News - Provinces and Regions

How long would you last?
Imagine your feelings if every time you visited a particular friend you were searched, asked a series of intimidating questions and then taken to a hostile and foreign environment. What if that friend was more of an acquaintance? How long would you be able to handle such difficult visiting conditions? A week? Two weeks?

Seeking eco-justice
Two Jesuit organisations collaborating on eco-justice recently had the opportunity to learn from one of the world’s leading experts on managing the impact of climate change.  At a meeting in Australia in March, Professor Ottmar Georg Edenhofer shared his insights on the impact of induced technological change on mitigation costs and mitigation strategies, as well as the design of instruments for climate change and energy policy with Julie Edwards, CEO of Jesuit Social Services (JSS) in Australia, and Iris Legal of Environmental Science for Social Change (ESSC) in the Philippines.

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Fostering peace and justice in Cambodia and beyond
The Metta Karuna Reflection Centre provided a sacred space for reflection for Hindu, Muslim and Christian peace seekers from Pakistan and Indian Kashmir in March. “Many said the time of reflection they spent in our inter-faith sacred space helped them crystallise their desires and arouse their imagination for a peaceful way forward,” said centre founder and director of Jesuit Refugee Service Cambodia Sr Denise Coghlan RSM. “It was a special moment as Hindus, Muslims and Christians gathered around a very concrete and specific peace challenge in Kashmir.”

The Storybook Effect continues
Jesuit Service Cambodia continues its Storybook Effect with its two latest books written by its authors Seap and Ponkhaka.

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The Beijng Center appoints new director
French Jesuit Thierry Meynard SJ takes over as the International Director of The Beijing Center (TBC) from August 1, 2012.  He will succeed Fr Roberto Ribeiro SJ, who is stepping down after completing his three-year term as international director.

450 Years in Macau
The Society marks 450 years in Macau in 2012.  On August 24, 1562, Frs Luís Fróis SJ and Giovanni Battista Del Monte SJ arrived in Macau to take up residence and embark on apostolic work.   The two Portuguese Jesuits helped the two diocesan priests who were ministering to the 5,000 inhabitants of Macau, among whom were 600 Portuguese.  

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Myanmar scholastics in Indonesia
Since 2009, Myanmar scholastics have been sent to Indonesia for their formation.  The first group of Myanmarese scholastics arrived in the country in May 2009.   The six – Cyril Nay Myo Htet, Lawrence Khu, Joseph Zaw Goan, Paul Tu Ja, Marcus Min Htun, Pius Than Naing Lin – are in the Philosophy stage of formation, in the third year of a four-year Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy course at the Driyarkara Higher School of Philosophy in Jakarta.

Asia Pacific Tertianship 2011-12
The 10 tertians in the Asia Pacific Tertianship completed their six-month tertianship in early March. One of them, Fr John Sullivan SJ, contributed this reflection on the experience.

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Japan a year after the earthquake
Prayers and memorial services were held across Japan on March 11 as the country marked the first anniversary of the deadly earthquake and tsunami that struck its north-eastern coast.  Much of Japan came to a standstill as the minute of silence was observed at the moment the quake hit, 14:46 local time. In Sendai, where much of the devastation was concentrated, a Mass of memorial was held at the city’s Motoderkoji Cathedral.

Helping foreign migrants navigate Japanese law
The free legal services offered by the Jesuit Social Center in Tokyo in the last year has proven to be a boon to foreign migrants.  The centre already has 35 legal cases solved or awaiting resolution in its files. “More than half of all the Catholics in Japan are of other nationalities. Anyone in contact with foreigners in Japan realises the complexity of the situations they face, their need to learn the Japanese language, and the legal barriers they encounter,” said Fr Ando Isamu SJ, who is on the centre’s staff.

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Fr Matthias Chae SJ: Requiescat in pace
Fr Matthias Joon-ho Chae SJ died suddenly, aged 57, on April 1 in his hometown, Daegu, in Korea. Fr Matthias oversaw the rapid expansion of the Society in Korea during the last 20 years. On completing his PhD in counseling in the USA, he was appointed Formation Delegate for the Korean Region. He was later Superior of the Korean Region and then the first Provincial of the Korean Province in 2005. Since 2009, Fr Matthias served as the first Formation Delegate for the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific.

Jesuit held for protests against naval base on Jeju Island
The Church in Korea has taken a stand against the construction of a naval base on Jeju Island, a province of South Korea.  The Korean Jesuits are in strong support of this, participating in protests and conducting masses on-site.  As a result some have been arrested a number of times in the past for hindering the construction work.  On March 11, the Jeju district court issued arrest warrants for Fr Joseph Chong-uk Kim SJ and Protestant Reverend Lee Jeong-hun.  As of March 14, Fr Kim was still being held for investigation and trial. 

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MAGIS MAS
The Jesuits in Malaysia and Singapore (MAS) held the first MAGIS programme for youth in the region in December 2011.  The MAGIS MAS programme draws its inspiration from the Ignatian term MAGIS which connotes striving to do more in order to render greater glory to God. The global MAGIS initiative started in 1997 with World Youth Day in Paris. It was called MAGIS for the first time at World Youth Day 2005 in Cologne. It was celebrated in Sydney in 2008 and in Madrid in 2011.

A Lahu community rebuilds
On April 17, 2011, the Lahu community at Chaka in northern Thailand watched in horror as five of the seven houses in their village as well as the rice barns burned to the ground. It was a devastating loss for the 450 villagers, most of whom are farmers engaged in rotation farming of hill rice.  Some tend to their cattle while some of the young engage in the seasonal picking of lychee and longgan in the orchards in Chiangmai.

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Appointment of Director of EAPI
April 15, 2010. On the recommendation of the Board of Trustees of EAPI, the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific appoints Fr Arthur Leger SJ as the next director of the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI), commencing June 01,  2010. Fr Leger succeeds Fr Jeyaraj Rasiah SJ, who leaves Manila on May 19 and will assume his new role Provincial of Sri Lanka on May 24.

New Regional Superior of Micronesia
On December 6 Father General appointed Fr John S. Hagileiram Regional Superior of the Micronesia Region succeeding Fr Kenneth J. Hezel. Fr. Hagileiram was born in 1952 and joined the New York Province in 1975. He was ordained priest in 1985 and has worked in Micronesia for many years. At present he is the Episcopal Vicar of Yap for the diocese of the Caroline Islands and pastor of St. Ignatius Church in Palau. (Source: S.J. Electronic Information Service, December 22, 2008)

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Myanmar scholastics in Indonesia
Since 2009, Myanmar scholastics have been sent to Indonesia for their formation.  The first group of Myanmarese scholastics arrived in the country in May 2009.   The six – Cyril Nay Myo Htet, Lawrence Khu, Joseph Zaw Goan, Paul Tu Ja, Marcus Min Htun, Pius Than Naing Lin – are in the Philosophy stage of formation, in the third year of a four-year Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy course at the Driyarkara Higher School of Philosophy in Jakarta.

Waiting for a country to call home
Mohammad is one of the many Muslim Rohingya refugees forced to flee their homes in western Burma.   After a hazardous journey across Burma, he was able to cross into Cambodia and apply for asylum.  Sr Denise Coghlan RSM, Jesuit Refugee Service Cambodia Director, shares JRS’ work with the Rohingya.  Mohammad’s story

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Seeking eco-justice
Two Jesuit organisations collaborating on eco-justice recently had the opportunity to learn from one of the world’s leading experts on managing the impact of climate change.  At a meeting in Australia in March, Professor Ottmar Georg Edenhofer shared his insights on the impact of induced technological change on mitigation costs and mitigation strategies, as well as the design of instruments for climate change and energy policy with Julie Edwards, CEO of Jesuit Social Services (JSS) in Australia, and Iris Legal of Environmental Science for Social Change (ESSC) in the Philippines.

A call for environmental protection and good governance

The Archbishop of Cagayan de Oro in northern Mindanao, Philippines, Antonio J Ledesma SJ, has called for environmental protection and good governance to be part of the post disaster response in Mindanao.  He did so in his homily at the opening of a forum for Bishops and Diocesan Clergy of Mindanao on the challenges of Tropical Storm Washi for Mindanao in February.

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Promoting reconciliation with creation
How do we promote reconciliation with creation to our fellow Jesuits in Asia Pacific? With imaginative and powerful images as the members of the Scholastics and Brothers Circle showed in the innovative campaign materials they developed during a workshop on Effective Communications held from December 19 to 30, 2011.

Prison Ministry perseveres as prisons flood
At the height of the floods in Thailand in October and November, the Jesuit Foundation Prison Ministry continued to reach out to the many prisoners it has befriended in the country’s overcrowded prisons.   Vilaiwan Phokthavi, Director, Jesuit Prison Ministry tells us how the floods affected prisoners in three prisons.

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The value of Jesuit education
Scholastic Sidelizio Pereira SJ shares with us a reflection on his regency spent in his home country of Timor Leste.   Side did his regency in the Colégio de Saõ José, the secondary school set up and managed by the Jesuits for the diocese of Dili for 18 years. Although the school was transferred back to the diocese in December 2011, Side’s reflection on what is unique about Jesuit education is significant for Timor Leste as the Society intends to build an educational institution in the country for secondary level as well as the training of teachers.

CPA film in Prix Jeunesse Festival
A short film produced by Jesuit work Casa de Produção Audiovisual (CPA) in Timor Leste will be screened and catalogued by the 2012 Prix Jeunesse International.   The biennial festival that promotes excellence in children’s television will be held in Munich from June 1 to 6. The film, The Youth Parliament, is part of Wisdom of the People, a weekly series CPA produces that is aired on the local television network. 

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Suggested priorities for Vietnam
A Jesuit brother in Vietnam has highlighted several areas he feels the government should focus on in the coming years – education, corruption, legislation, ethnic minority groups and the environment. Brother Anthony Ba SJ of the Jesuit-run Alberto Hurtado Center for Pastoral and Social Service in Ho Chi Minh City said this after completing a PESTLE analysis on Vietnam in 2011. 

Fr General visits Vietnam
The Superior General of the Jesuits, Fr Adolfo Nicolás SJ, made a special trip to Vietnam when he visited the region for the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific Major Superiors Assembly in January 2012.  His visit coincided with the Têt, the celebration of the Lunar New Year, the most important Vietnamese holiday.

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