Fr. Valles! Initially in Ahmedabad, then across Gujarat, the USA, and ultimately across continents, that was his name. Popular perception affirmed the Jesuit guru in his persona. Known among his followers as a writer with…
Online JCSA: JCSA meetings take their name from the place they are held in. This JCSA held in cyberspace, was baptized, as ‘Online JCSA’. [auth] Being an online meeting, members had to familiarize themselves with…
This 5th August (2020), the Prime Minister of India did the ground-breaking ceremony (Bhumi Pujan) for Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The Prime Minster compared the 15th August when India got freedom, to the 5th August…
Can we celebrate the feast of Christmas this year in the midst of a pandemic and the scourge of COVID-19? [auth] If our idea of celebration is restricted to physical participation at various events, then…
Stanley Weintraub in his “Silent Night: The Story of the World War-I Christmas Truce,” illustrates an extraordinary moment in the history of the world. [auth] During the first World War, British soldiers and German soldiers…
On the 29th July 2020, the Union Cabinet approved the third National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, which is aligned to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and hopes to address the many growing development priorities…
Every time I send a copy of my webinar or a write-up on Stan’s arrest to my younger sister, the senior-most guardian of our family, she responds with a sigh, ‘hope they won’t arrest you…
Fr. Stan Lourduswamy SJ, aged 83, who was working for the Adivasis of Jharkhand for more than three decades, was taken into custody and imprisoned on October 9th in the Taloja prison in Mumbai. Along…
Ireturned from visiting the hospital, dog-tired and ravenously hungry. I collected my dinner from the hot box in the kitchen and ate in the reading room. The T. V. streamed news of the Corona situation…
The hallmark of the papacy of Pope Francis has been his persistent efforts and inexorable courage to address the issues that touch the grass-root realities of the contemporary human life, dignity, full-flowering of inter-dependent relationships,…
The most dreaded word today - “Corona”, literally means a white or colored circle or set of concentric circles of light seen around a luminous body, especially around the sun or moon. It also means…
Yam Raj, aged 49, is a farmer by profession, and dedicates two months during the monsoons every year, to help people cross flooded rivulets in Uttarakhand, India. He literally carries travellers on his shoulders to…
Piplantri was a Rajasthan village of barren and dusty hills. From 2005, Marble mining completed its desolation. Heat and dust, water scarcity and droughts made young people migrate. Girl children were considered a curse, many…
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When Diwali comes, crackers will fill the sky. But for decades, two Tamil Nadu villages - Kollukudipatti and Singampunari - in the Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu have not burst crackers during Diwali festival. The…
This farmer of Beed Dt. switched to organic fruit farming after attending a seminar. He made a fortune growing organic papaya and watermelon. [auth] Marginal small farmers do not easily experiment with alternative crops or…
A few years ago, just after I had given a quick rundown of the many international honours the Jesuit scientists have achieved for their accomplishments – 35 lunar craters, 11 asteroids, the first credited scientific…
In Conversation with the Newly appointed President of JCSA. [auth] Hearty Congratulations, Fr. Stany, on being appointed the President of JCSA. As you assume this important responsibility, what are your first feelings, rather your consolations…
We live today in cataclysmic times! If one goes by the experience of the last couple of years, and particularly since the pandemic COVID-19 gripped the world, one realises there is not much positive happening…
As Jesuit Refugee Service enters into 40 years of existence in November 14, 2020, it is not a time to triumphantly celebrate its achievements but to trace out God’s footprints and His providential accompaniment with…
Fr. A.T. Thomas received martyrdom on 24th October 1997. It is 23 years since his martyrdom. In 1996 he went to Manila, taking two years break from Dalit apostolate, to do his study. I was…
Fr. Tom Gafney was born in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, on November 28th, 1932. He joined the Jesuits in September 1952, and came to Nepal in 1959 after doing his philosophy studies at West Baden, Indiana.…
Transition from one generation to the next can not only be challenging, but even be fatally dangerous, particularly when big money and other vested interests are involved. This is what happened in the case of…
From Abel to Zachariah in the Old Testament, from Christ to Stephen in the New Testament, we see martyrs who stood for their faith and truth. Saul, who guarded the blood-stained clothes of the martyr…
Fr. Herman Rasschaert was born on 13th September 1922 in the Netherlands. He entered the Jesuit novitiate in Drongen on 7th September 1941. In the novitiate he made up his mind to go to India…
What is heaven like, is a question whose answer we do not know but are keen to know. Based on the following 4 faith-linked premises, I make the following imaginative presentation of heaven [auth] Heaven…
Emilio Moscoso (1846-1897) was beatified in his birthplace Riobamba, Ecuador, on November 16, 2019. His feast-day is on 21st November, together with Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro. [auth] Emilio Moscoso was born in Cuenca, Ecuador, on…
It is always a welcome Ignatian Exercise to review our life-mission as it unfolds before us. How did the last six years unfold before the Conference of South Asia? What are the ‘moves and halts’…
Do you want to know what it means to be kind to others? You should talk to Manisha (22), a lecturer at the Nandha College of Nursing in Erode District, Tamil Nadu. She has made…
Almost every Monsoon, the Brahmaputra floods Assam, sweeping away everything they encounter — human settlements and paddy fields. In 2016, the soil erosion due to floods in Golaghat district wrecked more than 40 residential shelters and schools.…
In the year 1965, war was going on between India and Pakistan. India was dropping bombs on various targets. We were about sixty five seminarians doing theology in Kurseong on the Himalayan hills. With the…
Comments heard at the end of a Mass in a Jesuit parish somewhere in the world... Did you hear what the priest said during the announcements at the end of the Mass? The Jesuits are…
“Education is a dynamic reality; it is a movement that brings people to light.” - Pope Francis [auth] The vision of the new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 envisions “creating the education system holistic, flexible,…
It is already eight months! Corona is still ruling the nations! So much suffering, death, and uncertainty. Many scientists, doctors, social workers, government and private agencies and individuals are trying their best to cope up…
Unlike the 2019 peace rally at Kutupalong Mega camp, when over 200,000 Rohingya refugees converged together to mark the second anniversary of their exodus from Rakhine state, the third anniversary on 25th August 2020 was…
Education has been an important tool in the hands of Jesuits almost from its very inception in 1542. Within a few years of the founding of the Society of Jesus, it became clear that one…
Three aspects of humour are highlighted here: 1. Humour softens the existential suffering and also acts as protest against injustice and discrimination; 2. It’s an antidote to what cannot be changed in life; 3. Humour…
Corona crisis has ushered in a new culture - the “online culture”. The educational system has adopted to this culture in a big way. Swapnali Sutar, a young girl of Dariste village from Sindhudurg District,…
Teacher Saritha Vijaykumar found Covid-19 lockdown a perfect opportunity to explore ways to engage children in more creative and healthy pursuits than just sitting at home and getting bored! “When the lockdown was implemented, children…
Moving into the 21st century, gender is a familiar expression in ordinary parlance besides becoming a tool of critical inquiry in key analytical questions. Though gender concerns are generally seen as synonym for women’s concerns,…
For thousands of years patriarchal attitudes persisted in human society wherein the male was considered the norm and the female as created to be at his service. Women were accorded an inferior position and were…
I have been in partnership with Jesuits in the Social Development Ministry for many years. I can proudly say that I am a product of the Society of Jesus. My family share the values and…
Ignatian spirituality is a significant source and motivation for many women religious Congregations as well as lay associations. Many Congregations include the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola with their particular practice of spirituality.…
In her book, Women at the Well: Feminist Perspectives in Spiritual Direction, Kathleen Fisher writes, “It is often said of women’s spirituality that ‘we do not yet know what it looks like’.” The same could…
This year marks a quarter of a century since the Society of Jesus issued the ground-breaking official document titled ‘Jesuits and the Situation of Women in Church and Civil Society’. The Jesuits committed themselves to…
It was in April 2017 my Provincial Fr. Sebastian Jeerakassery showed me a letter from Fr. George Pattery that Port Blair Diocese needs a Spiritual Director. He asked me whether I was ready to go…
On July 29th the Union Cabinet approved the National Education Policy 2020. It has not been presented in Parliament. To become an Act it needs the approval of the Parliament. The Minister of Education said…
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Pope Benedict XVI, addressing the 35th General Congregation in 2008, praised Jesuits as those who reach “those physical and spiritual places which others do not reach or have difficulty in reaching.” This is best illustrated by…
The Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (IBVM), known as Loreto Sisters, was founded by Mary Ward in 1609. She was a resilient person of great faith and strength of character. She was labelled a heretic in her…
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A few years after twitter was launched, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) had issued a justifiable guideline to its newsroom: Break news first on our platforms before tweeting. It’s no secret that today there are…
I don’t know whether Covid-19 will change our theology or our churches, but it has certainly changed our homes. Today we are thinking of God and the Church differently, and expressing our thoughts differently. [auth]…
One image that has disturbed me for the last two months is that of a migrant labourer, Ramu, who wheeled his pregnant wife Dhanwanta and little daughter Anuragini, from Hyderabad to their hometown in Balaghat,…
The Covid-19 pandemic may be best described as a disaster which began in Wuhan China and has now spread to many countries in the world. A disaster is a sudden, calamitous event that seriously disrupts…
In his recent message calling for “responsibility and solidarity”, Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, said that we all face one common threat – the Corona virus. However, he said that together we can change the…
On 23rd May in Nepal, reports broke out about the lynching of Navaraj BK and five of his friends. According to journalistic accounts, Navaraj, a 21-year-old Dalit man, along with his companions had gone to…
Born on 6th April 1884 at Laille, France, Louis Marie Lèveil was the youngest of ten children. Next to his mother, Julianee Lebine, Lèveil was very close to his sister Victoire, who sowed the seed…
Best for the Least The Bible, as the history of liberation from repression, crystallizes that the rights of the poor are the rights of God. It has now dawned on the Jesuits the realization that…
Defining moments strike us when we least expect them, especially during times of uncertainties and crises. They trigger our imagination and propel us into action. [auth] On a casual evening walk a few days back,…
After reading online on 20th January about a dangerous new virus spreading in China Shailaja Teacher, the Health Minister of Kerala asked her medical deputy, “Will it come to us?” “Definitely, Madam.” [auth] Four months later,…
Albert Einstein, who we all know as a great genius, wrote some letters to his daughter Lieserl back in 1938. He said, “Please hold on to these letters because I’m not sure that humanity is…
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The Covid-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented waves of devastation across the globe. Apart from being a threat to lives, the lockdown that followed brought misery and despair to millions of people, especially the poor. Migrant…
Then the LORD said, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people...I have heard their cries of distress... Yes, I am aware of their suffering.” (Ex. 3:7) [auth] These words that set Moses on…
The plight of migrant workers walking thousands of kilometres to their homes carrying their children on the shoulders and their meagre possession on their back, braving heat and hunger will haunt us for many years.…
“We don’t want sympathy, we want dignity; we work hard to earn our living, and we don’t beg, borrow or steal. We may be poor but we are also citizens of this country with equal…
Soon after the sudden and shocking announcement of the lockdown, and in the absence of Government help, worried and frustrated migrants began to leave for their distant homes. Images of thousands of men, women and…
Breathing is such a natural activity that we do not even pay attention to it most of the time, unless of course, we are practising pranayama or yoga. What is more, breath is free! For…
There are many ways to approach the life of St. Ignatius. [auth] One could focus on his writings, his vision, or his leadership qualities. One could trace the path of his life in chronological order,…
The COVID-19 pandemic has put governance of nations and international institutions to the test. Nations that have been able to contain the spread of the corona virus have only revealed the foresightedness of their leaders…
On April 24, the call centre of the Municipal Corporation of Kannur in Kerala had a Catholic Bishop attend the calls. Bishop Alex Vadakkumthala of Kannur was seen noting down a list of essentials requested by…
A hunter got into a thick, trackless forest chasing a deer. Soon he got lost in the forest. He roamed for three days with nothing to eat. On the evening of the third day he…
It is disturbing and depressing to learn that the corona virus cases worldwide as of now are close to few millions. People are finding ways and means to take precautionary measures. Many are also reaching…
Corona virus has destabilized millions of people in our country. The most affected are the daily wage earners and the migrants. Of these, the ‘blacklisted’ and the ostracized from society are the ‘secluded minority’ -…
India’s nationwide lockdown exposed the vulnerabilities of over 4 crore distressed internal migrants. The lockdown left hundreds of thousands of migrant workers stranded far from home without employment, shelter, food and social security. The disturbing…
Two weeks ago, we all went to sleep in one world and woke up to see another world - a world none of us had imagined in our wildest dreams; a world which made us…
May 1—The Memorial of Saint Joseph ‘the Worker’ has been observed as ‘Religious Brothers’ Day annually in the U.S. since its inauguration in 2017 in recognition of the life and ministry of brothers. [auth] A…
When the Government asked all educational institutions and other establishments to close down, one of our KG girls went back home happily. Her mother asked her why she was so delighted to come home before…
We consider the present COVID-19 pandemic as the ‘Cross of Christ’, which to humankind is folly but to God is wisdom. Amidst such an unprecedented crisis when the entire world is reeling under the spell…
Pondering over the uncertain interval between two regimes of ancient Rome, Antonio Gramsci wrote from a Fascist prison in 1929, “The old world is dying and the new world struggles are yet to be born.…
Parents in Delhi slums work in the fields and their children remain uneducated since they have no time to drop and pick up the children from school. But an informal school started by Satyendra Pal responded…
Inspired by the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Rashmii Tiwarii, an architect from Hyderabad, reuses PET bottles to construct public restrooms. [auth] Did you know the Indian cricket team’s jerseys are made from recycled PET bottles? To…
Fifty years in the life of a Mission is indeed a momentous milestone and a splendid occasion to celebrate. As the Kohima Jesuits celebrate five decades of their presence and service in Northeast India, they…
Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Jesus was willing to go to his passion and death despite being afraid, only because he believed it was the will of his Father. [auth] The…
Looking back now, the story of the Jesuit schools in Northeast India has been one of unsolicited hope. Things happened unexpectedly; certainly not as the village folks had anticipated or, for that matter, even the…
In 1970, God led the Karnataka Province to send three men with very different charisms to begin the Jesuit Mission in Northeast India: an educator, a builder, and a pastor. While Fr. Stany Coelho was…
The promulgation of GC 34, D4 in 1974 helped the nascent Kohima Jesuit Mission to understand that the option for the poor should occupy the central place in the Society’s mission. The Jesuits were invited…
At fifty, one feels like ‘Janus’ (the Roman God of beginnings and transitions, usually depicted with two faces, one looking behind at the past, and the other looking ahead to the future). The theme of…
All the 13 high schools and over 25 primary schools run by the Jesuits of Kohima are located in interior villages. The concept of a boarding house attached to a school is nothing new, and…
In Kohima Region, the growing number of local vocations must surely be reckoned as a sign of God’s singular favour. God confirms our mission in Northeast India by calling young men, and he invests in…
Fifty years are gone and the next fifty are beckoning the Kohima Jesuits. Where do they stand today as they ‘Read the Past to Write the Future’? They have ventured confidently into multiple areas of…
When I asked the Kohima Region scholastics about their vision for our future, their responses endorsed my sense that the UAPs are constitutive of the next ten years. As described in the UAPs, our Region…
Celebrations are like binding knots of a community that is alive and animated, sensitive and thriving. It builds strength, invigorates a process, and enriches its potential. The Golden Jubilee celebration of Kohima Jesuit Region was…
Many symbols are part of our traditional ways of celebrating feasts. Thus we have the Christmas tree and the Easter egg. Many of our modern Easter eggs have become as barren as the unfertilized eggs…
Murukan was once an orphan left in the streets. But now he runs Theruvora Pravarthaka Association. He has rescued thousands of homeless children, elderly, and ailing people from various cities in Kerala and has given them…
We have received in our Christian Spirituality that the foundation of our relationship with God is based on, ‘Love God with your whole being and love your neighbour as yourself.’ Pope Francis through his Encyclical…
The 9th National Congress of the Federation of Jesuit Alumni/ae Associations of India (JAAI) was held from January 17-19, 2020, at St. Joseph’s College, Tiruchirapalli and was jointly hosted by St. Joseph’s College and St.…
A National Seminar on Peace and Reconciliation under JEA was held for teachers on February 15-16, 2020, at Indian Social Institute, Bangalore. It was organized by Loyola Institute of Peace and International Relations (LIPI), Kochi,…
Every step forward for women is a step forward for humanity as a whole - Pope Francis. [auth] On a sunny summer’s day in 2014 I boarded the Duranto Express at the Howrah railway station…
Somehow, the Lenten season always makes a big appeal, even though it is an annual and familiar feature. People get into its spirit and sense rather effortlessly. So much so, practically every parish community anywhere…
Isn’t it paradoxical that the joys of parenthood, the blessing of motherhood, cherished by most societies and psyches, are in orthodox biblical perspective, curse and punishment? What kind of neurosis could have stigmatized the most…
The ‘Word of God’ Sunday on January 26, 2020, coincided with our Republic Day, the day on which our Indian Constitution was promulgated in 1950. Given the present scenario of the promotion of Hindutva in…
The question that I keep asking myself is ‘how can we do justice to our ecology and make our world fit for others to live in?’ We all live in one world and in one…
A few years ago five of my Jesuit students prepared and presented an assignment during the course on Feminist Theology. They began their power point presentation with the following words: Woman cries and says,“Why did you…
The First Prize Winning Story of JIVAN creative writing contest-2019 [auth] Jyoti walked down the road in a pair of heeled slippers modern in design and matching a chic, ethnic salwar kameez set. She looked…
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You definitely remember the above two images from the 2002 Gujarat riots; one of Qutubuddin Ansari with a sobbing face and folded hands begging for mercy from an attacking mob, and the other of Ashok…
On December 20, 2018, the General Assembly of the United Nations passed a Resolution to declare 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health. One may ask, “Are plants so unwell that they need global concern…
India is in a mess; the economy is in shambles! On January 20, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) lowered the growth estimate for India to 4.8 per cent for 2019, citing stress in the non-bank…
The anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) fire lit in Assam spread to the rest of the Northeast and to Peninsular India but with different priorities. Its focus for the protesters in Peninsular India is discrimination based…
The passing of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in 2019, have stoked the embers of the identity of people and their future existence. The scale and intensity of…
Youth are challenging the iniquitous Citizenship Amendment Act. What about us, Jesuits? [auth] As persons committed to journeying with the youth, we should take part in this ongoing debate on inclusion and exclusion. As Jesuits…
The second half of 2019 (July - December) was both a very trying yet sobering experience for me. Jharkhand police was after me and I was after the police! The difference was the police acted…
Imagine a plot written by George Orwell, the India-born author of the novel 1984. This time it is 2025. It has no meaning other than two minor ones. The simpler one is that it marks…
Our Provinces work earnestly at the task of getting ‘vocations’. Among routine activities vocation promoters travel far and near to meet possible candidates, subsidise exposures to varied apostolic works, foster prayer and spirituality, try to…
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In 1992, he had just failed his class 10 examinations, and had decided to take his life. Twenty-seven years later, Murugan runs an organisation that takes care of the homeless and provides them with meals…
God’s Creation is a web: everything in Creation is linked. It is this Creation Web that sustains the Universe. [auth] Last month, GJEM (Gujarat Jesuit Ecology Mission) began creating a web of Eco Education across…
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The 50th anniversary of the Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat (SJES) was celebrated at the SJES Congress on 4-8 November, 2019, in Rome. The event witnessed the attendance of 210 delegates from 62 countries, including…
A two-day National Seminar was organized on 11-12 October 2019 at Ernakulam to mark the 25th death anniversary of Fr Sebastian Kappen (1924-1993). The theme of the seminar was The Emergence of Fascist Tendencies in…
The recent developments in the state of Jharkhand are a cause of concern for every citizen of India. The democratic institutions and rule of law have collapsed in Jharkhand, resulting in efforts to amend Chotanagpur/Santal…
“With globalization, the so called less important traditions, cultures, languages, and even species,” said Mrs. Sofie as introduction to the gathering of the Expressive Club in a building she owned. [auth] Her husband, a social…
A Foundational Grace The desire to learn, promote and empower languages is a foundational grace that the Society of Jesus has enjoyed from its very inception. Throughout the history of the Society of Jesus, Jesuits…
Four hundred years ago, during the time of inquisition, of forced conversions and of zealous Romanization, a Jesuit practiced enculturation. His contribution to the religious language of Goa is noteworthy and commendable. [auth] Life…
The UN General Assembly’s declaration of 2019 as the ‘International Year of Indigenous Languages’ echoed joyfully in the tribal heartland of Gujarat on 21 February 2019, when the Hon. Governor of Gujarat, Shri O. P.…
For some years now I have received Christmas cards from some friends that have no reference to Jesus. On the outer page you see a bouquet of flowers, or a tree covered with buntings; on…
A spiritual journey is a unique experience. Christmas inherently promotes spiritual growth and development, and is a time for spiritual rebirth and the dawn of a new Life. [auth] Jesus was born, and His birth…
The titular feast of the Society of Jesus, celebrated on 3rd January, is one of three solemnities in the Society; the other two are the feasts of St Ignatius and St Joseph. The importance the…
Encyclopaedia Mundarica, is the work of Fr. John Hoffmann, SJ (1857 – 1928) assisted by Fr Arthur Van Emelen, SJ. Other Jesuits working in Chotanagpur have also helped Fr. Hoffmann in this great venture. Fr.…
To, All Jesuits of the Conference of South Asia 15 Nov, 2019 POSA Circular 2019/06 Dear Friends in the Lord, Greetings of Peace! This circular brings you the responses of JCSA to the long process of…
Personally, I believe that for those who are born or live in the Amazon, the Pan-Amazon Synod was a time of kairos, for all our communities to see how much the Church, led by Pope…
Twenty one children who once begged for food and money on Kolkata’s roads now study in government schools. This is not the work of an NGO or a Government scheme. It is the initiative of…
[auth] 1) Plastic waste as school fees ‘Akshar’ school in an Assam village accepts plastic waste as fees. The school has over a hundred children and each child brings in around 25 items of plastic…
A pilgrim journey Lok Manch as a pilgrim journey that began in November 2015 has its roots in the historical experiences of the Jesuits of South Asia. The seed of Lok Manch can be traced…
Fr. John Baptist Hoffmann started the Chotanagpur Catholic Mission Co-operative Society which helped the Adivasis stand on their feet economically. They were saved from the clutches of money lenders and profiteers through this well managed…
As we celebrate 50 golden years of the Social Action and Ecology Secretariat, I am privileged to recall the last 20 years of dedicated social action of Jesuits of the Calcutta Province through ‘Udayani Social…
Jesuit ministry for environment protection [auth] Across countries we see humankind (young and old) entering into a paradigm of promoting and embracing an environmentally friendly lifestyle and spirituality. Green activism, research on climate issues, eco-friendly…
Social integration has been recognized the world over as the key issue affecting the life of migrants. Social protection measures of both central and state governments and social support from host communities could become more…
Two interventions of 2019 invite the Church and the Jesuits to serious personal and collective deliberation, action and assessment. The first is Pope Francis’ declaration of October 2019 as an Extraordinary Missionary Month. The second…
To mark the 200th anniversary of the Restoration of the Society of Jesus in 1814, Pope Francis presided over Vespers on 27th Sept., 2014, in the Church of the Gesù in Rome. “The ship of…
A Journey of Justice and Reconciliation: 50 Years and Beyond… [auth] In 1968 Fr. Pedro Arrupe on an official visit to Chotanagpur, India, entered an office in Ranchi and met Fr. Francisco Ivern, SJ, from…
A pilgrim (Latin peregrinum) is a person who wanders or travels with an aim and an objective in mind: a child of God who strives to find God in the mundane journey of life. Men and…
On 25th September, the Novice Masters of Jesuit South Asian Assistancy gathered at the Ananda Jyothi Novitiate and Retreat Centre for a week-long annual meeting. Twelve of the thirteen Novice Masters were present. [auth] On…
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Every two years since 1969, the International Congresses of Jesuit Ecumenists have provided a forum for encouraging exchange among Jesuits drawn to the ecumenical dimension of the Ignatian charism. The ecumenical dimension was evident in…
The communiqué from ARCIC III’s (the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission, Phase 3) first plenary meeting in 2011 declared the Commission’s intent to use the method of receptive ecumenism which it described as seeking “to make…
The World Evangelical Alliance General Assembly to be held in Jakarta in November 2019 has the theme “Your Kingdom Come! Our heart’s Cry - Advancing God’s Kingdom Together.” For the eleventh Assembly of World Council…
The ecumenical movement has its origin in Jesus’ poignant prayer on the eve of his death, his yearning for the unity of all - “that they may all be one as I am in you”…
In October-November 2014 the Major Superiors of the Jesuit Conference of South Asia (JCSA) met in Phesama, Nagaland, and moved by “a palpable experience of the Spirit at work among us”1 , responded boldly and…
Second repatriation attempt failed As the second and latest repatriation attempt failed to take off on 22nd August, there is now cause for more gloom and despair among the 1.1 million Rohingyas currently sheltered in…
Come October 2019 and the world will be celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi (2nd Oct.) and the canonization (13th Oct.) of Cardinal Newman. [auth] What is little known, however, is the connection…
A first-aid kit containing all the emergency requirements - bandages, antiseptic lotion, cream for burns and paracetamol; with basic knowledge of administering first aid having gone through formal training, this is no ambulance or an…
Purushothaman was a technician in the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Bangalore. He saw the rapid growth of industry, population, and the consequent explosion of filth in the ‘garden’ city of India! He dreamt of living…
Note: The term ‘Spring Offensive’ refers to the attacks by insurgents on the government in Afghanistan. The poem deals with the hope that the children of a conflict-ridden country place in education. More precisely, in a land where there is…
President of the International Society of Jesuit Ecumenists (Fr Markus Schmidt, the President of the International Society of Jesuit Ecumenists was interviewed on behalf of JIVAN by Fr. Cedric Prakash. Fr. Schmidt is an Assistant…
The upcoming canonisation of John Henry Newman (1801-1890) will surely be a moment of consolation and encouragement for those of us engaged in ecumenical ministry. [auth] He brings together in his own person the Anglican…
In 1974 Sula Benet, a noted anthropologist, while working in Abkhasia, shared this anecdote. She once toasted a man who looked no more than 70 and said, “May you live as long as Moses to…
Hyderabadis, listen! Want to earn from your household scrap while helping the environment? This start-up not only offers a free pick-up service, it also uses part of the profits to educate underprivileged children. [auth] Making…
Cultural diversity has emerged as a key concern in the pluralistic context of our county. Culture embraces the totality of people’s life - language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music, art, etc. Homogenization of cultures has…
I have been interested, if not actually engaged, in interreligious dialogue for the last 65 years. Looking back, I am amazed at the manner in which it has changed over the years. Sharing that story…
Peter Doherty was ordained in 1968. From his earliest years in India he was taken up by the question, ‘what is the Good News for the people among whom I have come to live?’ [auth]…
The Government of India released the Draft New Education Policy (DNEP) – 2019 on 31st May for public response. India has a population of 1.3 billion and the Constitution recognises 22 official languages. The DNEP…
Violence in the name of religion is stalking the streets. The divide between religious communities is widening by the day. In the last few decades we have seen an increase in violence and the changing…
My Superiors missioned me to ‘Apostolate among Muslims’. This mission placed on me a twofold responsibility: explore, find and establish contacts with Muslims in order to help them understand the Church and her love for…
Fundamentalism and Inter-faith dialogue in South Asia [auth] The persecution of the Christian community is the single most noxious common factor among the eight states of South Asia – in Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri…
Sameeksha, Centre for Indian Spirituality at Kalady in Kerala, India, is a Jesuit āśram, an open space for a spiritual encounter between followers of different religions. It is situated on the banks of the Poorna…
Guru Nanak Dev, born in 1469, moved by compassion for his suffering people started Sikhism, to liberate his people from socio-religio-cultural oppressive systems and divisions based on caste, social hierarchy, and economic inequality in society.…
Yamada KounRoshi, one of the renowned Japanese Zen masters of our times once said, if a Christian practices Zen, he/she will become a better Christian; deep in Christianity as well as in Zen. Zen is…
This year International Yoga Day was celebrated on 21st June in many countries led by India. But there was a hiccup among Christians caused by a controversy with regard to the legitimacy of celebrating this…
This article is restricted to marriages between a Catholic person and a partner belonging to another faith. These are known as ‘Inter-religious’ or ‘Disparity of cult’ marriages. The focus of the article is on couples…
Swami Shubhananda was born in Barcelona, Spain, in 1928 and named after an Austrian Jesuit priest, Fr. Angelo Barbaria, who was his father’s spiritual guide. Angelo attended a flourishing Jesuit school in Barcelona in 1938.…
Nowadays the ministry of inter-religious dialogue is referred to as the ministry of promoting inter-religious relations which enhance mutual understanding, co-operation, peaceful co-existence and communal harmony among people of different religions living side by side…
The scholastics of Western Zone attended a course on Media Training for ten days during summer in Ahmedabad. Fr. Ashok Vaghela and the Gurjarvani team effectively conducted this workshop for the 34 scholastics from all…
My first encounter with my King who is admiringly called the Great Fourth was on the basketball court. He was an avid basketball player and we were privileged to play with him on a regular…
Popularly known as the “Missile Man of India”, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam is one of the most distinguished and rarest jewels among Jesuit Alumni in India, especially St. Joseph’s College, Trichy. He was born on…
Forty years on, the morning is as crisp as it was then: a 17 year old youngster, full of trepidation and nervousness, quietly slipped into the hallowed portals of St. Xavier’s College, Calcutta, as a…
My years at St Xavier’s (1969-71) were among the happiest in my life and helped shape me definitively for the challenges that followed in adulthood. On this auspicious occasion, I join my fellow Xaverians in…
In 2013 I met Mr. Lakshmi Mittal, the Steel Baron, in London. We conferred the “Global Xaverian” award on him at a public function in the British Museum. Our interaction began with Mr. Mittal’s spontaneous,…
Walking into St. Joseph’s Boys’ High School for the first time was a bit overwhelming. It was different from the small St. Antony’s where I studied till 4th standard. I was so excited to discover…
Childhood memories are the most precious possessions of a person. Recollection and retrospection fill one’s present with valuable lessons learnt, and with the joy of contentment. [auth] The years in school were crowded with relentless…
My children and my grand children studied in various schools, but I was a student of just one – St Xavier’s School, Fort, for decades the best known Jesuit school in South Mumbai. I am…
While I was at St. Xavier’s, Mumbai, I started Akanksha. One of our first centres was located at St. Xavier’s in the boys’ hostel. We had a tiny office right under the staircase there. [auth]…
I would like to say a few words that I have long wanted to about my association with St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. I entered the College as a science student in 1950 at the young age…
‘ Mozambique’ may invoke in many minds the thought of some prehistoric monster! Far from it! It is a scenic African nation with a 2,400 kilometre stretch off the Indian Ocean on its eastern border.…
St Xavier’s High School changed me forever. From a shy, reticent, awkward young boy I metamorphosed into a bold, confident, vibrant young man. This transformation was, in large part, due to the ethos of the…
Vijay Amritraj, the tennis legend who played outstanding tennis at the international level during 1970s and 1980s is truly an epitome of the education, training and discipline imparted at Loyola College, Chennai. He attributes all…
We come across two kinds of people. The first (they form the majority of the good, the bad and the indifferent) when asked what life means to them or what, for them, are its whys…
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He is not a missionary. But he has done more than any missionary could have done. In his two decade long journey of bringing education to one of the most remote tribal regions in Kerala,…
Normally, about 600 ml water is used in a single hand wash. According to UN, about 350 ml of this is wasted. Now consider that this simple nozzle reduces the water used in a single…
If Election 2014 was about the ‘Modi wave’, then Election 2019 is definitely about the ‘Modi tsunami’ (tsuNaMo). PM Modi, who led the BJP and the NDA from the front, has ended up being recognized…
(The poem reflects the plight of many Afghan girls born in conservative families) Read More
Over 6,500 Sri Lankans and 2,100 Indians came for the feast of St. Anthony, the patron of seafarers, on 15th-16thMarch, 2019. Sri Lankan Tamils and Sinhalese, after years of civil war, mingle at this pilgrimage…
How a Basque diocesan priest helped many modern day Jesuits “to know, love and follow” St. Ignatius more closely and thus find God in all things. [auth] Fr. Jose Ignacio Tellechea Idigoras, a Basque diocesan…
The laconic promise “I will be propitious to you in Rome” made to Ignatius at the chapel of La Storta in late October or early November in 1537 has suggested different things to different Jesuits…
Musings on Pope Francis’s Motu Proprio [auth] Need to relight our lives “In the Light of the Master” is the title of chapter three of Pope Francis’s March 2018 ‘Gaudete et Exsultate’– Rejoice and Be…
Blessed Arnáiz was beatified in October 2019. His feast day is celebrated on 2nd July, together with the other Jesuit Saints and Blessed of the day. [auth] Even a cursory scroll down the life and…
In the very first words of the post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, “Christus Vivit”, Pope Francis, declares to ‘young people and the entire people of God’: “Christ is alive! He is our hope, and in a wonderful…
The Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAPs) promulgated by Fr. Arturo Sosa, the Superior General of the Jesuits, on 19th February 2019 can be summarized as follows: [auth] 1. Spirituality 2. Walk with the Excluded 3. Accompany…
“Are you blind? Do you need spectacles? The ball just went above your head!” I shouted at Vincent, the goalkeeper, who refused to admit that the penalty shot was a goal. The argument became more…
Puri was the ‘epic-centre’ of the cyclone - FANI - that caused large scale destruction and an unforgettable terrible experience. [auth] Wind and rain, starting early morning around 6.00, slowly picked up velocity and force.…
The training programme for Vice Principals of Jesuit Colleges of South Asia was held from 4th to 6th May, 2019 at JMJ Residence, Sirumalai Hills, Dindigul. The programme aimed at empowering the participants holding important…
Fr. Pedro Arrupe in his letter ‘On the Preparation for Ordination’ initiating the Pre-Ordination Programme (POP) in the Society of Jesus, terms the entire month as a time of “an appropriate spiritual preparation before the…
An Art Workshop was organized by CARP (Company of Artists for Radiance of Peace), LIPI (Loyola Institute of Peace and International relations, Kerala), and GJEM (Gujarat Jesuit Ecology Mission). Nineteen professional artists from India and…
‘Discernment and Spiritual Exercises’, the first of the Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAP) is fundamental because it presupposes as a basic condition the relation of the Jesuit with the Lord, his personal and communitarian life of…
The Jesuits of South Asia, two hundred plus, gathered in Pune from 25th to 28th April for a South Asian Jesuit Assembly (JESAA 2019) to explore ways to make their life and mission intercultural, viewing…
It is with sadness and helplessness caused by the tragedy on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka, that brought mourning and pain to those who went to church for Easter services and to other places to…
“It is to be hoped that not even a whiff of scandal will embarrass any of our communities or institutions in the future.” Arturo Sosa, SJ | Superior-General of the Society of Jesus [auth] In…
Geographical exploration is a process that investigates the physical, terrestrial properties of a region so that one gets correct and reliable knowledge of the area. Perhaps many may be surprised to know that the Jesuits…
More than capturing our imaginations and awakening our desires, the Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAPs), in my view, redefine and reconstruct Jesuit identity - who we are, and what we do; our being and our doing.…
On 25th September 2015, the United Nations (UN) declared the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the ‘global agenda’ to be achieved by 2030. On 19th February 2019, the Society of Jesus adopted the Universal Apostolic…
Pope Francis said, “Religions cannot renounce the urgent task of building bridges between peoples and cultures” (Speech in Abu Dhabi on 4th Feb). And this urgency was experienced as the Holy Father sent a video…
The abundance of synonyms and near synonyms in a language offers wondrous possibilities for the precise expression of diverse shades of meaning. It also reveals and makes available to the user, the word-wealth of a…
His flippant answers infuriated them. They smacked him, repeatedly punched him on the face causing him to lose consciousness, suffer a fractured cheek-bone, laceration on his cheek and bleed profusely. He ran for his life,…
I am a third year student at Vidyajyoti Jesuit College of Theology in Delhi. When I first came to Vidyajyoti, I did not have any clear idea about what theology was. There were only questions in…
The perception persists that the scientific world is alien territory for religious leaders and scholars, particularly for women. But this is fast changing, especially in the Indian Catholic Church. In this “Road Not Taken” episode…
In a city mainly known for noise and air pollution, the Parish Pastoral Council of Holy Family Church has taken a stand for ecological awareness. [auth] Fr. Vincent Vaz, the Parish Priest, has taken inspiration…
After three momentous events: the cause for the beatification and canonization of Fr. Pedro Arrupe, introduced in Rome on 5th Feb; the promulgation the UAPs to the whole Society on 19th Feb; and the meeting…
UAPs Echoing the Dynamism of the Society The Society of Jesus has been dynamic and has endeavoured to respond creatively to the signs of the times from the very beginning. The four Universal Apostolic Preferences…
Utopia? The 2019 massive exercise elections in India will peak in May with the casting and counting of votes, and the declaration of the results. This exercise flows from democracy which struggles to make sure…
Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAPs) were approved by Pope Francis and given to the Society of Jesus by Fr. General on 19th February, 2019. They are to guide us the next ten years to incarnate the…
We lament, together with Pope Francis, that clerical ambition for power has damaged the whole Church’s authority. For ‘power’ is what mammon offers its slaves whereas ‘authority’ or credibility is a grace that God bestows…
Emerging India provides the Church an opportunity to understand the socio-economic, political, cultural, religious, etc. possibilities and challenges around. The Church in India can play a major role in upholding the constitutional and Gospel values…
The Resurrection is a unique event. It is not the resuscitation of a dead body as in the case of Lazarus (Jn. 11.43) or the widow’s son (Lk. 7.11-14). It is a total transformation of…
The Indian General Elections 2019 have been announced and on 23rd May the nation will know who will rule for the next five years! After more than seventy years of independence, the coming elections have…
It is Pawar that empowers a village. When Popatrao Pawar was elected the Sarpanch of the village in 1990,his family was upset as it wanted him to stay in the city. “But I felt that…
In five years, he has managed to set up a beautiful terrace garden where he grows most vegetables, fruits and leafy greens. From chikoo, strawberry, papaya, guava, pomegranate and figs to vegetables - cauliflower, basil, cabbage,…
The cause of Pedro Arrupe (1907-1991) to be canonised has been introduced recently in Rome. This is an occasion to recall his inspiring life and work. [auth] He has been credited with re-founding the Society…
A wild life enthusiast, photographer and tour operator by profession, Pompayya Malemath’s (Karnataka) fascination with wildlife and plants began at an early age. He saw the scrubby patch of land bordering his property turning into…
When her parents left her in a residential school for poor children, she was just five. [auth] But Jyoti, one of seven siblings, didn’t cry over being ‘abandoned’. Even when many other girls her age…
Wide consensus exists that the existence of God cannot be established conclusively on logic or science alone. But attempts at establishing the non-existence of God on purely logical or scientific basis have been even more…
Fr. Aloysius Fonseca, who was part of the second team commissioned by the Jesuit Conference of South Asia (JCSA) to survey the possibilities of a Jesuit mission in Afghanistan, passed away in Kabul on 8th…
Soon after the Second Vatican Council (Vat. II) inter-religious dialogue reached its peak. Church documents kept encouraging Christians to enter into religious dialogue with the non-Christians. Theological periodicals published numerous articles in praise of this…
The liturgy is not simply worship but also catechesis. It instructs us not only through words, but more specifically through symbols, symbolic space and time, symbolic actions and narratives. Hence, it is very important that…
Arguably, the one most misrepresented woman in the Bible is Mary Magdalene. Her characterisation in the Gospel narratives is fuzzy, and if one only went by her legendary confused, suppressed identity, she could well be…
Teilhard de Chardin proposes a dynamic evolutionary theory in which the universe is evolving towards a final point – the Omega Point. He identifies Christ as the Omega Point in whom and towards whom the…
One could call the way of Jesus Christ, a counter-culture movement because in many ways it contrasts with what the world considers human advance or fulfilment. The opponents of Jesus who tried almost successfully to…
Udaybhai, as everyone calls him, is a unique auto rickshaw driver in Ahmedabad. The auto has facilities that are not even found in cabs. You find newspapers, magazines and other literature to read, and two…
Prof. R Vasudevan is a retired chemistry professor of a Madurai Engineering college. He has spent the last two decades researching and implementing the reuse of waste plastic. [auth] “Plastic is my resource,” he says. Eighteen years…
Rev. Fr. Benjamin Henry MILLER of the Society of Jesus arrived in Sri Lanka, then Ceylon, on 4th September, 1948 just eight months after Sri Lanka celebrated its independence fromcolonial rule. He is an American…
On 19th December 2018, over 80 ex-bureaucrats wrote an open letter to Adityanath Yogi asking him to resign as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh for the following reasons: the killing of a police officer by…
It began one morning in May 1982 when we read in the newspapers that the Supreme Court (SC) had appointed three ombudsmen to study the working conditions of the 1982 Asian Games construction workers. [auth]…
When we look for a list of social scientists in CBCI, R.C Dioceses and Jesuit Directories in India or on the internet we get a curious mix of scientists of natural sciences: physics, astrophysics, chemistry,…
Bombay Province has had Jesuit intellectuals who taught the social sciences, chiefly in St Xavier’s College, Mumbai. They encouraged their students to go beyond the classroom and do ‘action-research’ that familiarised them ‘social analysis’. This…
For several decades academic studies on Adivasis in India were clouded by a perspective promoted by a prominent right-wing nationalist and academician G.S. Ghurey who, motivated by his Hindu nationalist sentiments, had stated that the…
Last year Papal Seminary, Pune, India, entered the 125th year of its service in forming and moulding priests for the Universal Church, especially the Church in India. It is the formation house for about 190…
Stephen Hawking, the Wheelchair Scientific Genius, who is almost universally acclaimed as the Second Einstein of our times, is most noted for his brilliant intellectual rationality and incredible scientific acumen. [auth] Among other contributions to…
It is indeed the ‘Christmas’ story of 2018. While India was celebrating Independence Day on 15th August, a new-born baby was found in a Chennai gutter, wailing loudly. The umbilical cord was around his tiny…
Tarumitra meaning “Friends of Trees” in Sanskrit and Hindi is a forum for students to protect and promote a healthy environment on the Earth. It was started by students in Patna in 1988 and has…
I am the woman who holds up the sky The rainbow runs through my eyesThe rainbow runs through my eyesThe sun makes a path to my wombMy thoughts are in the shape of cloudsBut my…
“I am a firm believer that the way women of colour are treated within society is a reflection of the way we treat our precious home, the earth.”1 [auth] The Warli tribes of Palghar District…
Till the age of twenty one I lived in a village and enjoyed everything rural life in Kerala could provide. Fresh water, clean air, vegetables, fruits, rice and other cereals, coconut oil, milk from cows/goats…
‘Concern for the Environment’ was one of the five themes identified by Gujarat Province as a result of the Strategic Apostolic Planning (SAP) process. The Province document, “Vision, Mission and the Action Plan” of May…
Fr. Pedro Arrupe, in his inspiring talk on ‘Art and the spirit of the Society of Jesus’ (1972), succinctly articulates the role of artists and works of art: “What was the purpose of art in…
The first year theology students of Vidyajyoti had a course on Popular Hindu Religiosity in Varanasi under the guidance of Fr. P R John, SJ, the Principal of Vidyajyoti and Fr. Jerome Sylvester, IMS, the…
Ignatius was born in the green, mountainous Basque country. He grew up next to the perennial stream Urola, in the shadow of the rocky mountains - El Izarraitz. The Basque shepherds spend much of the…
I told the students in the class, “Your grandchildren will ask you ‘Grandpa/ma, what is this thing called rain?’ and you will attempt to explain, ‘Beta, rain is like the shower in our bath but…
It was a week after Christmas; nothing more than an ordinary winter afternoon. The sky was ocean blue. I could feel a slight touch of the cool breeze on my cheeks. I felt lucky wearing…
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