Paul Ha Sang, and Fr Kim Kun-dong Benedict. They were ordained to the priesthood on June 29 at Myung-dong Cathedral in Seoul, South Korea. More than 1,100 people participated in the ordination mass concelebrated by His Eminence Andrew Cardinal Yeom Soo-jung DD, Archbishop of Seoul, and 100 priests. During his homily, Cardinal Yeom called for the newly ordained Jesuits to be good shepherds who serve Christ, read the Scripture, believe the Word and do what they will teach.

Between commodity and dignity
24 May 2016

Between commodity and dignity

by | posted in: Migration, Social Justice | 0

Tokyo is gearing up for the 2020 Olympics. While athletes are training hard, the Japanese government is working equally hard to get the facilities ready in time.  To do so, it has recently relaxed immigration procedures to allow more foreign workers to work on the construction of new olympic venues. It has also introduced new regulations for foreign domestic helpers from the Philippines and Vietnam, easing the situation in the previously restricted sector.  With this, sources say that this service industry will be worth 600 billion yen (US$5.45 billion) in the near future.

Fr John Mace bids Asia farewell after decades of service
24 May 2016

Fr John Mace bids Asia farewell after decades of service

by | posted in: Education, Province News | 0

For Fr John Mace SJ, Cambodia was but the last way station in a decades-long journey in service of the Society of Jesus and the universal mission in Asia.  He had spent the last four years serving as Secretary to the Delegate of the Korean Provincial to the Jesuit mission in Cambodia.

Rest in peace
21 Mar 2016

Rest in peace

by | posted in: Migration, Province News, Social Justice | 0

Fr Andrew Lee Sung-gyoon SJ, the new director of Yiutsari, the Jesuit migrant centre in Korea, reflects on the death of a young Thai migrant worker in Korea and what it says about Korean society.

On February 8, sad news of the death of a young Thai worker came to me. I rushed to the hospital to meet his relatives and friends. According to them, this young man had been too weak to work and had gone to a small local hospital. Several days ago before his death, he decided to go to the general hospital and was hospitalised but he died one day later.

Set aflame by Magis
26 Jan 2016

Set aflame by Magis

by | posted in: JCAP News | 0

Go, set the world on fire! On January 3, 70 young people, set out to do just that in their home countries – Cambodia, Korea, Myanmar, Macau, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Indonesia – after nine days spent in the first Magis JCAP, held at Omah Petroek in Kaliurang Yogyakarta.