Arturo Sosa, SJ, begins his 5^th apostolic visitation of JCAP

Fr Arturo Sosa, SJ – the Superior General of the Society of Jesus – arrived in Kuching, Malaysia to begin his 5^th apostolic visitation of the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific (JCAP). With a full schedule of meetings and travel between different Jesuit ministries and communities in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, Fr General hopes to capture a sense of the works of the Society of Jesus, and the needs of the people in the region.

The Society of Jesus has been active in Malaysia since 1545, when Saint Francis Xavier first stepped foot on Malacca. As Catholic communities began sprouting around the region, Francis Xavier turned Malacca into his base of operations – sending out fellow Jesuits like Fr Francisco Perez, SJ, and Brother Roque de Oliveira, SJ, to establish permanent Jesuit works throughout Asia. For almost a century, the Society of Jesus continued the mission on the Malay Peninsula, learning local languages and cultures while founding residences and schools. With generations of dedicated Jesuit missionaries, Malacca became one of the earliest and most significant Jesuit works in Southeast Asia during the sixteenth century.

The work would come to an abrupt end in 1641 after the Dutch conquered Malacca. The Protestant Dutch authorities prohibited Catholic worship, expelled Catholic clergy – including the Jesuits – and destroyed or repurposed Catholic churches. For more than three centuries, the Society of Jesus had no permanent presence in the Malay Peninsula.

The Society of Jesus returned to Malaysia in 1949 under unique circumstances. On 1 October 1949, Chairman Mao Zedong officially proclaimed the formation of the People’s Republic of China. Missionaries in China were forced to leave and, at the request of Malay bishops who needed assistance in addressing the pastoral needs of their congregations, many Jesuits leaving China found their way to the peninsula. Among the first were French Jesuits, Fr Andrew Joilet and Fr Monsterleet, who were soon joined by Jesuits from Canada, Ireland, and the United States. These missionaries began serving in parishes, schools, youth ministries, publications, and chaplaincies across Malaysia and Singapore, laying the foundations for a renewed Jesuit mission in the region.

That renewed mission reached a milestone in 1955 when Bishop Dominic Vendargo invited the Society of Jesus to establish a permanent ministry in the newly created Diocese of Kuala Lumpur. Accepting the invitation, the Jesuits built the Church of St Francis Xavier and its adjoining Youth Centre in Petaling Jaya, both of which opened in 1961. In 1966, Malaysia and Singapore became part of the Jesuit Vice Province of Hong Kong, then on April 16, 1985 – after continued growth of the work – the Malaysia-Singapore Region was established.

This is the history into which Fr Sosa steps on his apostolic visitation: centuries of Catholic communities built upon the tireless work of Jesuits across the era.

Jesuits today serve in parishes, schools, retreat centers and in back-offices overseeing the building of partnerships. Sharing Ignatian spirituality, always a focus of the Society of Jesus, has driven the creation of retreat houses and formation programs, like the Maranatha House of Prayer near Kuala Lumpur. The Society has established communities in Sarawak and Johor, schools like St Joseph’s in Kuching, and raised young adult and social justice initiates across the region.

Over the following days, Fr General will be meeting with Jesuits and lay partners across the country, from Kuching in the West to Kuala Lumpur in the East. He is starting his visitation with the Major Superiors of JCAP. As with all his apostolic visitations, he will hear about the challenges – there are 40 Jesuits ministering to a country that is 9% Christian and 3% Catholic – as well as the opportunities. He will be engaging in open and honest conversations about the direction of the work, and encouraging those who follow the mission to continue building on the work of St Francis Xavier – an enduring Catholic community in Malaysia.