The Korean Jesuit Province is offering a programme to help scholastics and brothers-in-formation understand the real situation of migrants in an industrialised society like Korea, and the urgency of the issues they face. The programme will be run by Yiutsari, the Jesuit migrant centre located in Gimpo.
As they mark the 60th anniversary of the Society of Jesus in Korea this year, the Jesuits in Korea have been reviewing and reflecting on the past and the present, and will soon be discussing the future they see for their Province.
The celebratory activities began with a mass of gratitude at the Jesuit Apostolic Center in Seoul on July 31, the Feast of St Ignatius of Loyola. Then, on every first Wednesday from September to December, they held seminars to reflect on Ignatian spirituality, the Constitutions, and the Spiritual Exercises.
The Japan and Korea Jesuit Provinces took collaboration a step further in September by holding their first plenary meeting of Jesuits and collaborators working in the social apostolate of the two provinces. The meeting took place on Jeju Island, in conjunction with the 2015 Gangjeong Peace Conference.
Korean Jesuit Mincheol Kim was ordained deacon on September 5. Before his ordination, he went to Taiwan for his Arrupe Month, a period of reflection and discussion that prepares Jesuit scholastics for ordination. He shares three fruits of his Arrupe Month experience from July 16 to August 8.
To foster collaboration at various levels between the Chinese, Japanese and Korean Jesuit Provinces, the three provincials have decided to set up an annual conjoint summer Arrupe Month. The first conjoint Arrupe Month was held from July 16 to August 8, 2015 at the newly built Franciscan spirituality centre in the small and quiet historical township of Daxi in Taiwan, 30 km south of Taipei.
Solidarity in social apostolates is rapidly increasing between the Japan and Korea Jesuit Provinces. In another step towards increased collaboration, the two provinces will hold a bi-province meeting, timed to coincide with the 2015 Gangjeong Peace Conference to be held from September 7 to 9.
The Korea Jesuit Province celebrated the ordination of 10 new priests on July 1. More than 2,000 people participated in the ordination mass concelebrated by Most Rev Gyoung-chon Timothy Yu, Auxiliary Bishop of Seoul, and 160 priests, at Myung-dong Cathedral in Seoul, South Korea. During his homily, Bishop Yu reminded the newly ordained Jesuits of the Jesuit charism to be contemplatives in action that makes Jesuit priesthood possible.
We, the major superiors of the Jesuit Conference Asia Pacific, sincerely and enthusiastically welcome Pope Francis’ new encyclical Laudato si’ (On the Care of Our Common Home). He draws attention to the urgent need for reconciliation with creation, already one of our apostolic priorities in Asia Pacific. We urge all the members of our Conference, our colleagues, and all those we seek to serve to make a thoughtful and generous response to the Holy Father’s plea.
Visitors to Taiwan are greeted at the Taipei airport by signs welcoming migrant workers to the island country. The authorities provide a lot of information to migrant workers, on their rights as well as precaution measures in place, upon their arrival to the country, even before they meet their agencies or employers. In a country with 23 million people, the presence of more than half a million migrant workers is no small figure.
It was in this setting and context that this year’s Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific Migration Network meeting was held from April 21 to 23.
Two months into 2015, there are already nine new Jesuit deacons in the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific – two Koreans, six Vietnamese and one Singaporean.