Being invited to spend two whole weeks in Rome is a wonderful thing! It was not for a holiday, however, but to strengthen leadership skills and to get to know better the “ways of proceeding” of the Society of Jesus at the level of its General Curia. From 29 October to 12 November, thirteen Provincials and Regional Superiors who have been appointed in recent months had the opportunity to do just that. The formation involved moments of prayer, time spent with Father General, meetings with all the services of the Curia, and instructions on how to manage both financial administration and the care of persons.

Amid all this, there was also time for the sharing of experiences and the fostering of fraternity among Jesuits from different parts of the world. This helped them to develop a greater sense of the universal Society and a greater desire to work together for an ever better service of the Lord and the world in the spirit of the Universal Apostolic Preferences.

At the end of the session, we asked two of the “new Provincials” for their testimonies.

Phạm Tuấn Nghĩa, Provincial of Vietnam

“This two-week colloquium has helped me experience an atmosphere of grace and love. I have had great opportunities to listen attentively to the heartfelt sharing of concerns, challenges, and joys by each participant. I have also witnessed the tireless dedication and patience of our fellow Jesuits who serve in the General Curia and provide great support for Fr. General. Thanks to the coordination of Fr José Magadia, various speakers helped us understand better the Society, its structure, our role as Major Superiors, etc. I appreciate these brothers and sisters who act as the outstretched arms of God’s Providence for the Universal Society and for our respective regions. Their presence and guidance in the Colloquium sessions helped us to see clearly how the Universal Society cares for us, nurtures us, encourages us, and supports our missions. The caring presence of Fr Superior General in our initial meeting, during the liturgy, and in our individual meetings made me feel his fatherly and brotherly love.

During my stay in Rome, I was also delighted because many Jesuits - not just the 13 participants in the Colloquium, but also those in the Curia and in the communities of the Canisio, the Bellarmino, and the Gesù - showed genuine concern for the situation of our Province. They all rejoiced with me when I shared with them about the Vietnam Province, with its 100 candidates, 27 novices, 142 scholastics (including 8 brothers), 8 formed brothers, and 110 priests. Everyone sees this growing number of Jesuits as God’s grace working in the Province. In addition, the presence of young Vietnamese Jesuits in more than 18 countries and territories around the world is also seen by many as a clear sign of God’s grace for the whole Society. Currently, 17 Vietnamese Jesuits have been applied to various Provinces or Regions worldwide. I am certain that that number will continue to grow, thanks to God’s grace, as well as to our prayers and the dedication of our young Jesuits ad maiorem Dei gloriam.”

Alfredo Infante, Provincial of Venezuela

“Being and praying together, reflecting and sharing with different Provincials from Asia, Europe and Latin America, and getting to know the community of the General Curia and its working teams - all these activities have provided a great opportunity to recreate our awareness of the universality of the Society: a diverse body united by the same spirit, mission, and way of proceeding, and incarnated according to ‘person, time and place’, with a universal governance under the paternal leadership of Father General.

We live in a changing era full of possibilities for mission and, at the same time, with great challenges, given the emergence of ideological and religious fundamentalisms, autocratic political models, and extractivist economies that threaten human coexistence and jeopardise creation. Most fittingly, then, this meeting of colleagues has put us in touch with Ignatius’ awareness that we are ‘the least Society’ and that only through co-responsibility and collaboration with others can we carry forward the mission of being a sign of justice and reconciliation, following Jesus Christ who tells us: ‘As my Father has sent me, so I send you’.

Our growing awareness of our wounds as an apostolic body and the direct testimony of a victim of abuse of power and sexual abuse have led us to commit ourselves to truth, justice and reparation as pathways to non-repetition. We are committed to implementing the means for a culture of care and safeguarding that is coherent with our mission of justice and reconciliation.

Finally, I mention some key words that have resonated in my spirit: universal mission, pray, discern, serve, care, safeguard, listen, accompany, spiritual conversation, co-responsibility, communicate, lead, manage, plan, budget, governance, ‘person, time, place’, ‘way of proceeding’. Let us place ourselves with Ignatius when faced with the mission of being a Major Superior, and simply say: ‘Dispose of me according to your will. Give me your love and grace, they are enough for me.’ ”