In the Catholic Church in every generation there have been outstanding men and women who have paved the way to find solutions to vexing problems, and acted heroically when facing the challenges of their times. The 16th century will always be remembered because of St. Ignatius of Loyola and the religious congregation he founded, the Jesuits. Their contribution to the Church in spiritual renewal, and in being at the forefront of the Catholic Reformation in the 16th century cannot be denied. The Jesuits, called to live as contemplatives in action, and labouring for the greater glory of God, will go down in history as pioneers of new evangelization models in the world. Those familiar with the history of China will call to mind the missionary zeal and creative apostolic imagination of the Italian Jesuit, Matteo Ricci, in the 17th century. And who doesn’t know the heroic missionary itinerary of St. Francis Xavier in India in the 16th century?

Fr. Sebastian Ousepparampil