One foot in the air

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One foot on the ground, another in the air – always on a journey to serve God.  This is an image Fr Ross Jones SJ, President of Saint Ignatius’ College, Riverview in Sydney, Australia uses to show what it means for students and teachers in a Jesuit school to be contemplatives-in-action.

Directing greater energies to the poor and the peripheries

When Pope Francis visited the Philippines in January 2015, his message to the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus was clear: to go to the poor and the peripheries.  It shone a light on what then Fr General Adolfo Nicolás had asked of the whole Society when he convoked General Congregation 36 in December 2014, which was to reflect prayerfully on what more the Eternal King is calling the Jesuits to do.

Affirming engagements with Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines

An important area of concern for the Philippine Jesuits is the continuing poverty and marginalisation of indigenous peoples, the largest concentration of which can be found in Mindanao, southern Philippines.  The island is home to 18 indigenous tribes whose lives and cultures are threatened by pervasive military conflicts between government and rebel groups, and the degradation of their natural environment.

Eleven Jesuits ordained as deacons in the Philippines

Eleven Jesuits were ordained to the Order of Deacons on October 29 in the Church of the Gesu, Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines.  The new deacons are Soo Young Park, Changmo Cho, Chang-hyon Lee, Kyoung-Woong Peter Park, Anthony Ochen, Leslie Joseph Bingkasan, Stephanus Advent Novianto, Harvey Mateo, Martin Licup, Felipe Yohan Jr and Roseller Atilano Jr.

A path to self-determination through education

A close encounter with the Tboli communities in Lake Sebu in the Philippines reveals their great love and pride for their cultural identity. This can be felt in the way they assert and protect their rights and in their local governance. A spirit of unity, collaboration and openness manifests not only during festivities but also in the daily rigours of life.

A whole story of gratitude, renewal and hope

“There are a lot of stories we can tell about these two institutions, but they are a whole story of gratitude, renewal and hope”.  

The two institutions are Loyola House of Studies (LHS) and the Loyola School of Theology (LST) which this month concluded their yearlong golden jubilee celebration.  At the closing dinner on September 11, Fr Antonio Moreno SJ, Philippine Jesuit Provincial and Loyola School of Theology Vice-Chancellor, described the story of LHS and LST as a tale of appreciation and optimism.

Ateneo de Davao University underscores commitment to the environment

The southern Philippine island of Mindanao is home to an abundance of natural resources, chief among them are forests and aquatic resources that sustain and nourish ecosystems. But big agricultural developments and large-scale mining activities have resulted in land dispossession of indigenous communities, violence and environmental degradation.

Serving the City, Serving the People

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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.