News from the Provinces 2006

 
Ignatian Night – a nocturnal path of prayer towards Fatima

[Photos]

More than five hundred young people walking and praying in the rain in the middle of the night. Can you imagine that? That’s what happened on the night from the 3rd to the 4th of November, from dusk to sunrise, on a road leading to Fatima (the well-kn own shrine in Portugal).

In fact, it was the 7th time that the Youth Pastoral of the Portuguese province has organized such an event. The original idea was to gather, in a common experience, all the young people and friends connected with our work from all over the country. The idea of having an all night prayer walk sounded very risky at first but, the fact that young people like different and radical things, encouraged us to go ahead with this alternative kind of pilgrimage (far from the traditional way of doing it). It has been really comforting during these years to watch people’s reactions to this particular way of living, expressing and growing in faith.

This year’s Ignatian Night started at 10 p.m. in Ourem, a village 12 Km away from Fatima, and finished in the main chapel of the shrine of Fatima at 7.30 a.m. During the walk we had: mass; a procession and adoration in the streets of the village, where the procession was accompanied by 70 torches and where at some points it was made even more meaningful by some invited singers, singing religious songs; walking in silence for an hour in the rain; walking and sharing two by two; praying the rosary; a final prayer in the chapel with Our Lady; and, in the end, breakfast.

In the end everybody was exhausted but very happy. Once more, Fr. Carlos Carneiro sj and his team (he was coordinator of the 32 Jesuits who were involved, nine of them being priests), succeeded in bringing God to people in creative ways.

...João Delicado, Portugal - Photos by Francisco Campos, December 2006

 
Changing public perceptions

Following the recent European trends the influx of asylum seekers, to the Maltese shores triggered a lot of xenophobic sentiments. In an attempt to address this problem JRS Malta is committed in giving priority to asylum seekers in detention centres, offering legal assistance and social work services, and lobbying to change the government’s detention policy. The organisation also works at raising awareness on the plight of refugees through several campaigns and outreach projects within our schools and communities. It does this in collaboration with the Faith & Justice Centre with its studies, on such topics published on its magazine Orbis. The centre also acts as the National focal point for European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia, (EUMC).

Apart from the JRS, other Jesuit institutions are making their part. Just to name a few: Our social centre (Paolo Freire Institute) which organizes an informal education programme, receives immigrant children to take part in the programme. The University Chaplaincy organizes activities in collaboration with other student organizations such as those with the medical students, for immigrant children during the festive seasons. Finally St. Aloysius’ College with its social programme for its’ students – The Arrupe Programme – which works on the formation for the encounter between cultures.

For more information you’re invited to visit the Maltese Jesuit website: www.jesuit.org.mt. 

...Anthony Mifsud, Malta, December 2006

Helping others to reflect on creative expression

All throughout Italy it's been lately possible to take part in a stimulating cultural association which deals with artistic and creative reflection coupled with production. Founded by Fr. Antonio Spadaro S.J., BombaCarta is a school of creative expression which doesn't present any marking scheme. Participants aim "to learn the art of friendship by living out our passion for the arts", believing in the strong and unifying power of communication which in turn increases "our enthusiasm and our understanding of difficulties". A strong persuasion of those who belong to this association is that true art should be related to life, helping to deepen a personal existential research and to build authentic relationships. All this is lived as a common adventure, in the joy of sharing a fruitful collaboration which stimulates to win ever possible barren self-closures. Bearing in mind that artistic efforts could facilitate the focus on one's life and its surroundings, BombaCarta would definitely help much in this regard, providing the participants with a useful Ignatian tool which will enhance the personal discernment process.

...Reported by Luca Uggias from Italy, November 2006

Manresa House, Dublin: European Tertianship 2006

The first European English-speaking Tertianship started on Monday, 18th September, 2006. The Tertian Masters are Joseph Dargan SJ, of the Irish Province, and Jan Van de Poll SJ, of the Netherlands Province. There are twelve tertians: Br Bart Bosteels SJ, of the North Belgian Province; Fr Bernard J. Barry SJ, of the Missouri Province, USA; Fr Victor Betancourt Ruiz SJ, of the Russian Province; Fr Robert Bujak, of the North Poland Province; Fr Sergio Cavicchia SJ, of the Italian Province; Fr Robert Danieluk SJ, of the North Poland Province, working in the archives at the Jesuit Curia, Rome; Fr Peter Paul Gangl SJ, of the Austrian Province; Revd Ludger Joos SJ, of the German Province; Fr Grzegorz Luszczak SJ, of the South Poland Province; Br Dieter Müller SJ, of the German Province; Fr Anthony Symondson SJ, of the British Province; and Fr Claude Tuduri SJ, of the French Province.

The tertianship began with the blessing of the house by the John Dardis SJ, Provincial of the Irish Province, at 8pm. Present were the Mark Rotsaert SJ, the European Provincial, Martin Donelly, the architect, of Robinson, Keefe and Devan, Anthony Callanan, the contractor, of Merrion Contractors, builders and people associated with the project and their wives, members of the Manresa House retreat team and community, and visiting Jesuits from other Dublin communities. The blessing was followed by a reception and visitors were invited to tour the premises. Wine was generously donated by the contractor.

The new building was added on to the existing novitiate, built in 1978, forming a central courtyard with a fountain, and glazed passages on three sides forming a cloister. There is a new circular chapel with stained glass designed by Peter Maguire, a kitchen and refectory and a series of interview rooms extending into the former stable yard. The grounds surrounding the new tertianship have been landscaped by Eilish Murphy; lavender bushes are planted close to the house, and in the courtyard there are olive and catalpa trees. Behind the chapel there is a square garden, bordered by beech hedges enclosing a lawn with wooden benches. Established trees on the site have been left in situ, so have the creepers on the original stable yard walls. A fine 18th-century portrait in oils of St Ignatius of Loyola was presented by the Netherlands Province and hangs above the fireplace in the assembly room. A good library is present in English in the Retreat House and for other languages in the building due to the gift of the North Belgian Province.

... Info: www.tertianship.eu, November 2006 

Friends in the Lord – Amis dans le Seigneur: The French Jubilee

As you may all know, (well I hope so!) this year is a special year for the Society...and by the way a very special year also for the French Province. Our provincial decided to organize a huge event for this summer. His bet: 10.000 persons in Lourdes, the city of Bernadette, with the three first companions: Ignatius, Francis of Javier and Pierre (I write it in French because in one way… he’s French... Well, even if the "Savoie" was a separate province in those days, it's definitively part of France now). But why did we choose this place? First of all, it's the symbol of our French church. Also as you know, Lourdes is a pilgrimage place for ill persons, with appropriated equipments. There will be more or less 3,500 CLCs, 2,000 Ignatian sisters, 350 Jesuits, our families, our friends and many others... 8 days of joy, prayers and feast between 27th of July and 4th of August. Even Father General will join us on the 2nd of August for the “blessed Pierre Favre” day. You can imagine that the little "party" is already occupying nights and days of the whole province!
Come and see… You’re all welcome. You can see the diversity of the propositions on www.amisdansleseigneur.com  (talk, TV and radio programs, visits of Paris, retreats, pilgrimages, theatre, cine-club, camps etc…) and on the web site of the French province www.jesuites.com. 

...Reported by Grégoire Le Bel, France, April 2006

Looking for new forms of living together

Many of the diocesan seminaries in different countries of Europe are nearly empty. At the same time, there are many young people who are willing to study theology – but most of them do not feel ready yet to take a decision for their life. To answer this situation, I find interesting the project of Lutz Müller, who is responsible for the pastoral work of vocation in Germany, and is starting in Frankfurt with a pre-novitiate for students of philosophy, who are at the same time interested in becoming Jesuits. Dominik Markl, a scholastic from Austrian Province who is doing his doctorate in Old Testament, spoke recently in our community in Innsbruck about a similar idea of supporting Christian students, who want to stay in a flat-sharing community and keep in contact with Jesuits. I believe, that it is a sign of our time to look for new forms of living together like pre-novitiate or a flat-sharing community who stay in contact with us, Jesuits.

...Andreas Schalbetter from Switzerland, March 2006

Scholastics and the Christian Muslim dialogue

Although planned long before the conflict about the cartoons, the topic of the next scholastic meeting proves to be of high relevance. The meeting will be focusing on the relation between Christians and Muslims in Germany. Central to the meeting are questions especially on integration and dialogue. At the moment the steering committee is occupied with contacting representatives of the local Muslim communities as well as members of local political organisations. The meeting will take place in Cologne, a city which has not only a strong and visible minority of Muslims but also the most important headquarters of the major Islamic umbrella organisations in Germany (Zentralrat der Muslime, Türkisch Islamische Union, Islamrat für Deutschland etc.).

...Tobias Specker, Ludwigshafen, Germany, March 2006

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