This year marks the 25th year of the establishment of Arrupe International Residence (AIR) as a formation house in Manila for Jesuit scholastics across Asia Pacific. The house was built in 1990 when Fr Daven Day SJ was President of what was then the Jesuit Conference of East Asia and Oceania. It grew from a felt need for a common Juniorate in this part of Asia and began as a house for philosophers, theologians and a couple of juniors.
The Philippine Jesuit Province celebrates this year the Golden Jubilee of its theologate which, in the five decades since it was established, has contributed to the intellectual and spiritual growth of 17 bishops, about 1,200 priests, 1,500 religious sisters and brothers, and 800 laypeople.
“I didn’t experience your caress when I was little because you left me on day one, and even up to now,” writes one student at a workshop on dealing with loneliness for children of Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). “But I am really longing for that time when you come home,” “and “hopefully when that time comes, I would know what it feels like to be hugged by my real mom.”
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.
Can getting a higher education benefit entire communities and even countries? Jesuit Father Michael Garanzini, Secretary for higher education worldwide for the Society of Jesus, thinks so and he has the model for doing just that.
The Jesuits in the Philippines have committed to making their various houses environmentally friendly as part of reconciling with creation. They have begun by setting up waste management activities in their houses. This is a simple yet practical step that contributes to the broader initaitive of living a simple lifestyle.
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.
A new programme designed to foster understanding of Indigenous Peoples and their culture among Christian religious and laity was formally launched in April in the Philippines. The first Asia Pacific Contextual Theology Program for Engagement Project (ACOTEP) was held from April 6 to 20 in Bukidnon, after a pilot run in Bendum and Zamboanguita, Bukidnon last year.
The Loyola School of Theology (LST) in Manila recently announced its partnership with the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in offering one of its graduate programs in pastoral ministry beginning in August 2015.
Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan (SLB), the social justice arm of the Philippine Jesuit Province marked 29 years of service to the Church and the Filipino nation recently with a week-long celebration themed “Renewing a Faith that does Justice”.
Over the years, SLB has evolved and developed programs in response to the needs of Philippine society, and the celebration from February 21 to March 1 was an opportunity to showcase current programs and introduce new ones.