The very first meet of the Jesuit South Asian Conference Coordinators for the ‘Mission Partner Formation’ (MPF) assembled at Ashirvad, Bangalore on 14-15 March ‘26. With ‘shaping the future” as the goal of the meet, Fr Brian Pereira (KAR), the Convenor of Mission Partner Formation for South Asia, meticulously organized the entire program. The inaugural session of the meet was held at the University of St. Joseph, Bangalore, where Fr Victor Lobo, the Vice-Chancellor, extended a warm welcome. The sessions for the second day were held at Ashirvad, Bangalore. Twenty delegates from different provinces attended this meet.
Mission Partner Formation being a new program, Fr. Brian first introduced the delegates to its origin and vision, drawing from the letter of Fr. Arturo Sosa, the Superior General, documents of Vatican II, General Congregations and the De Statu report, highlighting the importance of partnering in God’ mission and formation of Jesuits and lay partners. He also shared best practices from different Jesuit conferences worldwide. Six coordinators from the provinces of Madurai, Darjeeling-Nepal, Kohima, Mumbai, Gujarat and Karnataka shared inputs on similar programs in their respective provinces, particularly in the education sector.
Fr. John Dardis, General Counsellor for Discernment and Apostolic Planning addressed the participants through an online session. Recalling the Synodality dimension of the Church, he encouraged gratitude for the graces received through partnership with the laity and called for continued sharing of vision and mission for mutual enrichment. Fr. Stanislaus D’Souza, the President of the South Asian Conference, emphasized that collaboration, partnership and networking are the buzz words in the Church-laity relationship and called upon the delegates to take greater responsibility in training the laity to fully participate in the mission of the Society of Jesus.
In the multi-religious context of India, delegates felt that the term ‘mission’ could be challenging, particularly in North and Central India. Alternative terms such as ‘partners in service,’ ‘shared vision’ and ‘ministry associates’ were discussed, though after deliberation it was felt the term was not controversial, given its use even in Hindu and government contexts. Another challenge was defining who qualifies as a ‘Mission Partner.’ The delegates concluded that only those who have undergone formation programmes and been well-formed in the Ignatian ethos could be called such, leading to an agreement to create a graded and structured formation module.
Describing the role of the province coordinator was a key focus of the two days. Tasks assigned include: overseeing, organising and implementing formation programs; establishing and maintaining databases; coordinating with various commissions; aligning
collaborators with Jesuit vision and mission; facilitating brainstorming; and representing the province at zonal/conference levels. Delegates also crafted a comprehensive 5-year plan to strengthen MPF across the Conference, which includes a formation module in three stages: Initiation, Immersion and Incorporation; launching a local MPF website with resources; promoting intersectoral and inter-provincial collaboration; developing a manual/guidebook for Mission Partners; conducting Training of Trainers (TOT) programs; and holding zonal-level MPF meetings.
The next meeting is planned at the Baga Retreat House, Goa, on 12-14 February 2027.
– Kelwin Monteiro, SJ (GOA)
