Rebuilding for greater resilience against disasters
2 May 2017

Rebuilding for greater resilience against disasters

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

Joy.  That is what 25-year old Crisanto Lacaba feels as he looks forward to the completion of San Ignacio Culion Ecoville at the end of this year.  Finally, he and a hundred others living on Culion island in Palawan, all survivors of Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda in the Philippines) in 2013, will be able to move into new homes built inland.

“My family can feel secure even when the typhoons come,” he said, remembering his family’s experience when Haiyan destroyed their home situated along the coast of Barangay Osmeña, along with almost 5,000 other homes.

Standing up for life
21 Mar 2017

Standing up for life

by | posted in: Parishes & Pastoral Work, Province News, Social Justice | 0

Rebuilding lives and rekindling hope. This is the motto of the Philippine Jesuit Prison Service Foundation Inc (PJPS) based in the New Bilibid Prisons Reservation, the national penitentiary.  Like other Philippine prisons, the inmates are crammed in hot, dark and poorly ventilated cells. 

The prison compound has a capacity of about 10,000 inmates, but it is housing more than 24,000. The overcrowding means the inmates have to sleep in shifts.

Fr Nicolás celebrates 50 years as a priest
20 Mar 2017

Fr Nicolás celebrates 50 years as a priest

by | posted in: JCAP News | 0

Fr Adolfo Nicolás SJ marked his golden jubilee as a priest on March 17 in a manner in keeping with his characteristic humility.  The simple celebration comprised Mass in the Oratory of the Loyola House of Studies concelebrated by Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific President Fr Mark Raper SJ and Arrupe International Residence Fr Renato Repole SJ and dinner in the AIR refectory.

“It is a joy for us to celebrate you Nico. I hope you enjoy it too, even if you do not like to be the centre of attention,” said Fr Raper as he began his homily.  

Building the Philippines’ first eco-friendly school
1 Mar 2017

Building the Philippines’ first eco-friendly school

by | posted in: Education, Province News, Reconciliation with Creation | 0

Ateneo de Davao University is building a new campus for its senior high school that is being touted as the first environmentally responsible school in the Philippines. The campus has been designed to create a contemporary, sustainable and transformative learning environment following Pope Francis’ environmental directives in his encyclical, Laudato si’.  The groundbreaking ceremony was held on February 15 and the school is expected to be completed in May 2019.

EAPI: Moving beyond the reefs
18 Dec 2016

EAPI: Moving beyond the reefs

by | posted in: Formation, International Works | 0

On December 3, the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) concluded its nine-month celebration of 50 years of being faithful to its original purpose and mission – to form pastoral workers to go back to their local churches and “set the world on fire” with new attitudes, knowledge and skills to effect transformation.

“We have accomplished this in unique ways, especially with the participatory multicultural community living,” said EAPI Director Fr Arthur Leger SJ.

Directing greater energies to the poor and the peripheries
20 Nov 2016

Directing greater energies to the poor and the peripheries

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

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
17 Nov 2016

Affirming engagements with Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines

by | posted in: Indigenous Ministry | 0

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
8 Nov 2016

Eleven Jesuits ordained as deacons in the Philippines

by | posted in: Formation, Province News | 0

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.