Transcript mission - International Colloquium on Jesuit Secondary Education

Curia Secretariats
Fr. Anthony da Silva, SJ
Fr. Gerald R. Blaszczak, SJ
Fr. Francisco Javier Álvarez, SJ
Fr. Michael Garanzini, SJ
Fr. José Alberto Mesa, SJ
GC 35 and the Mission
FR. GENERAL
Govt of the Soc.
Mission of the Soc.
(Cura Personalis)
(Cura Apostolica)
General’s Council
Commission for Mission
(3 Assistants + 3 Secretaries)
Major Superiors
+Conference Presidents
Local Superiors
Secretariate for FAITH
Secretariate for JUSTICE
Secretariate for
COLLABORATION
(3 Assistants + Secretary)
(3 Assistants + Secretary)
(3 Assistants + Secretary)
JUSTICE
FAITH
MISSION
COLLABORATION
Mission
At the service of
FAITH
For the promotion of
JUSTICE
In
COLLABORATION
with all
WHY
•
•
•
•
•
•
It’s about RELATIONSHIPS ; CONNECTIONS
Old Testament Theology of covenant
New Testament Theology of Discipleship
St. Ignatius and Collaboration with Lay Persons
Vatican II and Theology of Laity in the Church
GC 34 (decree 13) + GC 35 (decree 06)
WITH WHOM?
• With Fellow-Jesuits: Provinces, Conferences
• Jesuit Networks, e.g. JRS, Fe y Alegria, AIDS …
• Ignatian Family = other Religious with
Ig. Spirituality; Lay Organizations (CVX/CLC…)
• Alumni Associations
• Jesuit Volunteers
• With “Others” i.e. Women and Men of good-will
who ask/need our help in non-Jesuit Works
WHERE
• Nationally and Internationally
• Collaboration between apostolic Sectors, for
example: educational, social, pastoral, interreligious, retreats … etc
HOW
• Formation Programmes in Collaboration for
Jesuits as well as others (non-Jesuits)
• Attitudinal change: work in subordinate roles
• Cultural openness and tolerance for diversity
• Willingness to share Resources: human,
financial, educational, infrastructural…etc
• The three dimensions of FAITH, JUSTICE and
COLLABORATION to be present in all our
Works.
GC 35 and the Mission
International Colloquium
on Jesuit Secondary Education
Boston, July 30th
Good education for all
Patxi Álvarez sj
Secretary for Social Justice and Ecology
Following God’s call…
• The first Jesuits thought their missions would be
short and flexible. They did not foresee schools:
“…because the members of this Society ought to
be ready at any hour to go to any part of the
world where they may be sent… they ought not to
take on the care of souls… However, nothing
prohibits them on a single occasion from hearing
the confessions of a whole monastery for special
reasons”. (Const 588)
Following God’s call…
They were called to educate
• In 1548, they were called in Messina to found the first school
to give instruction to the children of the city
• At the death of St. Ignatius there were more than 40 schools
in different cities .They were the first schools
• For centuries the Jesuits gave instruction to the leading
classes in many countries contributing to the growth of these
societies
• Ignatian Spirituality has always been the ground of this
education, helping persons grow
Following God’s call…
Called to teach the poor
• In the last centuries, education became a right of every
person that the State had to provide
• But many poor children do not receive it
• In 1955, Abraham Reyes –a construction worker–offers his
house to Fr. Vélaz sj:
“I offer my house as a school if you bring the teachers…”
• Fe y Alegría began like this. Today more than 1 million poor
children receive education through FyA
• In the last decades dalits and adivasis in India have become
students in many Jesuit schools
Following God’s call…
Are there still calls today?
• 70 million children do not go to school
• Girls suffer more than boys in this regard
• Another 70 million do not finish school
• Sometimes because they cannot pay
• Handicaps have far less opportunities
• Lack of quality education in many places
We cannot reach all these people
… but we may be able to do something
Contributing to the mission of
recent General Congregations
1.
A universal horizon: quality education for all
2.
Education that aspires to improve our
societies
3.
For the benefit of the least advantaged
4.
Promoting green schools
Contributing to the mission of recent Congregations
1. Quality education for all
In our schools we educate a number of students, but we
aspire to a quality education for all the children
The world is not only our house;
The world is everybody’s house.
Our commitment requires not only that we educate,
but also involves our demand of quality education for all
advocating politically so that all children
may receive good education,
without discrimination
on economic or ethnic grounds
Contributing to the mission of recent Congregations
2. For the improvement of our societies
We educate students to contribute to a more just and
harmonious society
We are doing this in many ways:
• Offering our students the possibility of being involved in social services;
“We
do
not
want
successful
professionals
• Involving them in local citizen’s initiatives;
• Encouraging
parents’
associations and the larger educational
in
failed
societies”
community to engage in social justice activities;
• Offering
and students
the possibility
of participating
in
(A parents
university
president
to graduating
students)
Ignatian lay communities that make a commitment to Church and
society;
• Doing all this in alliance with other works of the Society, in order to
demonstrate corporate credibility and to establish a social base for sharing
horizons and values.
Contributing to the mission of recent Congregations
3. For the benefit of the least advantaged
Ignatius always asked Jesuits to discern the best service
they could offer. They should see:
1. where there is the greater need;
2. where more fruit can be produced;
3. where there is a greater duty to make return for
what has been received;
4. where our service can be multiplied more
Contributing to the mission of recent Congregations
3. For the benefit of the least advantaged
If our education is really good – as we believe – we
should offer it first and foremost to children with
fewer opportunities
This is what is asked of us by our
Ignatian and Jesuit tradition
Contributing to the mission of recent Congregations
3. For the benefit of the least advantaged
Our most long-lived institutions
have to examine whether our Jesuit presence
continues to be needed
Most likely our students would receive a quality
education even if we were not there
Perhaps we do not need to be there,
and there are children in other places
who are waiting for our arrival
Contributing to the mission of recent Congregations
4. Promoting green schools
Some aspects that may be introduced are the following:
• Taking care that the educational space is free of
pollution and toxic materials;
• Using materials and resources that are recyclable; using
clean energy and designing sustainable buildings;
• Where possible, creating some green space on the
campus where the students can learn about nature and
care for it;
• Offering courses on ecology and the environment;
introducing students to the beauty of creation and the
need to care for it.
Offering a universal vision
in a fragmented world
We still need something of that sort
In our Jesuit tradition this universal vision is what
was
offered
in
the
Ratio
Studiorum.
Should not we try to work together in an endeavor
as important as this one?:
It is a vision that develops character,
provides
a critical perspective,
A meaningful
vision
encourages hope for the world,
That takes complexity into account
and moves people to collaborate.
That brings hope for a better world
That calls for our commitment
Thank you!
អរគុណច្រើន!