News from the Provinces 2005
The Forum of Scholastics in Gliwice (Poland)
It was the 3rd biennial meeting of Polish scholastics on different stages of
formation. This year we were 65 from Polish provinces, two from Czech province
and one from Croatia, studying philosophy (Cracow), theology (Warsaw), doing
regency or special studies. We gathered from the 10th to the 13th of November in
“Theotokos”, a social centre run by two Jesuits from our community in Gliwice.
During these days we attended a conference on social apostolate and worked in
several groups dedicated to different apostolic fields: education, media and
culture, missions, parishes and youth, retreats, social apostolate. At the end
of the Forum we met with our Provincials, who answered our questions.
It was a good time of being together, praying together, sharing experiences and
reflecting on our ways of engagement in the Society. We remembered in our
prayers about those of us, who – studying or working abroad – could not come to
the meeting.
...Reported by Tomasz Fiedler, Poland, December 2005
Hello from the scholasticate in Bratislava
The time is going really fast. Summer holydays are definitely over and time
of studying has started.
Here in Bratislava the semester started on 3rd of October 2005. Currently we are
13 scholastics studying here, 3 in philosophy and 10 in theology. Three of us
this year have just finished theirs regency in Slovakia, Kazakhstan and
Slovenia. Our new prefect Fr Miloš Lichner, and our new spiritual Fr Peter Bujko
have started their service from July 2005. Before, Miloš has done his licence
studies in Centre Sevres in Paris and Peter finished his doctorate in Sankt
Georgen in Frankfurt. We are happy to have them among us.
During last summer some of us have accompanied Slovak groups of about 130
pilgrims participating in the Magis project. It was really a great experience
not just of faith sharing, but also of nice example of cooperation between
Jesuits.
Beside their studies some of us have started the catechesis for adults. From
17th to 23rd October 2005 two of us, Dušan Bezák and Peter Girašek, took part in
the Annual General Meeting of JRS in Rome. Before their theology studies they
were doing their regency, Dusan with JRS Europe in Brussels and Peter with JRS
Slovenia in Ljubljana. Now they are the contact persons for JRS, trying to work
on awareness raising of the refugee and migrants issue.
...Reported by Peter Girašek, November 2005
Scholastics from all over the world start academic year in Taiwan
13-15 September thirteen scholastics from the Bellarmine Community in Taiwan
held their annual organizational and introductory meeting with Fr Luciano Morra,
Rector of the community and Br Simon, Minister of the community. Scholastics
come from many different Provinces (China, Vietnam Region, Korea, California,
Philippines, Canada, South Poland and North Poland). Six of them are studying
theology, one philosophy and three are doing their Chinese language studies. The
others carry on their special studies program.
On the 16 September the Faculty of Theology at Fujen University (Taiwan) started
its new academic year with an opening Mass celebrated by a number of Jesuits. In
his homily, the Dean of the Faculty, Fr Louis Aldrich, encouraged the students
(lay people, sisters from many congregations, students of the nearby diocesan
seminary and young Jesuits as well) to have high desires and aspirations in
their studies and lives. After the Mass, the group took a picture in front of
the Theologate. The classes began on 19 September.
...Reported by Filip Klepacki, Taipei, ROC Taiwan - October 2005
The [‘magis] experience from an EJIF´s delegate point of view
Few occasions in the last times would have been able to unite over 200 young
Jesuits in some kind of apostolic project, working on a common aim. This is what
the pastoral program run by the German Jesuits: [‘magis], has turned real.
During the second week of August young people from the entire world, related
with Jesuits and interested in becoming closer to God through Ignatian
spirituality, have taken part in an international encounter of prayer and lively
discernment. Pilgrimages, street theatres, ecumenical approaches, meetings with
disabled people, music and liturgical tasting, Logos & Sensation experiences,
and so on, have been some of the displayed means to achieve a deeper contact
with Christ and his dreams for every one of us.
Besides, it has been for all of us, Jesuits and participants in [‘magis], a
singular preparation for the World Youth Day with the universal Church at
Cologne together with Pope Benedict (16th-21st of August). Some typical
prejudices, together with the cultural, sometimes problematic, peculiarities
were over-passed among us, towards a freely personal encounter with Jesus and
his Church.
In other words, I have seen a young European Society able to work united and
with a deep desire on doing so. A young Society wishing to ask together, in an
explicit way, for new companions on the service of Christ.
...Reported by Ignacio Ramos,
October 2005
Scholastics in France: Friends in the Lord
From Friday, March 4th to Sunday 6th, 103 Jesuit scholastics studying in
France gathered at “Le Châtelard”, a spiritual centre located near Lyon
(France). The theme of the meeting was “Friends in the Lord”, which will be the
motto for the Jesuit Jubilee Year in France. What is this Jesuit “friendship”
and how is it different from plain “brotherhood”? Fr Patrick Goujon sj gave a
lecture that demonstrated how the Society had found this word when trying to
talk about our specific relationship between us.
Fr Odilon de Varine sj, a long time provincial and tertianship instructor, gave
a testimony on how our way of living together had changed in the last fifty
years. Four Jesuit scholastics from all over the world talked about their
experiences of friendship in the Society, sometimes difficult and sometimes
joyful. Fr François-Xavier Dumortier sj, provincial of France, explained how
christological and how related to our mission was this friendship. All this was
combined with small group workshops, personal and liturgical prayer, long meals,
social times… and enough beer ! This meeting has been a real experience of this
very Jesuit friendship that was born in Paris, five centuries ago.
...Reported by Erwan Chauty, June 2006
Germany: Scholastics' Symposium GER 2004 on the Loreley
From October 29 to November 01 the scholastics of the German Province had
their annual meeting on the famous "Loreley" rock, towering above the river
Rhine. 27 scholastics gathered, together with their new Provincial, Stefan
Dartmann, and the Provincial's assistant for formation, Stephan Kessler. We
spent four days exchanging ideas, praying together, and talking about the topic
„events as a tool in pastoral work with youth.“ Therefore Hans Hobelsberger gave
a lecture about chances and risks of such big events like the World Youth Day.
Moreover, we inspected and visited the area on which next year [`magis] - the
Ignatian contribution for the World Youth Day 2005 - is scheduled to take place.
The new Co-Co-Members of EJiF visited us for one day. They were also planning
and looking for locations of the next EJiF-Meeting, which will participate in
the World Youth Day next year.
We were happy to welcome scholastics from the Austrian Province (ASR) in our
midst. This is an important step into future, since next year we want to hold a
meeting for all German-speaking scholastics in Vienna, Austria. We are hopeful
that more will follow in the years to come.
...Reported by Felix Schaich, January 2005
The other face of Centre Sčvres
In our traditional way of proceeding in the Society, a place for studies always provides an opportunity to share multiple artistic talents. So is Centre Sčvres, our faculties of philosophy and theology in Paris. The evening of Friday, 27th November, was devoted to a multicultural and musical production from students and professors, a convivial break at mid-term. Travelling from Africa to Vietnam, from Malta to Romania everybody could listen popular songs or classical instrumental plays. On the stage and in the audience were Jesuits, nuns, lay people: a colourful picture of the diversity of the students. Nonetheless, it was the opportunity to discover that a prefect of studies can also sing and a president can play the flute.
...Reported by
Gregoire Catta, Paris, January 2005