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 February 2004. His death was an unexpected setback, but not the end… Fr. Prem Kumar was released from captivity on 21st February 2015. His long captivity was another setback, but not the end… This article traces the historical development of the Jesuit presence in Afghanistan, and describes their strategies in building up the frontier mission.

Paul D’Souza, SJ

The authors are currently working at Indian Social Institute, New Delhi and are engaged in Impact Assessment of JRS Interventions in Afghanistan.